Last evening (3/5/2010), Bill, Catherine and I went to the Tangshan Easpring Hot Spring Resort outside of Nanjing, China.
To drive from central Nanjing to Tangshan took nearly an hour due to the 630pm Friday night traffic congestion and the rainy (see FUGLY) weather. It would only be a 30 minute or so ride in ideal conditions, not that we ever see those here in China. For those of you that are locals it is on the highway to Shanghai, two tolls. Get with me for specifics.
We arrived around 730. To be honest I wasn’t sure what I was walking into…some random thoughts were the lack of hygiene in some of these establishments? The weather was yucky, what if the “hot'” springs were really hot. We being expats really stand out in the crowd…what if there are one million of my newest Chinese friends suffocating me and not giving me any personal space…how relaxing is that going to be?
Can you tell I am the glass is half empty type of gal right now?
What I discovered was a very nice facility that had recently been renovated. There was a nice hotel (3 or 4 star, by western standards) attached to the spa’s, as we were only planning to stay for several hours I cannot promise what the rooms were really like outside of the flyers posted at the check-in desk. Admission to the spa’s is around 150RMB each but Princess Catherine was able to obtain entry for less with all of her VIP connections. All you need to bring is your swimwear, flip flops and passport. As it is a hotel and they give you a bracelet for your locker they hold the passport as collateral, like all Chinese hotels. Nothing guarantees payment like holding our passports hostage. They do have flip flops and you can purchase or rent swimwear – I think not. I will use my own – but thank you.
After paying our entry fee we were escorted to the dressing/locker rooms. Our little escort showed us how to use the lockers, they are electronically opened with your bracelet and then you double lock them with a key when you go out to the pools. So pretty safe lockers. Then one of the hostess pointed us to the showers for a pre-spa rinse, then you are given a nice robe and show out of the 
lockers to the pools…first impression…”Holy Crap it is cold.” Second impression….”Look at the waterfall and all the steam – Nice!” Third impression…”Where are all the Chinese?”
I think due to the weather and that we arrived later in the evening the crowds that may have been there – were not. I like to think that they knew the Laowai (foreigners) were coming and wanted to give us ample elbow room…I maybe wrong.
There were dozens of pools to sit in…warm, scented, minerals, hot, freaking hot, ohmigod i just boiled my skin off hot. Many to chose from we started with the massaging waterfalls and worked out way through several others. At first the staff tried to guide us from one to the other but I think they soon realized that Catherine was more of a challenge to direct then other Laowai’s. We love that about her.
There was a hot marble napping area that was set up like the Roman baths, right down to the cherub fountains. Little nooks that the marble floor is heated by the steam below it with small terry cloth mats to lay on and take a little break from the soaking. There was also several tables and lounges set up around the grounds that if the weather was more friendly you could sit and read a book or soak up some sun if you were so inclined. