The Journey We live in an amazing world. Travel it.

I sat on the corner of a big stone up high three quarters of a mountain in Ciparay, West Java, the dazzling panoramic hollows of the gradient green hills winded by semi transparent fogs. The sun rising with the shadow of dancing swallows from south to north, west to east, chirping like a joyous choir singing. The voices of waterfalls and blowing winds marrying each other created a harmony of nature, captured amidst the beauty.

I stood up, turning around 360 degrees, I saw a footpath made from dark grey river stones with glittering greenish mosses, I took off my slippers to walk on it. The flow of water between the rocks lead my steps. There's no one else I could see – except the small fishes and frogs. I seemed in a labyrinth covered by the verdant trees dappled with the light brown of curly roots dangling, sunshine peeking behind them, the cheeps of crickets. Peaceful. Sounds of serenity.

“Arep nang ndi Nduk?(Where are you going child?)”

A surprising male’s tenor-like voice spoke, I turn my head. An old man, maybe around 70 years, very thin, wearing all-black from head to toe, batik linen wrapped around his head. I saw wrinkles the on side of his lips and both sides between his nose and cheeks, it drew his history as a person and at peace.

I was no child at 22, but in his eyes of wisdom I could see that I was.

“I want to go to see the waterfall, Yang.” As he's using Central Java’s language, I called him with Eyang meaning grandfather in Javanese.

“Follow me my child, I'm going there.” He said while he walked away. So I followed. He looked old but appeared not weak. “You're almost there but I want to show you something you have to see. There are pools with warm water that contain sulfurs” He said.

“Seriously?” I asked. He smiled. I felt like a child that found a thousand candies, my heart fluttered.

Step by step, a slightly arduous climb, finally, I saw turquoise pools with steamy mists hovering above the waters, definitely untouched by commercialism, naturally God’s creation.

“Enjoy my child, I have to go.” He said.

“Where’re you going, Eyang?”

“Somewhere empty of people, a cave of solace.”

I stepped forward to get closer to him, took his hand to touch my forehead, as Indonesian people do to show respect. I watched him walking further away, fading away, until I could not see his shadow.

I came back to the pools, letting my legs slide into the water, my body afterward, “Ah God, I thought, the only paradise is up there, now I see it on Earth”.