Dali: A Dream Above the Erhai Sea

At 3 p.m., the floor-to-ceiling windows transform the room into a suspended glass frame. Cang Mountain dissolves into a light ink wash amidst the clouds, while Erhai Lake shimmers with an almost unreal blue — is it the sky shattered on the lake's surface, or the lake's waters reaching up to the heavens? Dusk arrives cloaked in rosy hues. The housekeeper mentions the rooftop observatory offers views of the Milky Way draped over the nineteen peaks of Cang Mountain. However, I find myself curled up on the lakeside tatami mat, halfway through "A Year in Provence," until the moonlight paints the pages silver. At midnight, I open the window and hear the lake's rhythmic breathing in the darkness. The 270° panoramic bathtub fills with the scent of orange blossoms. I suddenly realize the most luxurious aspect of staying in this cloud-hidden sanctuary is the weightless feeling, where even time becomes blurred. Finally, I grasp the true meaning of "staying on the mountain" — some landscapes can only be truly possessed by immersing oneself within them.