My day at the spa

 

Ok – I SO wish I had brought my camera.

 

My driver picked me up after work and I gave him the address. He didn’t know where it was, but we soon enough found it.

She met me at the bottom of the stairs and we started walk up the very dark, very old, stairs. But the building was so incredibly cool. I know nothing about construction or architecture – so I have no idea what it was made out of – but it was so cool looking. I’ll have to make an appointment during the day so that I can take a picture.

 

We walked up the stairs and I was greeted by another national. She asked me to sit on outside on the veranda and sat with me to talk about the different options. This place, on the inside, was quite nice. Very clean, done up to look like a spa, and even had a proffessional printed “menu” of spa services. It looked really, really legit (and came recommended to me by a non-national woman that works here). They have a lot of spa treatments (for dirt cheap) and I’ll be going back I think to try some of them out. Her french was broken and I don’t speak Malagasy, so…we just tried to figure out what each other was saying.

 

She offered me tea.… I’m not thrilled to be drinking the water here…. I’ve been told that its okay if its been boiled, but I was apprehensive. But I’ve been told that its extremely rude to turn down food/drink that is offered to you by a national – regardless of what it is or how poor the people are – you should take it. So I took the tea. Its boiled water….right? I took a few tiny, tiny sips and we agreed for the first time that I would have the “light” massage.

 

We went into the massage room, and the massage therapist told me to undress. I did. There was no sheet or towel to cover up with. I just kept saying, this is how they do it in madagascar, be openminded, this is how they do it in madagascar, over and over in my head.

I lie down. She then tells me that I have to take my panties off. OMG. WHAT?? Again – this is how they do it in madagascar, be openminded, this is how they do it in madagascar,... She whips them off before I can really process what the F*CK is going on. Ok, ginch off.  And I AM LAYING NAKED ON A TABLE IN AFRICA. Ok. This is how they do it in madagascar, be openminded, this is how they do it in madagascar, …  she starts doing her theraputic massage stuff, and its good! I almost forget that I’m LAYING NAKED ON A TABLE IN AFRICA!!!  And then…she starts to move on to massaging my legs, starting at my feet. Ok, normal for a full body massage. And then my upper legs. Ok, pretty normal for a full body massage.. And then her hands are getting higher, and higher…until finally I’m thinking…OKAY, lady, if your hands get two more milimeters closer to my crotch I’m walking out of here. I did NOT sign up for this and I’m NOT looking for a happy ending massage!

But then just before I was ready to get up and run – she stopped moving closer to my… “sister” and moved back down my leg. And then repeated the same thing with the other leg (and yes, I was getting ready to run again). Each time just when I was ready to REALLY panic, she would start moving down the leg again. And the whole time, I’m trying so incredibly hard not to laugh.

 

In the end, it wasn’t a rub-and-tug type place – it was totally legit – but gave a more…throurough massage then I’m used to back in Canada. And it was a good massage and  nice (when I didn’t think I was going to be violated in the massage table) so I’m going to go back again…BUT – and maybe this is prudish of me – Im going to wear some granny panties or bike shorts – and insist that they stay on. Even with the masseuse’s hands coming close to my “sister”, I would have felt comfortable with ginchies on. I used to have to go for physio on my hip flexor – and its pretty close to that area – so I know it’s a muscle that can get really tight. (I should probably use a different word there… J )

 

The cost for the massage was $20 for 45 minutes. Not bad. The mut hut massage place was $3.50 for 30 minutes…but I think this was enough of a new experience for me.