After fighting the flu over the last couple of days, today is the official first day for me - third on the island. We drive towards the Huang Nam Keaw Waterfall and get lost on the first attempt. Instead, we end up on a dirt road that leads to a couple of houses and eventually to nowhere. However, we are already excited to be in the middle of the jungle (here they call it the forest) by ourselves. The sound of the crickets is almost deafening, they have an almost electric ringing due to it being their mating season. The air is pure, rich, and light and there is plenty to take in. We retrace our steps and take the correct road following the sign toward the waterfall. On the way, we find the 500-year-old tree. I am not very spiritual but I can tell this tree is surrounded by an aura of peace and serenity. It’s as tall as a skyscraper, its roots stem in all directions and its trunks resemble strong limbs and muscles. Hanging from it there are many offerings. After standing in awe for a good ten minutes we took a very steep and slippery road towards the waterfall. The sound of the crickets is still strong as we descend on foot. It’s not an easy path and in order to get there we have to climb a pile of huge rocks at impossible angles but eventually, we make it. The water is

sweet and cold, the perfect refreshment after the climb getting there. After chilling for a bit we decided to go eat at the fisherman’s village. A fun ride of very steep hills and also steep descents. We are like kids on the bike, loving every second of every ride. The view gets more jungley, the air more fresh and the sounds start to quiet down. We finally arrive at a viewpoint where we can see our next destination, and it strikes me how calm and quiet it feels. We eat at Nooshy Food where a charismatic waiter takes our order of “money bags” (spring rolls) scallops and flat head lobster and finally mango sticky rice. Most restaurants on the island require entering barefoot and don’t have walls - something that we love. We take a little walk at the quiet village where a few local kids are swimming by the pier. There are hardly any tourists here, in fact there’s not a lot of life going on. The houses have quiet locals inside, there’s colourful boats parked outside and the aquamarine water is hardly moving. We finish our day on the beach by A- Na-Lay Bay, a secluded and hard to get beach where we watch an orange sunset under a pink and purple sea.

After our clean-up experience, the days started to blend in. We meet Natalie and her friend Lalo for a snorkel and we find out about new beaches that we wouldn’t have found on our own. Lalo even bent his way to get us some pizzas at his brother’s restaurant, the first Italian restaurant on the island. We also meet a young Lithuanian couple, Gintas and Paulina. They stay at the Wave - F Homestay like us, a cozy modern-bungalow guesthouse in the middle of the jungle. We go kayaking together through the mangroves and hang out at night sharing tips and local places on the island. Eventually, we end up befriending Pang, the manager of the place, and Luis who works at the luxurious Soneva Kiri in the north. We start making a little community. Life becomes simple and a sense of purpose grows inside. At some point, I stopped journaling and just enjoying the simple island life, the

sunsets, the air, the lack of responsibilities, and the people. As the ferry departs and we sail away from Ko Kut I feel a bit teary, all the good memories we have collected and everyone we’ve met appears in my mind all at once. My heart twitches and I feel like I am twelve again, leaving the summer camp where I forged relationships that will last forever. In my chest, that feeling that I grabbed happiness by the balls, laughed like I meant it, and for a very brief second, had everything figured out. I wish for Ko Kut to stay untouched, unvisited - or visited only by the few who dare to go east instead of south. They set limits on the number of resorts they build and the tourists they let in, and they keep standing strong against Seven Eleven shops. That it doesn’t turn into a theme park like its sisters. Please Ko Kut, never ever change!