Hard Rock Tea House

The tea ceremony was held at the temporary ceremonial ground, Hard Rock Tea House. A silver tarp was stretched low between the rocks and across the overhang of the boulder over the guests at the ceremony. Guests were seated on sandbags placed in a circle on the sandy ground. A small fireplace was cut into the ground with stone slates for the preparation of the tea. Rooibos tea and Yerba Mate tea were kept cool in the evaporation cooler constructed out of two buckets covered with a damp cloth and served to the guests.

The boulders were located at a thirty minute walk away from A-Z West. The whole experience included walking the moderately strenuous uphill pass in the hot and dry climate, appreciating the unique landscape, then drinking refreshing tea together and enjoying the conversation.

The awe-inspiring boulder and rocky desert landscape provided nature’s own rock garden. The unique landscape and the harsh desert environment heightened the experience of ichi-go ichi-e. The mutual appreciation of meeting people created a unique and precious moment in participants’ lives – a feat accomplished without relying on the formality of a traditional tea ceremony, which often takes away from the profound experience of ichi-go ichi-e, especially for the uninitiated.