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Blog Day 57 Sat 2nd July 2011
Spa Day!!
Okay so the pills are helping a little bit, some of the stomach cramps have gone but Trish is still feeling a little weak. We have an easy day today so hopefully we will both feel better. We have a 5 hour pamper session each booked at a nearby Spa. We get transfers included in the price & upon arrival some kind of Chinese herbal tea that they say will help calm our stomachs.
The treatment itself starts with a foot cleanse & scrub; Thais consider the feet as the lowest part of your body they are least honored & seen as unclean so they ensure that they are well scrubbed & refreshed!
We then go onto the Traditional Thai massage which is a 2 hour type massage combined with a hot compress from head to toe. Thai Massage is quite different from what most western people perceive as massage. The main difference is that it is practiced fully clothed on a floor mat, where oils or lotions are not necessary. They use their thumbs, elbows, palms, feet & knees & include rocking, rhythmic muscle compression, assisted yoga positions and stretching techniques, (it must be obvious that Trish is writing this and not Dan). The intention of Traditional Thai Massage is to guide the body, mind, and spirit into balance and harmony, providing an opportunity for self-healing & the focus is on pressure points & circulation & how this can promote internal health & improve muscular flexibility. The herbal compress (used after a certain area of your body has been stretched) is usually made up of a blend of different medicinal herbs, each with their own unique properties. Typical blends can include camphor, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, turmeric, tamarind among other herbs and spices. These herbs are wrapped in a muslin ball and heated with steam. The compress is then applied to the body using specialized and distinctive movements, it really relaxes your body, and it's unexplainable.
At the end they do some crazy moves that you have to be kind of ready for (which we weren't) and relax or try to through it. These are moves that a UFC fighter would immediately put into their repertoire, and when you consider that these techniques are being carried out by the slightest women it's very impressive. There is one move where we are sat on the mat with our legs out in front and the masseuse crouches behind with her knees in our back. She then hooks onto our arms and, telling us to relax; she rolls onto her back suspending us on her knees and shins. Dan was certain that his lady wasn't going to get back up after that little maneuver. At certain points it can be a little painful, that's a sign that these are your problem areas & though weird it feels amazing.
This is then followed by a paraffin wax treatment to the hands & feet & then 45mins of foot reflexology which is amazing & I think we both fell asleep at this point.
After a break for some more Chinese Herbal Tea (which we can't decide if we like or not) a fruit platter & some more pills we have our last treatment, a 6 step facial. Deep cleansing, exfoliation, massage and mask finished with cucumber placed over your face to refresh and then lastly moisturizer. We both feel completely pampered from head to toe, all for the equivalent around £80 for the two of us; I'd say money well spent!
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