Spa day!
Wednesday, August 27th, 2008Gina. Vilcabamba, Ecuador.
Our spa day yesterday might have been the best $50 and 3 hours I´ve ever spent! We went to Madre Tierra (Mother Earth) spa in Vilcabamba, Ecuador where we had three hours of pampering. It almost satisfied all 5 senses–everything except for taste which we remedied after by getting cake and a cookie at a little cafe (with strawberry juice for me and a beer for Steve).
The experience started with us getting a yummy lunch of sandwiches and some kind of fresh flower tea at the spa/hostel´s restaurant. Then we went up to the spa where we stripped and put on fluffy robes. Our first indulgence was a scalp treatment where they rubbed a white slimey substance (I think it might have had egg white in it) into our hair and scalps. It was like a mini head massage. Then our heads were wrapped in hot towels and funny blue shower caps. Next was what was going to be the first step in our facials. We had mud rubbed on our faces and then carrots for our eyes! I didn´t get to take any photos of Steve since I was blinded by my carrots but it felt wonderful and strange as the mud dried and got hard on our faces. When our motherly spa lady wiped off the mud she then rubbed a honey exfoliating mask on our faces which smelled and felt fantastic.
After our facials and hair treatments we got into the steam boxes which ended up being both of our favorite part. They were hot boxes where you sat on a stool and only our heads stuck out. It was very hot and very relaxing. We got out three times to get wiped down with cold towels, then sit in a cold tub, then sprayed with cold water. By the final sit in the box I was so relaxed that I was slumped over with the box´lid supporting my head and keeping me from falling over! It felt amazing!
After the hot boxes we got rubbed down with a salt exfoliator which I didn´t really like since my skin is a little sensitive and the sat hurt a bit. But afterwards I felt very soft, so I guess it was worth it. Then we got covered in mud in a mud bath! It was really fun to get covered in all kinds of mud and goo and all different textures. Then showers to get off the mud and the goop from our hair. Then another facial treatment. This one smelled so good I wanted to lick my face! It smelled a little like oatmeal cookie dough, which maybe it was! Then foot massages and our three hours of pampering was over.
It was a lot more fun and relaxing than I ever could have dreamed it would be. Now we´re bother spoiled and want to do it all of the time! It would only have been better if we would have gotten a full body massage as well, but then I don´t think we would´ve been able to leave!
But it was wonderful and I´d highly recommend it or something similar to anyone and everyone!
Funny spa day photos:
Gina with yummy smelling goop on her face.
Steam box heads.
Completely relaxed after our spa day.
montarsig