Every ancient mythology placed significant focus on our sun, recognising it as our essential source of light, heat, and life. Without it we would not exist, nor would anything on this planet. Today we understand the science behind the phenomenon, but to the ancients the reappearance of the sun each morning after the hours of darkness must have seemed like a daily miracle.
Egyptians for instance believed that Ra, the god of the sun, travelled across the sky each day in his fiery ship. At night he would travel through the underground world, sailing the River of Darkness, and fighting off monsters. They celebrated each sunrise, when he emerged from the underworld having conquered the monsters to herald the start of a new day.
Many other religions saw the sun being pulled in a chariot by a god. For the Ancient Greeks it was the god Helios riding his fiery chariot from one side of the sky to the other. For the Romans Apollo performed the same task. In Norse mythology, Sol and Mani were the Sun and Moon, or more precisely, the beings who drove the Sun and Moon in their courses through the sky.
It is at sunset and sunrise that our sun looks most like what it is, a ball of fire. But as sunsets seem to be more photographed I have chosen in this gallery to concentrate on sunrises. We may no longer share the beliefs of the ancients. But nevertheless the dawn of each new day is a special moment, symbolising a fresh start; a blank piece of paper; a new page in the diary or blog!
This is my response to Cee’s CFFC Fire challenge; I couldn’t think of anything more fiery than the sun!
Chobe
Some of the best sunrise I have seen and photographed were in Botswana’s Chobe National Park. It’s always necessary to get up early on safari, to enjoy the best animal sightings, but the bonus if you are lucky will be a spectacular sunrise. These photos were taken on three consecutive mornings spent in the park.
Thar Desert
Staying at a luxury camp in Rajasthan’s Thar Desert we rose early and climbed the large sand dune that loomed above the camp. The reward was a lovely sunrise over the desert and the tents below us.
Uzbekistan
I had done the same some years earlier at our yurt camp in the Uzbek desert; I think it was memories of this sunrise that drove me up that dune in the Thar!
Sine Saloum Delta
Sometimes the colours of sunrise are more muted, soften by haze or particles in the atmosphere. Such were the sunrises I witnessed while staying at Souimanga Lodge in Senegal, but just as lovely in their way.
Souimanga Lodge sunrise
So, are you a sunrise or a sunset person? Or, like me, both?!
45 Comments
SoyBend
The last one at Chobe National Park is gorgeous! Like you, I like sunrises AND sunsets. 😀
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you again Siobhan 😊 What’s not to like about them, after all?!
rkrontheroad
They are all lovely, especially the Botswana sunrises. Living in the mountains, the sun appears later and seems to set earlier because the landscape blocks the horizon. It’s always a treat when I can look for sun rise and set when traveling.
Sarah Wilkie
I love mountain scenery but I can see that is one downside to living among them. However, do you get any version of Alpenglow where you live? That can be so beautiful too!
rkrontheroad
Sometimes a bit. But there are many other advantages!
Annie Berger
Enjoyed reading all the comments reading and you wrote almost as much as viewing your great photos, Sarah. Unlike Steven, I’m always an early riser but don’t make the effort to take advantage of sunrise views. Glad you did, though!
Sarah Wilkie
Ah, you’re like us then – I’m an early riser and my husband is more of a night owl 🦉
Amy
Wow, what a stunning sunrise and sunset gallery!
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Amy 😀
Easymalc
A wonderful selection of sun shots Sarah. Let’s drink to many more sunrises and sunsets ahead 🌇
Sarah Wilkie
Absolutely! Cheers Malcolm 🍷
Easymalc
🥂
giacomoasinello
Both! Definitely both. And I still see the daily reappearance of the sun as a miracle!
Sarah Wilkie
Because in a way it is 🌞
Heyjude
I am not a morning person, though I do like living in an east/west facing house so you get the best of both. I love sunsets and where I live now is the perfect place to see them.
Sarah Wilkie
That sounds lovely. We face north/south, and surrounded by other houses, so we have to crane our necks a bit for both!
