I could get used to this very easily...

Today we spent a most pleasurable 3 hours in the Mandara Spa at the Four Seasons Hotel in Bangkok. The spa suite was beautiful.

I had an aromatherapy bath, a Thai herbal compress followed by a massage and finally a rejuvenating facial (during which I fell fast asleep). The service throughout was marvelous and my attendant, although quite petite, was remarkably strong and gave me a very deep massage.


Afterwards, we hit the lobby for a snack and saw a multitude of Thai policemen and Secret Service agents wandering around. We correctly deduced that President Bush was going to be staying there - he's scheduled to arrive for a quick visit to Bangkok before he goes up to Beijing for the Opening Ceremonies.

A Visit to the Hamman

I woke up bright and early yet again, and so arrived at the Cagaloglu Hamami right after its opening time of 8 am. The first thing I noticed was that the main entrance (for men only) was a lot more impressive than the much smaller Ladies' Entrance around the corner.

Men's Entrance

Ladies' Entrance

After I picked and paid for my service, I was shown to a small, utilitarian dressing room that doubled as locker, and changed into my pestemal (a large cloth) and slippers. I was then taken to the hot room - it's a large marble room with basins and taps all around the walls and a large raised platform in the middle, lit by rays of sunshine coming through openings in the domed roof. The older lady helping me did not speak much English, but instructed me to "Wash" then gestured towards the platform and "Sleep". She left the room, saying she'd be back in 15 mins.

I followed her instructions and found the platform a lovely warm temperature. I was completely alone in the large marble room, lying in a drowsy, warm stupor, listening to the slow drip drops of water and looking up at the domed ceiling.

The lady returned as promised and washed herself and changed into a swimsuit. Then she sat next to me on the platform and using a small soapy mitt (called a kase) proceeding to rub and exfoliate my entire body. It was a slightly odd sensation, but still pleasant. We had a limited chat - I learned in our time in Egypt and Jordan that with women who don't share very much in common with me (including language), the conversation invariably centers around children. She has 3 children, 12 grandchildren and a great-grandchild on the way!

After that, she motioned for me to move over to the marble basin and she washed my hair and gave me a soapy neck and shoulder massage. The only part of this I didn't like was the washing part where she would dump bowl after bowl of water over my head. You have to understand that I don't usually get my face wet in the shower!

After this, I was done - I returned to the locked dressing room, dressed and was ready to go. I felt extremely refreshed and happily walked down to the Grand Bazaar to watch all the shopkeepers set up shop for the day.

Last day in Cairo

We arrived back in Cairo from Luxor around midday. Our original plan was to visit the Giza Zoo across the street or head to one of the large modern malls (City Stars in Heliopolis) to hang out. Alas, the 100 degree temps would have made the Zoo animals rather listless, and the traffic was bad enough that it would have taken a really long time to get across town to the mall.

So the girls went to the pool in the afternoon, made lots of new friends and had a blast.

I decided to try out the Cleopatra Bath in the Four Seasons Spa.

The spa was quite large with a women's locker area with jacuzzi, sauna and steam room, plus a women-only workout room. There's also a larger main workout room for both sexes. The first indication that I was not thinking in modest enough terms, was when the attendant handed me my pink paper bikini that I was to wear in the jacuzzi.

At the appointed time, my attendant escorted me to the treatment room where there was a large hydrotherapy bath in the middle, partially filled with water. I got into the tub, which was very comfortable - and she proceeded to pour several large jugs of milk into the tub as well. The jugs were very beautiful and ornate - Arabian style, made of brass. Then she poured various oils into the milk bath, and scattered rose petals from what seemed like many dozens of roses over the surface. Finally she threw in a few muslin bags, possibly filled with lemon and cucumber slices. The heat of the water, the burning incense and the various fragrances combined to send me into somewhat of a daze.

My feeling of being the centerpiece of an upcoming feast for some cannibalistic tribe only intensified when she started pouring hot oil into my hair and massaging it into my scalp and face. Then she grabbed huge handfuls of rose petals (this is why we needed so many!) and used them as a makeshift loofah for my skin. This was not altogether a pleasant sensation.

