ChinaTeacher

Let me tell you about my weekend.  Our university organized its Annual Outing for Foreign Teachers.  This year we travelled to Wuyi in Jinhua District, 3 hrs. from Hangzhou.  We visited a really wonderful ancient town (people still live there, so it’s not just for show!).

Then after dinner we went to Wuyi’s famous Qing Hot Springs Resort.  Now, get all ideas of a ‘natural hot spring’ OUT of your head!  The Chinese have built a massive complex on top of hot springs.  When we arrived, there were tons of people in the lobby.  I said if the pools are crowded, I’m not staying!  Well, after a quick change and shower, we entered the Hot Springs Room, an immense space featuring 3 large hot tubs, adjoining a massive pool hosting many different gadgets where one can enjoy surging jets of water (ie there are some ‘water loungers’ that you lay on (immersed in the pool itself).  You simply press a button and jets of water pulse into your body at key massage points – wonderful!

Then we heard about a pool where small fish nibble at the dead skin on your body! Had to check that out!  It was freezing outside that evening, but we managed to find the Fish Pool after meandering our way around many ‘individual hot tubs’ mostly in use by couples.  At night this can become a very romantic place indeed!  Once in the Fish Pool, we had to be quiet and not move so the fish could come and check us out.  Every time a newcomer arrived, we would yell at them to be careful not to hit our legs (where the fish were doing their thing!) upon entering the pool.  It was a pretty cool feeling, I have to admit!

Later on, I sought out the Massage area.  They have a very extensive menu of massages, I heard.  Well, finding the area was not easy. Bear in mind that I can’t read Mandarin.  There was no English signage any where in this facility.  So all I could do was point to my shoulders and say the word “amoi” meaning massage.  People kept pointing down one hallway after the other.  I must have walked for at least 15 minutes (past the cafeteria, the internet bar, massage chair room, another restaurant, computer game room, TV room) before I finally located the right place.  What I was looking for turned out to be simply a young fellow with a clipboard, standing in the middle of the hallway.  Once you decide on a massage, it’s his job to find the appropriate masseuse and room (there are many rooms I found out!).  But there was one more glitch.  I was wearing a wet bathing suit and a terrycloth robe (provided by the resort).  Turns out that I need some special ‘massage clothes’ also provided by the resort).  My poor masseuse grimaced and took off to find me some clothes that would fit (yes, he looted the men’s locker room!).  Once correctly clothed, my back/shoulder massage began.  And believe me, it was entirely worth all the effort it took to find this place! 

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at this Hot Springs Spa Resort, despite all the people.  It’s really so amazingly large, with so many different rooms, that you honestly don’t notice how many people are there.  We spent 2.5 hours there; I could easily have stayed 4 hours, with no effort at all.  Highly recommended!

The next day (Sunday) we went to a beautiful place in Wuyi called Red Rock Mountain – a beautiful, serene countryside with really spectacular red rock mountains.  I should point out that it was an outstandingly gorgeous weekend – cold, blue skies and sunshine and fresh air … Best of all, no pollution!

All in all, a great weekend getaway!  CHECK OUT MY PHOTOS!