That day..That day when aside from your usual daily work, you have several other commitments to fulfill and all of it lined up in a 5-hour time block. I looked at my planner and went to check on March 10th. I was surprised to see that after I finished my last class at 3:30 in the afternoon, I have to serve as judge in an Auto Show at 4 pm in San Fernando, conduct a mock oral defense with my research students at 6 pm in Angeles City, meeting with a travel agent friend at 8 pm in Lohas Hotel and a spa appointment at 10 pm.
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| Examining the interior of a vintage red Mustang |
After my class, I immediately went to the venue and rushed the judging as the event did not start on time. Arrived in Clark and met my students already at 7:30 in the evening, finished at 8 pm then ordered for my favorite frappuccino while waiting for the driver to pick me up. I met with my friend Ms Kaye who owns a travel agency at past nine together with her tour guide Arthur just after they finished the seminar which they conducted at Widus Hotel. Our group then transferred to Lohas Hotel where we were billeted. This was the first time that I have met with Ms Kaye after I first knew her in February in Puerto Galera, and I was grateful that she invited me over to try out and review a spa.
The New Well Being Spa at Lohas Hotel has the region’s largest spa equipped with hot/cold Jacuzzi, male/female locker rooms, shower rooms, massage rooms and a “Jjimjilbang” – which is a Korean style sauna with a wood-fired hot bulgama dry steam room, a charcoal detoxification room and an ice room. Jjimjilbangs are part of a truly unique Korean culture. These are large, gender-segregated public bath houses complete with hot tubs, showers, saunas and massage beds, similar to what you might find in a Korean sauna. It is advisable to try out the Jjimjilbang first, and then take a warm bath before having your massage. Unfortunately it was 9:50 and my appointment with a masseuse was at 10 pm so I had no choice but to have it the other way around.
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| My room, which is the other half of the two-bedroom family suite |
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| The other side of the room with its amenities |
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| Didn't had time to rest. Just a quick change then off to the spa. |
I took my locker key, changed into shorts and a robe then headed to a massage room which I think has 20 percent more space than the massage rooms in my neighborhood spa in Valenzuela. The rooms are nice, with low lighting and a soothing music to set the relaxing mood. I had a 1 hour Swedish massage. The masseuse’s strokes were brisk but she has hit my stress points just right. It was quick but relaxing.
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The male locker room complete with manly amenities such as bath gel,
razor, after shave, toothbrush and paste, gel, wax - across is the shower area. |
After the massage, I tried to have an experience of the Jjimjilbang. This Korean style sauna has three rooms. I entered at the hot bulgama room which is equivalent to the steam room of most spas but different in the sense that the bulgama room utilizes wood burnt inside an enclosed chamber to produce dry heat and not steam. The room will make you perspire, open up your pores and helps release bodily toxins through sweat.
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| Inside the Bulgama room where temperature can reach to 70 degrees Celsius |
The second room is the charcoal room filled with chunks of carbon coal mounted on the walls. With a room temperature inside, the coals will absorb the sweat and toxins released from the body.
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| Charcoal filled room, also filled with Korean books. |
I did not dare to go inside the ice room because I did not want to feel the cold temperature inside. But the ice room is designed to close the pores after detoxification. Instead, I went to the shower room, took a warm bath, changed clothes and head back to the suite room where my midnight snack of croissant sandwich and fries are waiting.
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| I needed the calories after the session |
A quick chat and a happy birthday greeting to Ms Kaye, watched a women’s volleyball match between USA and China and I finally went to bed and slept at 2 am.
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| T'was a good morning! |
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| The view of the pool of Lohas Hotel |
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| The hotel lobby |
TLK
