Day II: Temples and Breweries

Our first morning in the hotel we all met for our complimentary Buffet Breakfast. It was fantastic, a literal schmorgasboard (set on a buffet made of actual smorgas! Really!) Then we met Hao who had arranged for a 9 passenger van and a driver to take us to Laoshan Mountain. A scenic drive along the ocean reminded me of driving around Acadia Maine, boulder cliffs rising right out of the sea. We wound around the coast and came to a trail head where we began our ascent. First stopping at the dam with signs warning us to "be carvtolvs". Then to a waterfall and bamboo forest where the boys displayed their sweet bow-staff skills for the climactic fight scene of our kungfu movie. Next, on to an ancient Taoist temple with a thousand year old gingko tree and a dog who probably wasn't a thousand years old, but was still cute...and probably tasty. (ref to Day I: Chow Chow) Having conquered a mountain, and visited a holy temple, the only logical thing to do next was pay homage to the Spirit of the City. And I don't mean "spirit" in any pretentious, esoteric, religious, ethereal way. No, I mean lager, ale, beeeeeeer. The Tsingtao Brewery was the next stop on our itinerary. The best part (besides it being an entire building dedicated to making beer) was that we got an exclusive tour because Hao's mom had the connections to make it happen. Wow, the power to access a brewery; Bacchus would be pleased. With a single cell phone call she opened the doors of Tsingtao Headquarters. It was like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory...only replace chocolate with Beer, and oompa-loompas with Chinese factory personnel, and nobody got turned into a blueberry, but there was "mystic yeast". No, I'm not being facetious; I have pictures to prove it....Check It!

Mystic Yeast!