The Campuhan Ridge Trail to Bliss
Feb 13, 2025
I have several love affairs in my life. One is with hiking.
The beautiful rhythm between movement and meditation along with nature and connection all come together in a beautiful elegant dance of oneness.
I have had more spiritual downloads on hikes than perhaps anything else in this lifetime.
Downloads encouraging me to expand my spiritual understanding. Downloads regarding business, travel ideas, relationships and most of all the relationship within myself.
So today I’m hell bent on hiking Campuhan Ridge. Maps tells me it’s only a 25 minute hike, and if I get up early enough I can still make my mastermind call that I’m leading.
So I venture out at 6am to find this magical trail to heaven.
I get to the place where I take a sharp left and go down a hill. I have seen signs online that points the way, but there are no signs anywhere.
My GPS is not working at all so i guess I am relying on my internal GPS or asking people to help a sista’ out.
I will rely on the helping the sista out method because that seems a bit more accurate at this point.
I’m pointed in the direction of a steep hill and run into the most beautiful temple I have ever seen. Rich in colors and set behind the hustle and bustle of Ubud. They are getting ready for ceremony which I am quickly discovering is a common thing. Stores closing, people gathering and tradition trumping the need to make money.
Because what is money if you don’t have connection? Money is simply dirty paper or a digital number on a screen.
It means nothing.
And the Balinese seem to understand this.
So I start up the trail that goes along the ridge and pass a few early birds along the way. Most are trail runners that leave me in the dust and remind me of what my body is capable of doing if I put the time and effort into it.
I drink in the beauty. How I love the color green.
I am surrounded by red rugged rocks at home that called me there several years ago. Interesting how the polarity is beautiful between red and barren and hot and dusty and the tropical splendor of green adorned with vibrant colors of every shade.
I keep hearing a baby crying and realize it’s a damn bird.
I laugh out loud. Can you imagine if that is the noise you signed up to making in this life?
Oh shit yeah, I make a lot of annoying ass noises, I remind myself.
Like the voice that tells me I’ll never be happy, or the noise of my constant voice jabbering on about money and the need to be more frugal and stop being irresponsible.
That noise makes me crazy.
But when I’m hiking those voices tend to go away and all I’m left with is an ever expanding sense of gratitude.
So here I go up and follow the trail watching the magnificent sunrise emerge over the top of palm trees in the distance.
I stop several times along the way and take a digital picture in my mind.
“Remember this moment.”
Which is basically, “remember this feeling.”
Because isn’t everything we do for a feeling? We don’t want the car- we want the feeling of that new car.
And I want to remember the feeling of admiring this beautiful land. Feeling peace and wonder and overwhelming gratitude.
The feeling I get when I’m present and out of my head and into my heart.
As I get to the top I see that my gps is finally working and start following it.
It shows I’m 25 minutes away.
Weird did I go the wrong direction?
I continue walking through villages and am really thrilled that there are no scooters in this area. I bet this is how Bali felt back before the government encouraged scooters to be the mode of transport. And while they are a necessity they are annoying as hell.
Here is a quiet village I get to take on foot and have no need to move to the side of the road.
After walking for almost another 30 minutes I realize I am not going to make my call if I don’t figure out a plan B.
I’m hungry and noticed a hotel that I passed on the way.
The safest plan is the go down the same way as I went up.
I walk up the steps and arrive at the top of a steep staircase. I catch my breath as I see one of the most incredible scenes I have ever seen.
The Kastara hotel…. I’m overlooking the Campuhan valley and as I sit down to eat breakfast notice the edge of infinity pool disappearing into the sky, with a wooden boat on one end and a bamboo perch to sit on so folks can continue drooling and ogling the spectacular view.
I never want to leave.
I feel so safe and so at home and so essentially own with everything.
I eat my eggs Benedict and order an actual latte. Oh is life so divine.
The Balinese coffee has not been fully accepted into my senses. It tastes like mud water to me and if it wasn’t for the critical need for caffeine on a daily, I would push it away like a snot nose toddler.
But alas my body depends on certain vitamins minerals and caffeine to function in any sort of coherent manner so I drink the sludge down, often times two cups of the vile cup of crap.
So a latte is like heaven, just like the view in front of me.
I discover my plans to be picked up by a Gojek is not going to pan out as they aren’t allowed up on the ridge, so I decide I’ll have to succumb to another hike back down the magical trail pure bliss.
I wonder to myself if I can stay in this place of being for longer than a few hours or days at a time.
And I realize this is exactly what I’m searching for. This feeling and expansive peace all the time.
Yes this is my untethered love story.
And it didn’t require anyone else or anything else to acquire it.
I know deep inside that the reflection outside in this world is simply a reflection of my internal world.
So I say yes to more of this.
If mornings like this exist, then lifetimes exist like this.
Cheers to a lifetime of presence, bliss and peace.
I think I’ll stay here for a while.
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