May 18 

We started the third day in Beijing at a refreshing stop at a traditional tea house. We were able to taste five different black and green teas there. The top two favorites of the group were Ginseng tea which helps with energy and immunity and a hibiscus dried fruit tea which is good for digestion. We had two different cups we had when trying the teas, the smell cup and the sip cup. Tea was poured into the smell cup, then we had to set the sip cup directly over the top of the small cup making both cups look like a small mushroom. Next we flipped the cups over which transferred the tea from the smell cup to the sip cup.  After smelling the cup you could rub the outside on your skin because it helps with blood circulation. Typically you take three sips to finish your tea, a sip for happiness, good luck and longevity. To test if the water is hot enough they used the tea baby. The baby will pee if the tea is hot enough and won't do anything if it is not. The phrase they use is "No pee, no tea". 

After the tea house, we drove a little over an hour to get Pizza Hut, which was a group favorite for sure. It was great to finally eat American food! We had 4 different types of pizza, as well as shrimp, squid, and chicken. The food just kept coming! Then we hopped back onto the bus with nice, full stomachs. 

Next we visited the China International Economic and Trade Show where companies from all across China market their products and debut new designs. There were so many different booths and products on display, along with candy and free samples! It’s safe to say that we all found something to enjoy.

We then got to go to the highlight of the day, the Silk Market. There were floors of booths, souvenirs and knock off items. We enjoyed getting to bargain with the shop keepers and experience that aspect of their culture. At the end of the day we all had some good items and great stories. It’s hard to believe that tomorrow will be our last full day here in China!

 

 At the Expo

 

 McDonald's delivery

 

 New technology

 

 Old technology

 

 Rock stars

 

 Seen it all

 

 Snow skiing in China

 

Tea tasting