More Rain
I woke up to rain… again. It was overcast… again. The outdoor cushions were stacked up against the walls and everything looked dreary and messy. Fed up, pasty white and cranky, I turned over and went back to sleep.
I often wake before dawn to the sound of the prayers drifitng across the rice fields. I get up, make coffee and admire the sunrise from the rooftop. After, I crawl back into bed with my coffee, check social media and call Mum back home. This morning I woke to more torrential rain and had no desire to get out of bed or talk to anyone.
A Melancholy Mood
The melancholy weather continued throughout the day. I set myself up in one of the spare bedrooms & finished my latest blog about the Bali Floods. I hit the publish button and it was time for a break. Wanting a change of scenery, I looked over the balcony at the blackening sky. Laying in the sunshine by the pool wasn’t an option and I didn’t feel like cruising the streets looking in the shops or walking on the beach.
Later that day I thought about a new Japanese Sento Bathhouse that I had heard about which had a magnesium pool. “This’ll be something a bit different and a great rainy day activity”, I thought.
Discovering the Bathhouse
I bundled up my togs and my gorgeous new Turkish towel (which by the way doubles as a throw for the couches & day beds) and off I went. The sky was black, so the choice felt like an appropriate one. When I got there the woman at the desk greeted me with a huge grin, as most Balinese do. She even remembered my name from my inquiry over WhatsApp. As I paid she handed me a black disposable bikini. “Oh it’s fine I have my own swimsuit” I said as I handed it back.
“No sorry you need to wear this one”, she said as she passed it to me again. Slightly humoured, mildly confused and alot mortified, I took the bikini from her. I removed the plastic and opened up the package. The bottoms were shapeless puffy bloomers with elasticated holes for the legs and torso. The top was a puffy boob tube which tied in the back. A one size fits all item, these bloomers, which are often handed to you during massages, were unflattering and ugly. Not something I would ever elect to wear in public. Ohhhh but that magnesium pool sounded oh so good.
My neck was feeling tight & I was determined. I pushed on. She led me down a hallway and through a sliding door which opened onto Japense style curtains, I guess to ensure privacy.
We poked our heads through the curtains into the dreamy bathhouse. From the doorway I saw steam drifting up from a huge magnesium pool, an ice plunge pool was directly next to it. I looked towards the far corner and saw two women in a salt water chromotherapy jacuzzi. It bubbled away beneath signs which let you know which chakra was associated with each of the lights that lit up the water. In the far corner a door led to a sauna and scattered around the pools were bean bags and loungers.
She lead me to the changing area. As she pointed to the bathhouse rules, I nodded without reading. Bla bla, don’t run, don’t take pictures, speak quietly. I know the drill.
Stripping Down
I went into the changing area and looked inside the bag that she had given me. There was a key for the locker, a small towel and a big towel. Then of course there was the ugly disposable bikini. I sighed and began to undress. The bikini looked even worse on me than not on me. Dammit, if I had come with a girlfriend this would have been hilarious. On my own it was absolutely mortifying. I stood there for about five minutes thinking of scenarios :
- What if I walk into the bathhouse and everyone else is in their own swimwear?
- What about the men? Are they wearing disposable speedos?
- What if I walk in and there are beautiful women making disposable bikini bloomers look stylish.
- Perhaps I should pop out into reception and ask why I can’t wear my swimsuit? But then I’ll be wrapped in a towel in reception and that’ll look weird.
- Perhaps I’ll just leave.
I sighed. I’m going in, I thought. I wrapped my cool Turkish towel around me and sauntered in with my head held high. I was dying inside but practicing my very best “I always come here and I feel fine” attitude. As soon as I walked in, the women who had been in the jacuzzi walked out. They were butt naked.
Embracing the Situation
Ohhhhh, it’s a naked bathhouse, I thought. That explains me not being able to wear my swimsuit. But it does not explain why I was given this bikini. I scuttled in, got into the magnesium pool and looked around. Thankfully I was the only one in the bathhouse now that the women had left. I tried to relax but my mind continued. Why did she give me this bikini if it’s a naked bathhouse? Did I not make the cut? Was I meant to only wear it in the changing rooms?
Then it occured to me, is this a unisex bathhouse? Is a naked man going to saunter in at any minute? I needed to relax. I lay back against the edge of the pool with my legs along the seat, let it all go and drifted away.
The pool was quite hot so I tried the cold plunge after a while. I settled into a rhythm of jumping back and forth between the cold plunge and magnesium pool. I wasn’t into the salt water chromotherapy, nor was I there for the sauna, but I loved the magnesium pool. Eventually it was time to leave, and thankfully no one else had joined me while I was there.
I re-entered the changing room and took a selfie in the bloomer bikini. Nope. Delete. Not showing anyone not even my best friend. That image, I will take to the grave. I managed to take a semi flattering one. Here it is – just for you.
Here’s what you need to know
1. You can go naked, or you can wear an unflattering bloomer type disposable bikini.
2. Use the small towel to cover you, but not your big fluffy towel from home.
3. The spa is called Fresh Beauty lounge in Berawa, Canggu and they are currently doing a discount which is not advertised on the website. I paid 225k (around $25 nzd). Normal price is 300k.
4. This is a unisex bathhouse. I do not know if men are given disposable bloomers.
5. They also do spa treatments and massages if you want something slightly less…. weird. The spa area is cheap, cheerful and delightful. I will go back there at some stage to try it out.
6. The magnesium pool was amazing. It didn’t sting my skin and it wasn’t slimy, at the time it just felt like a giant spa pool. That night even though I had a shot of espresso in the afternoon, I slept like a baby. I think it was the magnesium.
Would I return?
I would go again at an off peak time like I did last night, which was between 5.30 – 6.30pm. I’d also go with a girlfriend so that we could have a laugh at ourselves in our bloomers. I felt very awkward being there on my own and was grateful that I had the bathhouse to myself.
I also discovered the meaning of Sento – or Shinto, which refers to values of purity and ritual cleansing. In Shinto tradition, purification through water is a sacred act – washing away spiritual and physical impurities before entering a shrine or engaging in rituals. It represents :
- Cleansing the body and spirit;
- Respect for water as sacred;
- Communal harmony and equality.
On that basis I saw the bathhouse in a different light and love the values behind it. Tomorrow, I will go to Bali Buda and buy some epsom salts for an evening bath at home. Perhaps I will infuse the sento principles into some sacred bathtime.
If you want a weird and wonderful rainy day activity to do in Canggu, give Aqua Fresh’s Bathhouse a whirl.
Love, D
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