I stand in front of a steep stone staircase and watch a pack of little macaque monkeys romping around the steps and suggesting no way through. It’s almost 1 p.m., the sky is blue and the sun is mercilessly and almost unbearably heating the surroundings to a humid 35 degrees. This morning I was still on Ko Yao Noi, where I had spent the last three days exploring the island and simply having a good time. I had gradually discovered a few ‘secret’ spots and great locations and had settled in well. My new accommodation, ‘The Simple’, gave me access to a private beach at the beautiful ‘TOUCH’ resort. This beach wasn’t that far away, so the journey wasn’t quite as adventurous, but still not uncomplicated. The resort had excellent coffee and delicious shakes, albeit at not very favourable prices. But after the success of the last few days, I was happy to indulge myself. After all, it was also the last opportunity to experience paradisiacal beach days, as after Ko Yao Noi only the mainland was left on my agenda.

The beach was largely empty and very cosy. Here, too, the trees and bushes grew right up to the water’s edge and at the back there was an area of a large, dilapidated resort complex. It was a real ‘lost place’. The property was now overgrown and looked more like a wild garden with ruins than a posh hotel complex. At the very end, someone had once built a tree house, but it was now only held on to the tree by a miracle, i.e. the power of faith. I had also met Steve on this beach, an old, tanned hippie from the USA with long grey hair. The initial contact was not quite so harmonious when he woke me from a doze and asked if it would be okay if he set up his hammock right next to me. I looked around. Even now, the beach was completely empty. “Are you serious? Do you wana kidding me?” had been my spontaneous, annoyed response, but Steve pointed placatingly to two rakes attached to the trees right next to me. He explained to me that he had put the rakes right there to stretch out his hammock and that this beach had hardly seen a soul except him for the last three years due to Covid. So it was me who was disturbing HIM. Grumbling, I packed up my things and spread out my blanket again in the shade of a tree a few metres away. After Steve had hung up his hammock, he trudged into the shallow water to cool off. As my temper had slowly cooled down again, I also jumped into the water, swam to Steve and introduced myself properly. Steve told me that he had been living on this island for about six years. Until recently, even in accommodation right on this beach, until all of a sudden a lot of building work started here. We chatted for a while and he gave me some good insider tips for restaurants, sunset points and cafés, which only made the last few days on the island more and more splendid for me. For example, thanks to Steve, I discovered a small bar in a residential area right next to a Thai boxing dojo, the KYN Phoenix Muay Thai Gym, which served excellent gin and tonic, super friendly people and the best sunsets on the island.

Now I was in Krabi. Aaron, the owner of my new, very stylish accommodation ‘Into the town’ was very helpful. Not only did he give me a tip on the best way to get to the Tiger Cave temple, he even took me to the public service taxis, which only cost a fraction of the normal taxis and were mainly used by the locals. After about a twenty-minute journey and fifty baht less, I and an elderly Thai lady hopped out of the back of the taxi and stood in front of a magnificent red and gold archway.

The Wat Tham Suea temple, also known as the ‘Tiger Cave Temple’, was huge and very impressive. Lots of gold, many large figures and lots of impressive, colourful temple buildings. There were a few souvenir shops and even several small kiosks selling ice cream and drinks. The 1260-step staircase to the advertised viewpoint was clearly signposted several times. Only ‘please only attempt the climb when you are fit and not after 17:00, as you are not allowed to sleep up there’, a sign said in Thai and English. The place was buzzing with activity and some Western tourists had also found their way in. But I had no interest in the ‘unique view’ and the climb. I had a mission, a goal, I was looking for the next Big Tree, the second largest and widest tree in Thailand. The Thais didn’t seem to be very creative when it came to naming the sacred trees.

I was a bit lost, as there was not a single reference to ‘The Big Tree’, which was supposed to be in ‘Wonderland’, also on the grounds of the Tiger Cave Temple – at least not for me in English.