Monkey's Tale
Both but I see more sunsets than sunrises. I love all of yours but I think the ones from Botswana the most. Maggie
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Maggie. They’re my favourites too, the sunrises there were very special!
leightontravels
Both, though I’m usually around for sunsets. Sunrises not so much. Beautiful shots all of them, Sarah, that reminds of the extraordinary magic served up daily on this planet. The fiery Botswana sunrises are my favourite.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Leighton. I suspect most of us see more sunsets than sunrises!
Cee Neuner
Sarah, these are all marvelus fiery photos for this week. Thanks for playing along 😀
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Cee. I’m enjoying this series of challenge themes 😀
restlessjo
Both! Maybe a slight preference for sunset but it’s all glorious, isn’t it?
Sarah Wilkie
Indeed it is Jo 😃
restlessjo
🤗💟
thehungrytravellers.blog
“Both!!!” Is the answer to that! You can’t help but love seeing both sunrises and sunsets, both are capable of making you go “wow”. Even when I was working and travelling the UK a lot, with lots of early starts, I always loved first light. Still do, as it happens.
Sarah Wilkie
Both have the wow factor for sure! As I said to Rose, maybe I find sunrises more special because I see fewer of them. Or maybe there’s something about the start of a new day?
thehungrytravellers.blog
If you’re a morning person, there definitely is!
Rose
I love both, perfect ways to begin and end a day.
Sarah Wilkie
I agree. But maybe I find sunrises the more special because I see fewer of them?!
Aletta - nowathome
I love both Sunrise and Sunset!
Sarah Wilkie
Me too, to be honest!
Aletta - nowathome
😁
Oh, the Places We See
A great thought-provoking post with lovely shots of sunrises. My fave is the one in Uzbekistan, but I’ve never met a sunrise I didn’t love!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you, I think you’re right about sunrises, impossible not to love them all 🌅
Manja Maksimovič
Beautiful all but my favourites are the bird in the first gallery and the first one in Thar. Magnificent! As for your question, I’d say it’s rhetorical. 😀 Not just because we are on the west coast of Italy (and Piran in Slovenia faces west as well) but for me it’s all about the sunsets.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Manja – that shot with the bird is one of my favourites 😃 I guess if you face west then sunsets have to be preferred!
Alli Templeton
I admire you, Sarah, not only for your amazing photography, but for the fact you can get up early enough to capture the sunrise at all! Wonderful pictures all, of course. I do find it fascinating that our nearest star has featured so strongly in our mythology and religion from the very dawn of human history. As for myself, over the past couple of years we’ve watched more sunsets than ever before – it became one of the things that gave us comfort during the lockdowns – and the glorious spectacle of nature never fails to impress us. And we’ve been surprised at how quickly the sun actually sets, slipping below the horizon within minutes. It’s amazing to observe its movement, and then enjoy the blaze of colour it leaves behind. It is truly a magical disc in the sky. 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Alli 🙂 I tend to be a morning person, but even more so when travelling. Those photos at Chobe were taken as we set out on game drives (or in one case a boat trip) – you have to get up very early on safari! I do agree about sunsets too, there’s something equally magical about them. But I had far too many sunset photos to be able to do a sensible edit 😆
Alli Templeton
You must be spoiled for choice for sunset photos, Sarah. I’ve never managed to take a decent photo of one myself – always seem to get the exposure wrong – but then I have nothing like your skill. Well done for being an early riser, anyway. I guess it’s worth it if you’re somewhere as exciting as on safari! 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
For a good sunset shot you need something to make an interesting silhouette in the foreground, a small aperture so both foreground and sky are in focus (but if not possible focus on the foreground as you can get away with a blurred sun!) and you need to expose for the sky, not the foreground or the sun itself if in shot 😀
Alli Templeton
Ah, I see. 🙂 Thanks for the tips, Sarah, I’ll bear all that in mind and see if I can do any better next time. It would be nice to do justice to nature’s glorious evening show for once! 😃
margaret21
Both! And I’d get up for those sunrises too.
Sarah Wilkie
I’d like to think anyone would but I have a feeling that there are many who value their sleep too much. Look what they’re missing!
margaret21
Exactly!