Let's dive deeper into one of the topics of my last post The luxury of HEAT. During the winter months I spend some time in spa's and sauna's. Since I arrived in Germany a few weeks ago, I've been exploring the world of wellness here during the weekends. What to expect here and does it make you feel well.
A 'short' background story
The first time ever I went to a Dutch Wellness Center, I was feeling a bit uncomfortable. A friend of mine invited me. Why not, let's give it a try. Let's get naked. It was all fine. We ordered some bubbles, jumped in the jacuzzi and enjoyed the hot water during a cold day outside. At some point a staff member came. I was a bit surprised to see someone fully dressed, while the whole center was naked. There seems to be a problem... I was not allowed to drink in the jacuzzi.
But why do you sell these bottles of Champagne at the bar then? I'd asked...
You are not allowed to drink in the jacuzzi.
Ok, I didn't know. First time you know. And I put my glass of bubbles on the stone border.
Sir, you have to come out.
Uhm why? I'd just put my glass away and stopped drinking?
Sir, you have to come out now and come with me.
Seriously? The other thing that happend, was the fact that this bird on the other side of the huge jacuzzi, was constantly flirting with me. She was hot, and it was not the water that warmed me up. The fact that her grandma was sitting next to her, could not stop the blood pressure in a certain body part. Yes, as a newbie naked in a jacuzzi, I had a little (or huge) issue with controlling the hormones. And the only dressed up person in the area asks me to get out...
Sorry man, you can take the glass with you if you want. I will come in a sec, I am having a bit of a hard time here...
I guess he got the point, and there were a few smiling faces. What a start.
This first wellness experience was a bit embarrassing, but also quite funny. From that moment, I got more used with running around naked. We were born naked. I only have to remember: one type of bubbles in the jacuzzi and don't try to flirt in a wellness center.
Relaxing all over the world
If there is a possibility to relax somewhere while traveling, I will do it. I visited amazing places, sometimes also a bit strange.
During the Sziget Festival, me and my buddies didn't want to wait for hours to take a dirty smelly festival shower in the mud. Every 2 days we left early to the Szechenyi Bath in Budapest. This enormous spa place looked like a palace and inside they also had a lot of hot baths. When it was too crowded, they locked the doors for new visitors. This was the perfect warmup for another 2 days of partying at the festival. I guess this spa spoiled me a lot.
Another time I was re-uniting with my ex of that time, in Vietnam. She was traveling with her BFF and we had the funny idea to spend a full day naked at a Vietnamese Wellness Center, to get to know each other. The day before I had a huge dental surgery of 7 hours and I was still a bit fuzzy, but hey...why not? At some point we were laying in a row of 3 and we were all getting a massage from the Vietnamese ladies. No, I did not get a happy ending. But my 2 Dutch female friends, had a very special massage from the locals. It was hilarious.
New Zealand, the best place during winter to go to a spa. After a lot of drinks and cakes at the hostel, the group decided to look for a spa. We found one not that far from our place. It was beautiful. Chilling in the huge hot pool (and I mean really hot), while looking at the full moon and getting snow flakes in our face. The snowy surroundings made it an amazing night not to forget.
Probably one of the most rewarding visits, was the visit to Myvathn Nature Baths in Iceland. After sleeping in a rooftop tent in the middle of a snowstorm with temperatures dropping down to -18 degrees Celcius at night, we were so cold. After a little adventure with our 4X4 getting off the road, we decided to stop at the thermal area. Getting used to the rotten egg smell. And there it was: Myvatn Nature Baths. A manmade collection of pools with water temperatures between 36 and 40 degrees Celcius. Bottom covered in sand and gravel and with hot turquoise water full of minerals. The drinks you order in advance at the reception. And when you are in the pool, you just wave. There are 2 crew members serving you with drinks. The drinks were big and cold (wine or good craft beers) and the staff was seriously hot. The man served my female friend in shorts and I was served with a smile by this good looking woman in her bikini. You don't have to get out, they come in the water and serve you. This was the best way to defrost.
And now back to reality
After coming back from my last roadtrip, I've tried several spa's in the Netherlands. Since the energy prices went up, swimming pools and spa's are saving costs by lowering the use of gas. That means, the pools are not even warm. For me, that is a reason not to go to these places anymore. Also the lack of service, especially when you like to eat and drink. Earlier this year I had the stupid idea to visit a spa for 11 hours, while it was the hottest day of the year (37 degrees Celcius in the shade). I can tell you, that the heat allergic reaction afterwards wasn't worth it. I also think taking part in 5 Löyly's that day was a bit too much.
From Dutch to Deutsch
A few weeks back I wanted to discover the German Spa. First the Neptun Bad in Cologne. I was excited. This name reminded me op The Neptunes (N.E.R.D.) and their song Lapdance. The outcome was slightly different. In the beginning we though it was a special day and we might have ended up in a busy Gay-spa, but during the night a few female faces showed up. Although no lapdances here that night. The building was beautiful. It felt a bit different here, most people were constantly wearing their bathrobe, while the Dutchies are running around mostly fully naked in the spa. We prepared a thermos at home full of mulled wine, we are in Germany right. Good thing, you could take your own food and drinks here. Unfortunately also here the water was cold. The nicest pool was one were you float with a foam pool noodle and there is relaxing music under water. Although you seem to bump against someone's head sometimes. Let's try the Aufguss... Wow, everyone was sticky and almost on top of each other here. While In was sitting and sweating, there was a lot of German talking. The scenery and the accents reminded me from the oldschool Tirolers (German Sex Movies) on TV on RTL+ 😂
The leader of the 'Aufguss' closed the door and started the session. He came with a huge can and started spraying around something...again I had weird thoughts. Germans and spraying something in a closed steamy area full of naked people?! (Bad joke, I know...). It was not the best 'Aufguss', it was more cooling down than feeling satisfied. There was a nice area outside to cool down after some hot sauna's. Nice decorations and vibe, some fire. The only thing that surprised me, that this area was surrounded by old apartments, directly on the area. That's a kind of a different view, when you are sitting on your balcony.
And about yesterday? This will be my last spa sharing for today. I was invited for a birthday at VaBali in Dusseldorf. This place looks amazing. All these wooden Indonesian frames and Indonesian furniture. Colorful paintings that reminded me of Indonesia. I loved the vibe. Many different saunas and pools. We didn't find a jacuzzi, so I was safe :) We were ready for an 'Aufguss' and the door opened, someone stumbled outside and collapsed on the outdoor tiles. It became a bit of a horror-scene, quite some blood on the terrace. After a sekt we joined the 'Aufguss' here and it was all a bit boring. Way too quiet (nobody really talk here), not that hot, the lack of refreshing senses. The spa itself was packed with people, during a normal Tuesday afternoon. I know, this last experience doesn't sound like a 'Weekend Experience'-Community story, but my weekends are a bit longer. The drinks and food were normally priced and here they know how to satisfy you...The amount of food on the plate was insane. Good Food and Furniture. But was it Fun? Well, I ended up in a darkroom and passed out...
Conclusion? I am spoiled from all the experiences around the world. It's hard to be satisfied these days, but I really enjoy every moment. It's like my never ending search for paradise, it doesn't exist in reality. I will continue exploring spa's, because it's a good way to relax and a rainy day. Don't expect too much and bring a serious amount of money for the bill. And it doesn't matter anymore if you go in the weekend or not, it's busy all the time.
