Foot Massage

Massages are relatively inexpensive here and apparently one of those things that you just have to experience when you are over here, especially the foot massages. That said, you've read Tina telling stories about how much she enjoys her massages, and how Edlin and her had recently found a great new place for massages.

So, although I've been fairly certain that I wouldn't enjoy a massage, I went with Tina, Edlin, and Jose a few weeks back. I did my standard grumbling but decided that I could at least try and have an open mind and see how good it felt.

The place was nice, in a clean hospital sort of way, and we took our shoes and socks off and I settled into a big comfy chair next to Tina. Nope out of the chair, we are directed and we sit on the ottoman facing the chair. Then then bring a bucket of boiling tea water for you to soak your feet in while they massage your back. This is where I become a baby, this is scalding hot water, and send my girl out to get some cold water to cool the bucket down, even then it takes a good ten minutes before I could immerse my feet in the water.

From the foot soak and back massage we then get to use the comfy chairs and they get to work on our feet. Tina has a man and I have a tiny woman at my feet, apparently you always get the opposite sex for these things. I don't know how many of you read Tina telling of the pain involved, but instead of being quiet like Tina and Edlin did last time, I yelped. Several times, pulling my foot away each time, it hurts a lot. Every time I did so Tina and Edlin laughed and my masseuse just grabbed my foot back and started back in on the same spot. Wow.

Eventually it starts to just feel numb, and they finish up by washing your feet again in boiling water and then liberally applying lotion to your feet. That wasn't too bad, they felt all soft and brand new. This is what people are talking about then, the pain isn't worth it but this soft toes thing isn't all that bad. Still, I pretty much decided that this is something Tina can do on her own next time....

The next day we take our fresh feet out for a walk, nothing crazy maybe about 2 hours of walking around. My feet did not like this, to the point where I blistered up. I haven't had blisters on my feet since the last time I ran more then 20 miles. Baby feet I am not supposed to have, that masseuse took away all my hard earned calluses and I paid for it. That just cemented it into my mind that this is not something I will try again.

And, to finish the story, it's been over two weeks now and the balls of my one foot still hurts. I think she bruised them.