We designed a perfect route up north to chase the world famous waterfalls, little did we know that the weather would be a bitch in the mix. It almost never rained during my stay, but after our first beautiful Nung Nung waterfall, we were driving in the rain on the top of the mountains the whole afternoon. It was cats and dogs, and we couldn’t open our eyes. When the rain finally stopped, we found ourselves arrived in a quiet town called Lovina.  Hot shower and ice cream later, we went to bed early, with a dream of a sunny tomorrow.

Oh boy was it a good dream!

The next day we got up together with the sunrise. We were at a boat when the sun shines all over. It’s so rare to catch a sunrise in the city, so this moment seemed particularly precious to us. Morning breeze went through my oversize white blouse,  I was having my coffee inside the boat, and thinking how wonderful life is.

With a lot agenda in our plate, we thanked the host for his hospitality and headed to the volcano.

Through the weekend temple traffic, we came to a lookout where the volcano is right in front of us. And under the volcano, there’s houses and homes. I thought of Pompei, the ancient city that got ruined by the volcano. It was just like that, kids were playing, couples were eating, farmers in the field and fish man in the sea, in the blink of time,  all gone.

The two things in life I revere the most are the mysterious nature, and the invisible time.

We headed down to the famous spring, my body floats in the warm water, I thought of Aristotle. “In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.” I thought of this famous line by him one afternoon at the top of Zurich, and once again, well put my great thinker, well put.

A rather long relaxed hot spring later, we set off on the road again. The sun started to move toward the west, so did we. We need to catch the dinner reservation back in Ubud.

There’s something special about passing through a volcano. Weeds grow out on the bare rocks after the years. Unnamed yellow flowers sparsely scattered in between. I thought of Route 66, Thema & Louise, and every single western movie with Ennio Morricone’s soundtrack.

I don’t know where I will be many years from now, maybe also on an island, maybe another earth. But in my twenties, I have journeyed in a wonderful wild land, with my favorite person. This and the yellow flower at the foot of the mountain will remind me of the ever so bright youth. And I know in one of these cold nights when I can’t sleep, I will journey back to the sunny and forever youthful days, and feeling absolutely lucky.

“…And fare thee weel a while;

And I will come again, my luve,

Tho’s it were ten thousand mile!”

 

All photos my own shot in Bali, Indonesia.