MASSADA BATHING

All experiences vary. The same goes for public hot bathing rituals and social encounters. We remember ambiance of Jigoku Seifuso hot springs, named after hell's gate, but being heavenly quiet and warm. Sitting in 200 years old bathhouse a man wants to be a samurai from Edo period healing his wounds. Completely different way of comfort went for our visit to large complex Spa Land in Busan conveniently located just next to luxury shopping center. The major experience was to watch CNN live inside hot steamed sauna along Korean businessman. Good that at that time we were not exposed to sinking stock market, so could get heart stroke while sweating all our stress out. Some of the stress was brought when sitting in biggest Canadian hot springs – Liard Hot Spring when listening to the stories of co-bathers about few fellows that were eaten by Grizzly bear while bathing. Whether it is a stress or not watching yakuza tattoos in Kyoto public bath is nothing in comparison to clear orders from security guards at one of St. Petersburg sauna located in closed complex at the city suburbs ordering us to stay until booked spot expires. Etiquette varies greatly from clear regulation of Austria bathing complex prohibiting entering sauna in underwear to outrage of North Americans in wilderness of Ontario when taking clothes out before dip into the ice frozen waters of northern lake. On the other side of the coast in British Columbia ,when hiking in the mountains we met a guy smoking happily pot when dressed in Adam's cloths at St. Leon's hot springs, Kootenay. Lighting candles in the forest to add to the ambiance, even though it was in then midday. It has proved that guy, according to his testimony, was a local farmer. The truth was not verified though. On the wild side, in the wilderness we have experienced few years ago a bath under the sky at never finished hotel in the Syrian desert which was used by local Bedouins for bathing. Hot sands beach in New Zealand gives a feeling of being on hot spring's Manhattan in the crowded place trying to dig a small hot whole available to yourself. Some time ago we spent three days in hot springs in Chile wilderness owned by retired American businessman and vagabond who was providing us with several calculations of how much value of his investments has increased over the period since he bought the land. Declaring at this same time that he is never going to sell it. I wonder what is the situation now, and how are the calculations? Our appreciation of Romans go very deep when we visited ancient hot baths in Pyrenees, looking at how conquerors could also take care of renewal of their bodies and spirit. In Paris “Thermes de Cluny” is only the memory of Romans being there when fighting with Asterix. Roman baths are also to be visited in Budapest. It was a first time over there to experience the wisdom of Turks who shortly after conquering a city built first a bath for their garrison. It looks that most likely it was their best idea over there as conquering Hungary didn’t bring the profits that they were seeking for. More solid Turkish presence was in Aleppo and Tbilisi where very similar baths could be enjoyed. Local businessmen in Tbilisi love to conspire over there how to make gazillions. It happens that last bath that we saw within ex territory of Ottoman Empire was Cagaloglu Hamam in Istanbul with its excellent laid back atmosphere of tea drinking. It is good that didn’t charge us by the hour because tired after bath and intense body scratching we fallen asleep. There are also hot springs or baths that do not exist or existed long time ago and were not present at the time that we were in search of them. Among them is floating sauna in the village of Rosendahl on coast for fjord land near Bergen. Long drive didn't help us to find them. The only thing that we could do was to take pictures of the sunset and eyewear. Long connection to the business never ends. „Winter Comes with Winter” one of our campaigns needed Kate to encourage models to jump into the icy whole. Kate jumped first and brave souls followed. Extraordinary designer's duty was performed.