The humidity stuck to my face like steamed rice on fingers. I could feel perspiration emanating from my pores and dripping down my forehead. One step in front of the other. I exhaled each time I lifted my legs and my hiking boots landed with a crunch on the leaves below my feet. I stopped to quench my thirst with a sip of warm Gatorade. As my breaths softened I picked up on the faint gurgling of water. I leaned over the narrow path and peeked down through the canopy of banyans where I saw a creek dancing downstream.
With a surge of energy, I marched forward for about a hundred feet. In front of me stood a small waterfall spilling fresh water over the tops of moss covered rocks. Without hesitation I stepped knee deep into the pool and inched just close enough so my face and chest were touching the cool mist.
Rejoiced I closed my eyes, tilted my head back and opened my arms wide. I stood rhythmically taking long inhalations of air and slowly releasing them out my nostrils.
Suddenly, I was awoken from my meditation by a cheerful strongly-accented voice asking, "photo?"
Standing next to me was a tiny Indonesian man of at least seventy. He wore a white cotton shirt, white linen pants and had a white towel wrapped around his head like a turban with one red flower popping out of the top.
My mind still spinning from dehydration, my body sore and overheated...I stared at him blankly. Amused by my reaction he burst into laughter clapping his hands with joy. When he finally settled down he asked again, "photo?" This time he brought his hands up to his face forming a rectangle and snapped his index finger downward to try and help me comprehend.
Without thought I smiled, switched on my camera and handed it over. He swiftly jumped down a rock path dangling my canon over the surface of the water. "There goes all my pictures," I thought.
After hopping about five paces he turned around, zoomed in and snapped with proficiency. He then gave me a thumbs up and returned my device safely.
I pointed the camera around at him. "Cheese!" He proudly flashed his rotting yellows.
I then waited. I was sure he would ask for some change and I was prepared to oblige. Instead, he said goodbye, turned around and laughed his way back behind the waterfall.
I continued up the path through the jungle. After about twenty minutes I decided to head back. When passing over the pools I looked down to see if I could spot my friend. Sure enough, there he was. Smiling as big as the Cheshire cat and taking what looked like a good holiday photo for a large Indian family.
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