Wat Pho Thai Massage Experience
For weeks now I had been putting up with this pain in my lower back from lifting a patient that I thought wasn’t heavy but evidently was. I’m not the type who enjoys massages. I can’t emphasize it enough so I’ll write it in bold letters. I don’t like being touched and I’m very ticklish. But the pain was getting unbearable. It was affecting my work and disturbing my sleep. So last Sunday Mom invited me to get a massage with her and my sister. I readily said yes.
Dad dropped us girls off at their usual massage place – Wat Pho in Banilad, beside the Banilad Town Center. If you’re coming from Mandaue, you’ll need to make a U-turn at BTC. There’s limited parking. The place is deceptively small. There are a lot of rooms inside though. As soon as you enter, you are greeted with the soothing aroma of mint and the serene sounds of, well, spa music.
Happy hour is from 1pm-6pm. You can get a foot massage or the Thai massage for P150/hr. Otherwise you can choose from a range of other services like Swedish, Back, Foot, Back & Foot, etc. But all massages (even the foot massage) are actually full body. They just spend more time on the area they specified. There are female masseuses and male therapists at your service. These folks know what they’re doing. They are very polite, friendly, and quiet.
It was my first time getting a massage. Again I reiterate, I don’t like getting massages. As soon as you decide on which service you want, they sit you down, take off your shoes and soak your feet in warm water. They put your shoes aside for safe keeping and lend you orthopedic rubber slippers. You are then lead to the dimly lit tranquil massage area. It’s a narrow but long room that they divide into cubicles with curtains. It is imperative to keep silent as you can hear everything and everyone. When you enter into your little room, there is a very comfy, very firm mattress. You have the option to include aromatic oils into your massage. If you decide to, I suggest you remove your underwear. You don’t wanna get that slimy oil all over your delicates; otherwise you could bring an extra pair of undies to change into after the massage.
I chose to get the Thai massage, as it is the specialty of the place, and my sister recommended it for my back ache. As soon as I was done changing, the masseur comes in and covers me up with a towel. He sanitizes his hands, rubs them together for warmth, and starts from the feet up to your face (don’t freak out yet, he sanitizes every now and then). He begins by asking me in a calming voice, how much pressure I prefer: soft, medium, or hard. Then proceeds to give me the best massage I’ve ever had! Granted it’s my first massage, it left a very good impression on this ticklish massage-a-phobic! He didn’t just have me lay on my back the whole hour. I was also made to flip over so he could do my back. I expected that he would just do my back but he actually started the backside of my feet up to my legs and thighs, my buttocks (which I had no idea carried any tension) then my back. He proceeded to massage my shoulders. It was fantastic. Sooooo good!!! He also massaged my head and – believe it or not – my face! It was the longest most luxurious hour of my life. After he did my face, he extended the hour (at no extra charge) and did my lower back because I had told him about my back ache. He spent a good 20 minutes on it. It hurt so good! My back is now restored, and my body, rejuvenated.
TIP: They have those frequent shopper cards where they mark your visits and after a certain number of visits you get 2 discounts and eventually a free hour-long massage.
Photo courtesy of http://www.ensogo.com.ph.
