Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Just got back from Mexico.......

...where the sun was shiny and the boys were lovely. Oh wait, I'm married. Ahem. Let's start over - just got back from Mexico, where the sun was shiny, the sand was warm, and the spas were .... pretty cool!

One of my BFFs surprised me with a trip to Cabo for Christmas, and we ended up, due to a serious of somewhat-life-threatening-and-alarming mishaps, going during College Spring Break. In addition to feasting on eye candy (translate: men who were in diapers when I was in my teens), we swam with dolphins, bought lots of turquoise, and what else? Went to the spa.

I wasn't that impressed with the spa at my own hotel, the Riu Santa Fe, to tell the truth. I had a male therapist, and usually, the male therapists I've had are very careful not to go too high up on the inner thigh. He did nothing inappropriate, it just felt funny. Also, he rubbed my face AFTER rubbing my feet...hmmm, not that my feet aren't clean, but what if they were dirty? Well, I should have said something.

I ought to know better. In fact, what I thought was most hilarious about this spa was on the intake form: "If you have any concerns, please state them to your therapist. Otherwise, we will assume you had a good experience." I thought that was "great" - I am a spa owner, and I even have a hard time speaking up during my "spa experience." I can't imagine what non-spa prima donnas must go through when they feel somewhat uncomfortable during a service.

Next up: the spa at the Pueblo Bonito Rose. I booked myself in for a body wrap and scrub, and I finally got to experience it on one of those tables with the blue cushion on it that looks like a shallow bathtub. Ahhhhhhhhh, it was heavenly...mostly. Not to be Ms. Picky Pants, but I hadn't specified what service I wanted because they told me I could pick when I showed up. When I showed up, I chose the Royal Mexican Lime treatment, but I guess they failed to communicate this to the therapist, because I got the Tropical one.

I learned several things from that particular service: 1. Wraps really are cold. This room had no overhead heat lamps, so I shivered as she scrubbed me front and back. I said, "Es frio!" multiple times to her through gritted teeth, but what could she really do? 2. Wraps get warm really fast after they pile on the mylar wrap and the towels. Now that's nice...but my feet started to hurt because of the way they were splayed out under the pressure, so I am making a mental note that clients might appreciate a little support under the knees during a prolonged wrap. 3. She left the hot water showering me for 30 minutes - this was DIVINE. I loved loved loved it. I thought I'd died and migrated to Heaven...I wish I could replicate this in my own spa, except that if I tried that, it would interact with the washer/dryer and my drains would plug up.

Overall, it was splendido! This spa had two awesomely warm jacuzzis, a waterfall, and then an extremely cold plunge bath. I alternated between the hot and cold twice, then just gave up because I couldn't get more than hip deep in that freezing water. And I loved my therapist, Lupita! We had a good old time communicating in Spanglish.

Oh gosh, if I could go back tomorrow to Cabo, I would...

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