Feature | Nemanja Glumac
and benign activity, but the local authorities
must have held a different perspective. That’s
probably why there is something which I can
only describe as the “moral police”, comprised
of religious older men sneaking around and
trying to catch any sign of indecent behaviour.
Outside of the cave, countless stairs were
leading from the top to the bottom of a
magnificent waterfall. This is possibly the
biggest tourist attraction in the national park.
Standing at the top looking down, I could
clearly see a playful crowd of locals at the
bottom of this waterfall. What I didn’t see nor
expect was that they were fully clothed. Of
course they were. They had to, according to
the rules. Try to imagine hundreds of joyful
people standing underneath powerful streams
of refreshingly cold water in their everyday
clothes and having the best time of their lives.
You could see it all – people washing clothes;
women in hijabs; women washing their hair
or even brushing their teeth; whole families
with sand toys for children like they were at a
beach resort; children sliding down the stream
on huge inflatable tubes; playful groups of
young males trying to impress the girls, a
gentle push here or a slight touch there,
holding hands, conversing as if they were
standing in a city square; one guy standing
alone in denim, a shirt and holding a fake
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The Travelist | Issue 4, 2016
Louis Vuitton bag (a very popular accessory
in SE Asia and unfortunately a status symbol
along with iPhones and owning a car); yet
another brave group of males climbing rocks
and acting tough. You name it. Everything
was there. For me, this was a microcosm rich
in love, romance, laughter and big, sincere
smiles. People of all ages left their worries at
some other place or came to this magical spot
to wash it all away.
Two weeks were packed with adventure,
yet they felt like two hours to me. I was on
a plane again this time flying back to Bali
and then eventually to Bangkok. I couldn’t
stop thinking about the family that accepted
a complete stranger into their home and
showed remarkable hospitality and kindness.
I also couldn’t stop thinking about how very
little is needed for some to be happy. They’re
usually the ones who don’t have too much
but wholeheartedly share what they do have,
nevertheless. And of course, I couldn’t stop
thinking about those teenage mavericks, the
lovers who didn’t let rigid rules stand in the
way of their love. Just as water will always
find a way to the surface, so will love itself.
I’ll carry that memory with me as a reminder
from this journey. May it serve you as well
and may it light your path in this huge dark
cave called life.