Finally after about 30 mins, I was "done". She helped me get out of the tub and dried me off - I stood like Cleopatra in the middle of the room, while she wandered all around drying me with a couple of towels. This was an odd feeling. Then she produced a new pink paper bikini, and told me to change out of my existing wet one. Not quite sure this had any useful effect, but since my brain wasn't quite functioning at full capacity, I complied.

Then I lay down on the massage table and she rubbed various oils on me with a short massage. As my treatment ended, she advised me to sit in the steam room for a few minutes and to let the oils soak in for at least an hour before showering.

Overall, this was an interesting treatment - not quite sure I'd do it again though. Perhaps the Nefertiti Facial next time...

A Balanced Life

Last weekend, 7 girlfriends and I made our way to Tucson for a long-awaited weekend at Miraval. I had been fortunate enough to have made the journey with my mother and sister in April, and had taken pains to request particular rooms for this Sept trip.

It did not bode well when all records of my room request vanished into thin air - not exactly the way I had hoped to kick off the weekend. I'll leave the unsavory details from sullying this blog but suffice to say, the GM has received a detailed 3 page letter from me on the subject :)

Overall the trip was wonderful but then again, we were determined to have fun, no matter what. Miraval is a great resort for a group with varying interests. At any hour of the day, there are probably 6-8 activities to choose from - including hikes, exercise classes, yoga, spa treatments and the always popular "lounging by the pool". Our group would split up for active and not-so-active pursuits, always meeting up in sub-groups for meals and as a full group for dinner every night. And the meals were excellent - you will not starve at this particular spa resort!

I had probably the best massage of my life with Heather on this trip - a hot stone massage but since she usually specialized in deep tissue, it turned out to be a combo of the two. Despite my best efforts to book another treatment with her during the rest of my stay, I was unsuccessful :(

Hua Hin & Barai Spa

We're in Thailand right now and just returned from a lovely break at the beach. Many people have asked me about the various beach resorts in Thailand - firstly, they're all wonderful and beat the pants off any resort in the US (with the exception of a few in Hawaii). The most well-known resorts are in Phuket and Samui - both of which entail a flight from Bangkok. We've spent time down there, but our favorite resorts are within driving distance of Bangkok. Pattaya is also quite well-known and about 2 hours away from Bangkok but is not as much of a family-oriented resort as Hua Hin.

Getting to Hua Hin takes a little longer than Pattaya - around a 2 hr 45 min drive. It's a big resort for Thai families and traditionally was where the Royal family would take their breaks. The King has a large palace there.

We've been going to Hua Hin regularly for the past 7 years or so, and have always stayed at the Hyatt there. It's a nice resort where everyone recognizes us, and is great for the kids. We've met some Thai families there, other Asian families and a lot of Europeans (primarily German and Dutch on this trip). The only Americans we've ever seen there are expats who are based somewhere in Asia.

The Hyatt opened up a new spa last year - it's quite well-designed although is based on ancient Khmer architecture, as opposed to a more Thai look. Spa-going is big business in Thailand now, with fancy new spas springing up everywhere. The Barai had quite a lot of focus on the "spa experience" - using words like "journey", "serenity" and "sanctuary" throughout - I'm a sucker for good marketing so I was sold!

When you go to a nice spa in the US, you have a large locker room to change, which is usually attached to some nice communal facilities like a sauna, jacuzzi, area to relax etc. And you are led to a small treatment room nearby when it's time for your treatment. In Thailand, there are treatment suites - self-contained large suites with dressing areas, shower etc. It's much less of a communal experience. I'd highly recommend a Thai luxury spa stop for everyone I know. Not only does it seem even more indulgent than the usual experience, the service just seems more serene and graceful.

The treatment suites in the Barai were magnificent with a private outdoor bath area and an outdoor rain shower. I had a few treatments that were very nice. After the treatments, you're led through a maze of beautiful corridors to McFarland House - a large open building right on the edge of the ocean, where you can relax and have a drink.

I also took a nice outdoor yoga class in the Tranquillity Court one morning - trying (unsuccessfully, I might add) to balance the effects of my continuous eating on the trip!