dushanbe teahouse

[mongo_jones]

doubtless this bizarre piece of boulderana has been discussed here before. if it hasn't here's a quick primer:

for some reason dushanbe (the capital of tajikstan) and boulder are sister cities. to mark this relationship the city of dushanbe sent a slew of craftsmen and artists to build a lavish, traditional tajik teahouse in boulder (i'm not sure what the coloradans sent in exchange--perhaps a lifesize cut-out of john elway?). anyway, the teahouse has a great tea selection--including constantly updated darjeeling single estates--and pretty good tea-time food (and very crappy dinner food--never been for lunch).

most importantly the tea house serves as a tourist attraction that guests who are unmoved by the prospect of hiking and nature can be taken to. and so, yesterday we took my visiting uncle and aunt over. tea-time is between 3 and 5 p.m but they sat us for tea at 6.30 (the hostess didn't blink, but our waitress didn't look too happy--gave her a bigger than 20% tip anyway). we had some really good tea--the second flush from an estate called margaret's hope or margaret hope or something along those lines. since we arrived after tea-time was technically over they were out of pastries but this was just as well as we then got to order their heavenly ginger bread--thickly sliced, very gingery and topped with excellent cream.

if you're ever in boulder and you're a tea person it is well worth a visit.

[afoodnut]

doubtless this bizarre piece of boulderana has been discussed here before. if it hasn't here's a quick primer:

for some reason dushanbe (the capital of tajikstan) and boulder are sister cities. to mark this relationship the city of dushanbe sent a slew of craftsmen and artists to build a lavish, traditional tajik teahouse in boulder (i'm not sure what the coloradans sent in exchange--perhaps a lifesize cut-out of john elway?). anyway, the teahouse has a great tea selection--including constantly updated darjeeling single estates--and pretty good tea-time food (and very crappy dinner food--never been for lunch). ..

if you're ever in boulder and you're a tea person it is well worth a visit.

The teahouse has its roots in the cold war in 1982. The pieces of the teahouse sat in storage in boulder for years before funding was finally scrounged to allow its construction. What Boulder has done in return...so far, I believe it's still nothing. The promise/plans were for an internet cafe, but last I heard, it's still just on the drawing board.

For the complete history of the teahouse look at boulder-dushanbe.org

[mongo_jones]

so far, I believe it's still nothing. The promise/plans were for an internet cafe, but last I heard, it's still just on the drawing board.

internet cafe schminternet cafe--shurely naropa could open an extension of their jack kerouac school of disembodied poetics in dushanbe--they wouldn't even need to send anyone or anything.

[Gary Soup]

internet cafe schminternet cafe--shurely naropa could open an extension of their jack kerouac school of disembodied poetics in dushanbe--they wouldn't even need to send anyone or anything.

Reminds me of an announcement I once saw posted on a telephone pole in SF announcing a Psychic Fair. Someone had scribbled graffiti on it reading "You don't need to be there to attend."

[Edited for typo]

Edited June 13, 2004 by Gary Soup (log)