Often with travel, I would go on my own, for I like to be alone, away from crowds, whether in a temple within a busy city or in a remote, isolated part of the countryside. Being alone allows one to think and to absorb the surroundings while also composing shots for photography. Talking with others can be a distraction but also at times an important element in travel.

Sitting in a vegetarian restaurant within the grounds of Kunming's Yuantong Temple, people in ethnic costumes from different areas around the province would come and sit next to me. In conversation, surprisingly at times in English, they would tell me of their distant homes, whetting my appetite to visit. Of course backpacker cafes along the routes I would follow were great sources of updated information in those pre-internet days. Friendships were made over cups of thick, strong Yunnan coffee or long glasses of cold Dali beer. Although I often wanted solitude, strangely I never really felt alone. There was a special feeling at that time.