Fish Massage?

After I left you last, I took a big nap in one of those pods. Really nice!  I got my drool on and had some wired dreams involving the abolishment of time keeping.  Anyways, on to fish massage – ahem!

The vibrating pillow wake up call made the clocks in my dream shatter and my drool puddle to slide into the collar of my tunic, if there was a ceiling, I would have hit it.  It was 9:15 am in Singapore, things to do and people to meet, I needed to get my head on straight.

Weird thing about the bathrooms in Asia is they have this weird cross dressing shower/toilet thingie.  It’s kinda like a bidet and kinda like a urinal and I still have no idea how the heck to use it.  The thing I do know it’s good for is questioning which bathroom I am most certainly occupying.

My friend Christine and I decided to earn our Singapore stamp and took the train to Orchard rd.  Of course, as soon as people find out you’re American they send you there because the streets are lined with luxery boutiques and 5 star hotels, because that’s they way it is, right? Right? 

Singapore is a really nice city, I mean really nice!  It’s so clean and people are friendly and there are some really neat fusions and some great architecture to boot.  We were waking around like  the tourists we are snapping shots every which way when I saw a sign for Fish Spa.

This has to be the coolest thing I have done in a long time!  I had heard about it on NPR and thought it was weird-o, and let me tell you, it is!  It was like a cross between being electrocuted and tickled.  It was really great and afterward, I can see my foot print!

Here’s the deal; you take your shoes off and wash your feet with a sprayer.  Once you’ve done that, you spray them with vinegar.  Vinegar?! you ask?  Yes, vinegar, that stinky oft used cooking ingredient that is also helpful for cleaning your drip coffee maker.  You then slip on some sandals and walk over to a bench that has long 2′ acquariums filled with minnow sized fish. Get comfy and slip your feet into the tank to feel the frenzy that is the Fish Spa.

Several hundred fish attack your feet eating all the dead skin from your flesh.  It’s shocking and ticklish and nerve wracking and sensual and really just plan amazing.  After you are there for 10 minutes, proceed to the next tank with the next size fish and after 10 minutes there procede to the almost piranha sized buggers and feel their teeth clean what’s left.  It is one of the weirdest things I’ve ever experienced for sure!

Here is a link for you:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_fish

We shrieked and giggled and I was really glad we were the only clients there at the time!  I will post my pics of Singapore soon as I get my laptop running and my pics uploaded to my flkr acct.

After that we pretty much needed to head back to the airport to catch our plane to Chiang Mai.  As we roled through the duty free shops I was drawn into the Coach store once again and I found the perfect little bag!  I was carrying my passport and wallet and phone and camera in my pockets and it was pulling my pants down as I hustled around.  So, of course, I had to have this bag I found!  It’s grey, little cross body and it was %50 off!!!  It also happens to be the exact style I fell in love with that they stopped making.  It also happened to be the last one, like anywhere.  So, yay, go duty free!

The flight over to Thailand was easy and only 2:40, thank god!  I don’t know what I would do on another long flight so soon, I may pull oter peoples hair out, er, or something!  Christine ordered me the Hindi lunch and it was really really good!  That is apparently the way to go, it’s vegan and every ingredient agrees with me.  Customs was simple and not a word was said (it’s not like I would have understood anyway).

I exchanged numbers with my friend and caught a cab to my guest house.  I had trouble communicating and I was (and after two massages in 5 hours, still am) exhausted!  I checked in and locked the door.  Drawing the shades I broke out in tears.

At that moment for a brief second, I was completely overwhelmed with my foreignness.  The weird bathroom/shower/bidet/closet, my inability to speak a word of Thai and the lack of sleep for 4 days all crashed into my mind and I cried – hard.

Then after about 30 seconds I stood up and started shuffling through my things.  I took inventory and realized that I have put a lot of time, energy and a whole shit load of research into this damn packing list I started just over 3 years ago and damn it anyway, this is exactly what I want and I have everything I need, both in front of me and inside.

After I cleaned myself up and took a truck load of  immune boosters, I repacked my backpack, grabbed my keys and went for a walk. It’s been 7 hours and I gotta say this rocks!  I have acquired a map, spoken with a tailor, gotten two massages, purchased some clothing at the night market, made a friend and eaten pad thai.  Here’s the best part – I’ve only spent $50

I am so tired I feel like I’m still taking off in an aeroplane.  Things are melty and I am weak.  I’m sitting in a little internet cafe with German folk music to the left and trance to the right and a head full of plans.  Wow, someone pinch me, am I really here???   Or is this another one of my crazy dreams?

I’m gonna flag a tuk-tuk and tuk myself to bed.  I have a feeling the answer may be upon my pillow.

Sawadee-ka