Wu Yi Shan: Day 3 (With some tasting notes)

9/5/07
-Up late, 10:00 though unsuprising the others also weren't up. Meet for breakfast/lunch.
-Get bus with plan to go to Da Hong Pao. Home of the famous 6 mother tea plants.
- Hot!
-Ask old man where to go. WL and I want to get a move on but the others amble a long. Wonderful natural surrounding with tea growing in a seemingly more mature way compared to the recent visit to Zhen Shan. Get called back by the others. Have been walking wrong way.
-Long walk but very peaceful
-Fresh roadside fruit delivery
-Buddist statue and carving with fresh mountain water.
-Get to Da Hong Pao entrance. Lots of Chinese tourists.
-Take the quiet routes!
-Tea growing amongst the almost jungle vegetation. Very dream like.
-Arrive at the sacred plants. Strange to think that some years only 100g of dried leaf can be made from these plants. Would be interesting to know who is chosen to process the wet leaf.
-Have to rush back to town to meet WL's friend. The other head to Shui Lian (Water curtain) waterfall.
-Dinner with WL's friend is a little odd, very stilted, but none the less a very pleasent man. I look forward to meeting him again once back in Shanghai.
-Wonder back from the hotel where we have dinner. Look at some of the lovely wood carvings that Wu Yi Shan has to boast.
-Find another teashop that I invited to taste some teas. I end up chatting to 2 Korean guys who are very knowledgable in their teas. Probably the highlight is tasting some old tea tree oolong. the trees are around 100 years old and the leaf shows the same characterists as is seen with the Pu Er's from Yunnan i.e. much broader leaf growth. This tea has plenty of Cha Qi. Before long my feet and legs are tingling nicely and getting quite hot, not long after this spreads to my hands. Lovely to be high on tea.
-Head back to the tea house from the previous day to buy some teas for WL to test out at her shop. Spot the others. Get them to test more teas.
-Packed up head back to hotel. The Owners of the tea shop give us some local Huang Jiu (Yellow Wine) to try.

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Wu Yi Shan - Day2: Lots of tea drinking and lovely boat ride

8/6/07
-Arrive around 7:00am. Manage to organise rooms at a hotel on the train. Never do know whether you will be cheated. Much more reliable than other Asia countries but...
-Hotel is fine - 60RMB per night per room (2 people)
-Food rip off! 338RMB - probably 120RMB ggggrrrrrr.
-Boat tour. Wonderful. Warm, peaceful, beautiful countryside, cool water and good friends.
-Our guide seems not to be worried where we want to go, but rather should follow him. Makes people neverous especially as we gave money for tickets which so far we don't seem to have needed. Finally make him follow our plan. Explore area around Wu Yi Shan ****. Beautiful temple and wooded walks. The world seems such a peaceful place - no rushing for breakneck development and double figure growth in GDP.
-More lazy walks around
-HEad back to the hotel as the guide says we have made the driver wait too long. Who asked the driver to come?!
-Drink tea. Sample some lovely Wu Shan Yan, Rock teas. Including some 3 year old aged Oolong. Very varied in terms of strength, flavours and the 'yan' cha flavour. Dan Gui was very robust, distinct yan cha flavour, full of the warmth roasting that is so much a part of these teas. The next tea was much more distinguished. A great range of subtle flavours that could be tasted throughout the mouth and later, the throat. Try a xiao hong pao, very pleasent but lacked the complexity of the previous tea. This tea shops 3 year old, was very strong and I am sure will continue to age very well.
- The others tried a few teas before heading to a restaurant where we later met them, though later than we said - difficult for WL or I to leave a tea shop when there is more tea to be tasted.
- Late for food but plenty left, nicely washed down with some pleasent beers.
- Headed back to the hotel.

Wu Yi Shan: Tea and beautiful surroundings

Classmates;
- Noboko, Masariki, Huangy, Li Sa, Mei Yuan, An Ja
- Wan Ling

7/6/07
Meet WL at station
See first fight in China - walmart of all places
Everyone accept Mei Yuan arrive just in time. Have to run back to meet him with his ticket (19:00 --> train leaves 19:05)!!
Chatting and supping some beers