After wandering around the huge, hot temple grounds for some time, I decided to ask someone for directions.I had now arrived at the back of the temple grounds, where there were hardly any people. There was only one person standing in a small restaurant selling incense sticks, which was obviously part of the complex. However, there were no monks to be seen for miles around. I asked about Wonderland, whereupon the man pointed to a steep stone staircase full of monkeys not too far away and grinned mischievously.

Wonderland

So now I was standing in front of the stairs and a good 15 macaque monkeys. Some of the monkeys had now stopped frolicking and were keeping an eye on me. They were watching my every move very closely. ‘Well, what goes around comes around,’ I said to myself with a sigh and stowed all my loose items, such as sunglasses and headphones, in my fanny pack. After meticulously checking all the zip fasteners, I strode dynamically and determinedly towards the stairs and the gang of monkeys. I had to get to ‘The Big Tree’ and the hairy army of Wonderland wouldn’t be able to stop me! A huge, densely wooded valley stretched out in front of me, surrounded by steep and jagged, very high red-brown-black rock faces. I was breathing heavily. Lots of sweat ran down my face and made my eyes sting. The staircase didn’t have 1260 steps, but the almost 200 steps combined with the hot, sticky air made the sweat gush out. The gang of monkeys had obviously been impressed by my dynamic approach and had left me alone. A few neglected monkeys had left immediately and the remaining ones had at least left me alone.I wiped the sweat from my eyes and began to descend the stairs into the green valley that opened up before me.

It really was like stepping into another world, another enchanted land. The temperature, humidity and soundscape changed with every step and when I arrived at the bottom, I was surrounded by a dark green, fragrant rainforest. The humidity was very high, but it was pleasantly cool. Birds sang sweetly and again formed a chorus with the cicadas. The atmosphere was complemented by occasional monkey calls that were lost in the echo. There were impressive trees and bushes of all shapes and colours everywhere, some of which were already very large. I followed a small path to a huge, cave-like rock formation and a mighty golden Buddha statue. Legend has it that a monk was once seeking shelter from a thunderstorm in a cave in this forest when he came across several tigers living in the cave. Miraculously – and thanks to his strong faith – the animals left him alone and together they stayed in the cave for the night while the storm raged outside. There were no more tigers in the area, but the cave was still there. And it could be visited.

Here too, however, there were no signs for ‘The Big Tree’. There were small signs everywhere and occasionally a few red arrows, but these ended at another tree and a sign labelled in Thai. I was alone, so I couldn’t ask anyone and there was no mobile network down here either, so I couldn’t use my translation app. I followed another small path through the jungle, past increasingly crazy bushes and trees, until I suddenly stood in front of a huge ‘Raintree’ decorated with colourful ribbons. Was this ‘The Big Tree’? There wasn’t even a sign here in Thai! I paused for a moment and listened into the forest. No, this was not The Big Tree. I had a feeling it was, so I went deeper and deeper into the forest. The small path meandered through dense woodland and suddenly made a small turn to the left when I suddenly spotted it.

The Big Tree

Kind: Ficus albipila, abbey tree (Abteibaum)

Size: 49.30 m

Ggirth: 22.90 m

Age: unknown

Palce: Thailand, Krabi, Wat Tham Suea -Tiger Cave Temple; Wonderland

Huge, wooden, curved root structures poured out, almost like cooled lava, over a huge, sharp-edged, black boulder. An impressive tree was enthroned above this boulder, which had split into two trunks from the centre. One trunk was damaged and broken off, while the other grew far towards the sun and was barely visible through the dense foliage of the other trees. Unlike the tree in Ko Yao Noi, this one was not impressive because of the deep gorge-like vertical roots. This tree impressed above all with the shape and width of the horizontal roots and the apparent symbiosis with the boulder. Before me stood a perfect harmony of opposites: The mighty, sharp-edged and black boulder, embraced by a huge, organic, almost soft-looking tree and its ‘flowing’ root system.

I stepped closer to the tree and received confirmation: ‘BIG TREE’ was written in capital letters on a small blue sign directly in front of the tree. I had found my second motif, the second largest tree in Thailand.

