I've always liked tea. Yunnan's signature pu'er has to be tasted. Took a very long drive to go in search of a teahouse perched atop a mountain. Avoided the shops in the city because they're usually overpriced, and many are fronts for gambling dens and video arcades.
It wasn't too difficult. The driver knew what I was looking for. Arrived at the teahouse not too long after lunch. I spent the afternoon tasting the different grades of pu'er in both its raw (生) and ripe (熟) forms. I'm not familiar with pu'er at all. It's a complex black tea that one can't tell anything about a particular quality from just looking at the tea leaves. The proof is in the tasting. It was an excellent opportunity to learn about the different properties, taste and flavors of different years/grades.
The numerous lessons in the art of tea '茶艺' drummed into me as a schoolgirl haven't exactly been lost. However, while I understand the customs of tea-making, the mechanics of boiling water and brewing a good pot of tea, I had no idea about tea per se. The tea master patiently took me through the range of pu'er young and aged, and how the different years are meant to be sipped. It wasn't an elaborate set-up. He used the basics to demonstrate his teachings. And I listened.
It was a peaceful afternoon. Such tranquility in the mountains. This teahouse is such a gem. Glad I made the trek. There was the sound of insects, and the quiet steady whoosh of the wind. Nothing else. Sitting there sipping tea, I had no other thoughts in my mind except what I was tasting, and all that I was experiencing. I loved it.
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