Our four-woman team shared bread and yogurt, took photos of each other and laughed when we had to use an open-air toilet in the mountains.

There is a saying, "only when you travel alone can you meet the right partner."

Now, digital tools, such as WeChat or a phone often replace face-to-face communication.

But what you miss between office cubicles can be found by putting trust in fellow strangers and trying to blend in the nature.

It was half past seven in the morning, and there was feeble light on the horizon of the 48.5-square-kilometer Lugu Lake in the deep mountains of Ninglang county, a 4.5-hours' drive from downtown Lijiang.

I was standing on the stone beach waiting for sunrise.

A dog then lay at my feet showing me its belly. "Was I supposed to touch its belly?"

With little experience of dealing with animals, I hesitated.

After a while, it was disappointed and left.

The day before, I got a chance to observe the white wings and red bills of sea gulls while experiencing the waves of the lake on a boat.

We heard the sea gulls, which seemed to tell a story of freedom.

We saw them as they competed for food, a vivid representation of the fight for survival.

chenmeiling@chinadaily.com.cn