Ahhh . . .

Hey, I meant to tell you about my session at Lotus Foot Massage a couple of days ago.

From the hotel’s informational literature:

Located on the 3rd floor of the apartment building, this foot massage center offers a clean, soothing atmosphere; and well-trained massage specialists are to provide you with foot soaking in herbal soup, foot massage (Hong Kong or European style), cold & hot water alternating foot soaking services.

I came to Beijing with the intention of enjoying at least one massage and possibly several. Massage centers can be found on just about every corner here and I had heard that they are inexpensive. Music to this fanatic’s ears. How lucky to have one right in the hotel!

I walked in without an appointment and was accommodated right away. A young man pointed to a large menu on the wall describing the various treatments and their prices. The two-hour option for 128 RMB was tempting, but I didn’t have that much time, so I chose the 80-minute treatment for 88 RMB (about $13).

The young man showed me to a pleasant room with two reclining chairs covered in soft white terry cloth and motioned me toward one. Next, a young woman entered with a glass of green tea and a bowl of something, and set these on the table beside me. She turned on the TV and left. A few minutes later, back came my therapist with a plastic bucket holding a plastic bag of tea-infused warm water, which he dumped into a wooden tub. Following his gestures, I took off my sandals and slipped my feet into the “herbal soup” wanting to lie back and sleep at the first touch of water.

As my feet soaked, the therapist began working on my shoulders and arms. Then he added more hot water and indicated that I was to switch around to the ottoman in front of my chair so he could work on my back and neck. That done, I changed positions again and the serious foot massaging began. He spent about 20-25 minutes on each foot, utilizing familiar effleurage and percussive techniques, followed by some serious friction with both hands.

Makes you melt a little just reading that, doesn’t it?

We watched a soap opera and he encouraged me to eat what was in the bowl on the table, which seemed to be a type of fruit in lightly-sweetened syrup, and little balls of cereal. Refreshments were included in the price.

Afterward he dried my feet and dressed them in nylon footies to keep them warm and comfy, and sent me on my way. I’d hoped to go back for the two-hour session, which includes a full body massage, but we’ve run out of time.

When I get some more time, I’ll tell you about our walk through a nearby park and farmer’s market. For now, we’re getting ready to leave for Shanghai.