| After visiting the samurai house, we walked up a small hill to a tea house. This is part of the rock garden leading up to a tea ceremony house. The original tea house is for viewing only; a newer building is used by people who wish to take part in a tea ceremony, the cha-no-yu. It's difficult to describe the tea ceremony: it's quite simple and complex simultaneously. A quick Web search can find all sorts of info about the tea ceremony: here's one helpful site that talks about various historical, spiritual, and practical aspects of cha-no-yu. We didn't go through the entire tea ceremony: it would've required more time and a bit more etiquette training on my part. I had never had this kind of green tea before. It is made by adding a powder to hot water, rather than steeping and then removing tea leaves. Furthermore, it is frothed with a bamboo whisk to add lots of bubbles. The result is a bright green tea that feels very different in your mouth than any other tea that I've had before. It is a bit like the smooth texture that a pint of Guiness beer has. The doors of the tea house face a beautiful garden with manicured bushes, flowers, and trees. The sand is raked into patterns. We use the stepping stones to avoid disturbing the sand.
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