Apply some pressure...

-
During my breakfast it dawned on me that I have been here for over two weeks and up to now I haven't had a massage. The beach here has about four massage platforms and is a very popular pastime for Thais and cheap too at 300 baht an hour. You can have a variety of styles of massage involving gentle manipulation with various oils and herbal potions or for me, I just like the plain old traditional Thai style, usually a vigorous workout designed to loosen the knots in the muscles and render me into a totally loose and relaxed state.
A previous traveller I once met told me a secret to the best massage and I have heeded this advice since, she told me to always pay to have 2 hours....and she was right.
So today I'm going to have that experience.
Having had a few in the past I know that some are better than others so it is important to find the right one by just having a look at the masseuses at work. Like cooks, you can tell who looks like they know what they are doing and who looks apathetic, so try to pick an older, experienced and strong looking lady. The good ones have been trained at Wat Pho, in traditional massage and medicine, in Bangkok and have several years of experience. Next it is important to talk to them first and explain any niggles or pain you may have so that they are aware. I have a dodgy shoulder from coming off a mountain bike so I always ask for some extra attention here.
As I lie face down on the thin mattress I try to relax every muscle while closing my eyes and listening to the tiny waves ripple and lap on to the beach in the warm sunshine ....its all so blissfully soothing....that is until SHE started.....!!
I had asked for a 'hard' massage as I'm no wimp when it comes to this process and I could tell by the way she smiled she knew it was 'game on'. Standing in the middle of my back she made her way up my spine onto my shoulders pressing her bony little feet into every pressure point, stopping to add more and more downward pressure until she was happy that I had no more wind left inside my body cavity and she was then in total control. For the next 2 hours, every sinew that connected any muscle tissue to bone was systematically compressed with a combination of foot, hand, knee or elbow along with a gentle rocking motion my whole body was pulled, twisted, contorted and wrenched into submission. My whimpers and yelps were just met with a wry smile and pressure then just applied in an other area so I forgot about the pain in the first area.
There is nothing sexy about a traditional Thai massage, as some my think, it's just pain and suffering for a while but at the end of the 2 hours the muscles feel relaxed and invigorated...
My little mate on the beach 


Previous blog post title inspired by...Alabama 3  :  MED : 2 points
A wonderful piss-take song from one of my favourite bands....live they are brilliant!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sun comes up, it’s Tuesday morning…

-
Image
There is a great sense of community here and entrepreneurial excellence as, for example, our evening meal meat was purchased direct from the butcher and then cooked on the grill next door and the drinks, bread, harissa soup, salad, tagine etc to accompany came to our table on the street from a small restaurant across the road…3 separate bills but all for next to nowt. As we sat with our morning brew watching the sun rise up warming the bay, the local fishermen set off through the waves for their daily catch. Yesterday had been great fun as after our surfing attempt, we opted for ‘Boogie-boards’ for the afternoon and had more success riding the breaking waves into the shore. Great fun, but when you get it wrong the power of the waves fold you like paper and cartwheel you along in a white blur…Now, the older bones and muscles are feeling the battering today so we are off to the souk! We piled on the local morning bus heading for El Had in Agadir, promising 6000 shops within the walled 13...
Read more

Across the water…

-
Image
After breakfast it was time to head off. We have decided to head 30km up the coast to have a look at Cherating.  During the previous monsoon months it’s a lively surfing area but as it’s summer and hot now there will be no surf and it has a more tranquil and chilled vibe. We have booked a small chalet a few yards from the beach, Casa Lena, to unwind and hang out like a couple of old surf dudes ready to undertake some serious beach-front slacking. Across the water is the other side of Malaysia, Sabah & Sarawak and when the tide turned and came in towards us, the warm south China sea was lovely. We used Booking.com for this one instead of sourcing it ourselves but it wasn’t like the photos portrayed, but it will have to do just for one night. Malaysian folk are quiet souls and all seem relaxed and gentle so this place was perfect for us…. That is until…. …the Hells Angel’s hit town! A load of Malaysian lads having a meet up to show off their ….Honda 90’s?.. A perfect ch...
Read more

Marrakesh Express…

-
Image
  Pinch, punch it’s the start of the month…and the start of another blog! As the barrier lifts up it’s pitch black, wild and windy and the winter rain feels a few degrees above zero as we make our way into the long stay car park at Edinburgh airport to catch the early morning’Marrakesh Express’ flight out to the Kingdom of Morocco. We have between us 3 pairs of shorts, a speaker, sunglasses and a large lump of Mr Zogs Sex Wax…what more do u need for a winter break at a surf camp? This time, we are off to the Moroccan sunshine, spiritual home of the camel and the tagine…that would make a great name for a pub “Il meet you for a pint in the Camel & Tagine”…I digress… A week in the waves should be a tonic…so once Iv been swabbed for explosives by a stern Border Control operative we head for the Duty Free to purchase gin to go with it! Winding past the plethora of perfumeries and scarf-mongers we head for the gate, stopping to frown in despair at society as the baseball capped, shel...
Read more