Tea

A very sweet shopkeeper in the small village in the mountains yesterday (visited Ho Huan Shen mountain and environs) served this extraordinary green tea. I didn't know that Taiwan was famous for the best green tea, and I've never liked it as much as black (give me a strong cup of PG Tips and I'm fine mate).

But this was a very cool experience and I have to admit that the tea was the best I ever had. The proper Chinese (etc) ritual for serving tea was observed. The tea station—I can't think of a better word for the place where cup warming, aroma preparing, water sloshing etc. goes on—was in the shape of a gigantic sleeping dragon. The tea had the taste of flowers with some subtle third dimension that was hard to put into words, perhaps the best I can do is compare it to the mineral-y taste of some late grapes that also grow at high altitude (the Spätlese Rieslings e.g.). The uplifting, healing kick from the tea was palpable and I left in very high spirits. With a tin of tea from Chi Lai mountain opposite to our location.

Taiwanese people seem very loving and generous.