This time, however, inspired by the first time, I had come up with a little plan. I put down my notebook and walked around the tree to get a quick overview. Then I looked for a spot on a root of the tree again and began to listen to the forest and the surroundings and to establish a relationship with the situation here. The mosquitoes left me alone this time and after 15 minutes the wooden tapping sound from my mobile phone heralded the start of the next step, the subject shots. Lost in many a detail, I took over a hundred pictures and still missed a telephoto lens more and more to be able to capture the exciting areas in the middle and upper sections of the huge tree. One hundred photos were not enough!

As with the previous big tree in Ko Yao Noi, the crown of the tree was not particularly impressive and the upper trunk was also just a long, straight trunk. The wood here also seemed very light and downright hollow. However, the lower trunk and the roots above ground were also interesting. Unlike the Big Tree on Ko Yao Noi, this one did not stand so extremely wide-legged and stable, like a cone on the ground. This one had spread out flexibly and literally spilled over the stone and the forest floor. It had spread out and expanded. It had slowly and steadily taken its place, establishing and consolidating its existence and strength.

Further and further, wider and wider. “Strength through frugal but constant, unceasing endeavour”. The rock, which lay in its centre and could have been a disruptive factor, had obviously not hindered its enormous growth, but was simply adopted and firmly integrated into its existence and reality of life. The tree could also have allowed the rock to hinder its growth and striving for greatness. It could have been blocked by this obstacle and thus crippled and taken on a minimal existence. But he did not. He simply integrated the rock into his reality, growing around it and beyond it in a seemingly benevolent and friendly way. It did not destroy it, it enveloped it and integrated it into its life. Ultimately, this symbiosis enabled the tree to grow into the second largest and therefore second most powerful tree in Thailand. “Adaptation,” it popped into my head. “Strength through adaptation and flexibility. Strength through flowing around and absorbing, i.e. acceptance and integration of supposed obstacles and potential problems.” On the other hand, it had split in the crown and one of the trunks had already broken off. In the lower part of the broken trunk, the mighty roots had already been partially stripped of their bark and were beginning to rot. Its size was therefore in danger and its finiteness was becoming apparent. This mighty, adapted tree was fragile, damaged and vulnerable. “Fragile strength“, I thought. “Every strength is finite and only a temporary state. A limited moment, replaced by decay and decomposition, from which the potential for a new but different form of strength then arises again. It is a constant up and down, an interplay between strength and weakness”.

I was brought out of my thoughts by loud screeching from the back of the forest. Monkeys again? No, a travelling group of bawling Eastern Europeans and Englishmen. I sat down on an outcrop of the broad roots and watched the passing group through the thicket. Why do so many people feel the need to shout into the harmony of a forest and want to hear their own echo instead of listening and perceiving? None of the group had noticed me and when the group of travellers had finally disappeared and the screaming had died down, I was just about to record my thoughts when a young Italian couple stepped into the small clearing. They devoutly took in the tree and the atmosphere and then asked me politely and even in a whisper if I could take a photo of the two of them in front of the huge tree. I had to grin. What a world of difference to the situation just a few minutes before.

It hit me like a powerful, blunt, hot blow as I crossed the threshold of the stone steps again to return to the hustle and bustle of the Tiger Temple. The temperature seemed to have risen again and apart from a man sweeping up a few dry leaves in the shade, there were no people to be seen. Even the monkeys had moved away from the stairs into the shade of a tree and had become very quiet and lazy.As I would have loved to have some more information about the tree, Wonderland and the legend itself, I approached the man and asked him if he could say anything about it or at least knew someone who could.But all I got in response were blank, questioning eyes.I looked at my mobile phone.Mobile data was back!Perfect.I dictated the question into my translation app and showed the translation to the man.He seemed to have understood my request, but now he looked at me with a sad shake of his head. What a pity.

On the way out of the temple, the number of tourists increased again, but apart from the kiosk operators, there were no supposed members of the temple to be seen. ‘No interview then,’ I said to myself. My head was full anyway, I had suddenly become very tired from the impressions and the heat and a sudden rumbling in my stomach told me that I had once again forgotten my lunch. So I gave up and left the glowing, golden-white temple grounds in search of a large portion of fried rice and a mango shake.