We both needed a rest, and something to eat (it was now 3.30 pm) so in we went to find the interior more charming than the exterior. The entrance way was dominated by a statue of Buddha, then the main room was divided into cubicles that offered visual privacy. We were seated in a corner cubicle, opposite a large open window, low-level lighting, and gentle Chinese music, some instrumental, some vocal.
The first waitress (there were several who attended on us) presented us with the menu of teas, grouped together by type (oolong, jasmine, and so on) and within each category a range of quality. The menu consisted of laquered bamboo slats, sewn together. When we had chosen our Oolong, we were then presented with an array of cookies, laid out on plates and wrapped in cellophane. The waitress had almost no English and I had even less Chinese, so we pointed to three plates, indicating, as I thought, that we wanted one cookie from each of two plates, and two cookies from one other. Instead we received four plates full! Since two kinds – a glutinous rice conconction and an orange cream-filled fig-newton style one – were wrapped, we were able to carry away any excess.
Then the tea ceremony began. First all the containers to be used were heated with water from the kettle which had come to the boil at the table: first the jug and strainer, then the pot with lid that would contain the tea-leaves, then the jug into which the tea would be strained, and finally the tiny tea-cups. The set sat on a wooden tray cut decoratively to allow the water to drain through to the metal tray beneath. The tea-ups were not handled directly but were lifted using a pair of wooden tongs. Using another wooden utensil, the waitress scooped tea into the primary jug, then poured hot water onto the leaves, before using the lid to keep the leaves under control while she poured the steeped tea into our cups, then her own (although she did not drink any. Finally she poured some tea over the small green rabbit figure, which immediately turned white! We never did find out what the rabbit was made of, but were told that we could purchase one for Y80. The waitress was very particular about how to hold the handle-less cup: the rim is held between thumb and index finger, with the middle finger providing support under the bowl, and the little finger crooked to one side. Her hand looked very elegant and in proportion to the size of the cup; mine looked like a bunch of sausages.
After serving a couple of cups of tea, the first waitress disappeared, but a few minutes later a second arrived to make sure we had tea. And then a third! After enjoying numerous cups, we simply sat and took n the serenity of the tea-house. Most of the other clients had left, so we could enjoy the silence, amplified by the Chinese music.
We decided that that was enough for our first full day. We had not seen a “sight”, apart from the park, but my head was full of all the different things we had seen and the sounds we had heard, A very rich experience.
Our walk back, however, was not straightforward. While we found our way fairly easily to the landmark Drum Tower, we chose to explore a different route back to the hotel, and soon found ourselves lost in a series of back alleys in one of the hutongs. The laneways were so narrow that we could not see the re-assuring landmark, but eventually we came on to a main thoroughfare that I vaguely recognized from the taxi ride from the airport. We had, in fact, walked past the lane on which our hotel stands! Heather found the extra walking very tiring, so she had a rest while went down to the lobby to wait for Gordon, who arrived on time at 7 pm. We sat and had a beer together until Heather joined us, then set off to find a nearby restaurant. We did not have to go far – we rejected several before choosing this one (whose name I did not take note of) – and with Gordon ordering we were soon enjoying a delighful, if somewhat spicy set of dishes. Gordon remarked that the cuisine was very good and different from what he had expected. The meal for three including tea and beer (of course) came to Y180 (about $28).
Gordon, I think, was prepared to make a night of it, but we were dog-tired so off to bed we went for another early night.
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