The Sunset That Surprised Me Most
I wasn’t expecting it at all
Sunsets are beautiful. I don’t have to sell them to you. I prefer sunrises, but I’ve already written about a surprise sunrise here.
I’ve been fortunate enough to witness sunsets in destinations such as Hawaii, Bali, Lake Toba (which is where travelers to Indonesia go when they grow tired of Bali), and the Mayan ruins of Copan and Tikal. But those were all expected.
In Hawaii, we waited for a clear day (it rained quite often when we were there). In Bali, we stayed near Echo Beach, which offers great sunsets every day as long as you can stomach all the overpriced bars behind you with barely a toilet between every pair of them.
At Lake Toba, our hotel was lakeside (the main entrance was actually on the third floor and we had to go downstairs to the guest rooms and to the dining area, which was next to the pool and the lake — hey, some people, myself excluded, prefer to look at lakes and swim in pools).
At Copan and Tikal, I knew I was standing inside history as I watched the fiery orb lower itself behind Mayan monuments.
When I landed in Hobart, however, I was too busy checking out the cocaine canines (I just made up that name) at the airport. Led by security officers (oh, let’s be honest, the dogs were the ones doing the leading), these four-legged law enforcers swept through the luggage coming in on every carousel to make sure they were clean.
I was already braced for disappointment, since a friend of mine in Melbourne, whence I had flown, had told me that I would fly in right in time to miss a unique outdoor market.
Disappointment did not describe my emotions as I boarded the airport bus to reach the city center of Tasmania’s capital.
Hobart has lots to offer. Yes, there are tours to take you to see Tasmanian devils (I did not partake). MONA (the Museum of Old and New Art) is an entire day by itself (I did indeed partake, as the museum was highly recommended by the aforementioned friend, who happens to be an architect and a fan of Aboriginal art).
I was neither sleepy nor tired, but my eyes shot wide awake as I witnessed what floated beyond the windows: a sunset unlike any other I’d ever seen. It was so pink and purple. It seemed to stretch from side to side till eternity. Like any normal modern person, I rapidly took photos. But the results did no justice to the beauty of this naturally occurring phenomenon.
Every evening in Hobart during twilight, I would hunt for the same gorgeous sunset, usually around Battery Park, probably slightly similar to the way people hunt for the Aurora Borealis. But never again did I catch the outrageous pink and purple of that night’s sky.
On the next day, after breakfast at a local café where the owner and I talked about the difference between getting sunburnt in Tibet and getting sunburnt in Hobart, I accidentally walked into an outdoor market selling cheese and sea salt. It was unique enough for me.
Dash Ip remembers his trip to Australia and New Zealand as one of the last times he traveled out of the country.
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