Are you the sunrise type, or the sunset type?

I have been sharing a room with Mumun from the travel blog Indohoy during some of our trips, and before bed, she always said enthusiastically, “Let’s wake up early tomorrow and watch the sunrise!” – to which I responded with: “Well, let’s see tomorrow.”

Usually, the next day, we would open our eyes at around 7—looking at each other sleepily, still curling in bed, our stomachs growling, craving for breakfast. Nobody mentioned the sunrise that has completely risen by then.

So, let’s just say that I’m more of the sunset type.

My latest sunset spot in Ubud.

Apart from the Tjampuhan Ridge, lately, my favorite sunset spot in Ubud is hidden just in the midst of its center. A few meters across Bisma Street, before the entrance to Tjampuhan Ridge, a rocky uphill path takes you to a narrow alley leading up to Subak Sok Wayah. There, a winding narrow track awaits: lined with cafes, guesthouses, and shops selling paintings and souvenirs on the left, and rice fields on the right.

Cafes and restaurants with sunset views are plenty along the track, perfect to wind down after a stroll around Ubud. A small cafe even offers a reading of your Vedic charts—could be a fun pastime for the curious! I personally love waiting for sunset while reading on Kindle at Sari Organik or Cafe Pomegranate. They are located not too far away from one another.

The Golden Hour.

There is something magical with the lights at this hour. When I was little, I used to think that sunset was a gate to another realm. There must be a door somewhere behind those beautiful lights, leading up to an enchanted forest with imps, fairies, and talking animals. As a grown-up, I still get the chilling excitement of watching the sun goes down; still having the feeling that I have just been transported ‘somewhere’ without actually moving, or leaving.

The In-Between.

My friend once told me, that we can feel the Divine between our breath: that tiny moment in-between inhaling and exhaling. There are many in-between moments in our daily lives: when we walk, in-between the changing of our left and right foot; when we brush our teeth, in-between the moment when the brush leaves and touches our teeth; when we eat, in-between the tasting and the swallowing of our food.

In watching sunsets. In-between light and dark: that tiny window into the magical world of a pivotal moment when eternity sneaks in through something so mundane and temporary.

SARI ORGANIK
Address: Jl. Subak Sok Wayah, Tjampuhan, Ubud
Phone: (0361) 972087

CAFE POMEGRANATE
Address: Jl. Subak Sok Wayah, Ubud
Phone: 0878-6080-3632