I had been seriously contemplating a trip to Kyoto and Shizuoka to visit a few of the farms, and then the tsunami and Fukushima disaster struck.  There’s no danger in going there, but it seems kind of strange to be touring around when there’s still so much happening and concern about fallout.  Would feel like I was in the way. 

I’ve been watching Michael Palin tour the Himalayan region on PBS, visiting an Indian tea estate and drinking Tibetan Po Cha along the slopes of Everest.  That kind of trip would be my next choice, but there’s so much political unrest that I don’t know if that kind of thing would even be possible or safe to do as an individual.  He had the BBC and 40 pieces of camera equipment with him.  I would only have my wits, my asthmatic lungs, and my French as my assets.  That and $4.50 will get you a steeping of Gyokuro at the local cafe.

I had to giggle @latteteadah, about the way you phrased your assets, and how you might as well steep a Gyokuro at a local tea shop.

I would love to visit tea houses in Morocco and Iran!