Tangible Paradise

To descend upon Paradise Falls, she and I had to crawl through a natural tunnel less than three feet high laced with poison oak and thick thorny bushes.

The hard dirt full of jagged rocks begging to pierce the skin was engulfed in darkness which dominated the center of this tiny cave, even on the sunniest days.

Her, a woman delicious complete with an alluring smile residing on unblemished skin was gracious enough to accept my offer, and accompany me to Paradise Falls. After she and I trudged through the unpleasant terrain, we finally came to the trail leading down to Valhalla on Earth.

The light at the end of the tunnel was so blinding, one couldn’t see the steep cliff warning hikers to stop. Knowing this from previous hikes, I stopped a few feet from the light and crawled backwards toward it. Emerging from the dark, we slowly and carefully made a sharp right onto the thin track over looking the far heights of inner space.

Certain spots on this mud tainted and often slippery steep path announce certain death. One false move, act of carelessness, or stupidity would mean plunging hundreds of feet down into the depths of despair. For both her and me, this was more exciting rather than terrifying. We often halted our walk to stop, take pictures and sip water.

The radiant red and yellow sun cast brilliant shadows across the mountaintops which highlighted the fall foliage of the mid October trees and plants bursting with brilliant colors of yellow, green, and brown.

The last hundred or so yards leading to the falls was marvelous. The slope was steep, yet safe and the sound of the raging waterfall announced the pleasant dusk to come.

The air was pleasantly damp and crisp. The flowing water was crystal clear. Moist dark green mint leaves penetrate the nostrils. A soft zephyr whistled through the tree branches while many innocuous creatures scurried about the forest. Chirping birds, water free falling against the rocks and boulders, and into the lagoon were the only sounds we could hear.

We marveled at the sight of  lush green nature and towering trees surrounding the lagoon among us. The mountain range soon swallowed the setting sun. The reddish sky dimmed into black and soon the sky was a sea of stars.

She and I laid down on soft sand and gazed at moonbeams bouncing off the tall trees. Her head rested on my chest as the star dominated sky above and the flowing stream from the waterfall induced lascivious love making.

The trek to Paradise Falls is often savage, but if I live to be a thousand years-old, I will never visit this place as often as I would like to, especially with her  by my side. Engulfed in the center of this most wonderful place, Paradise Falls, a glimpse a nature is transformed into a stare while emerged in her embrace.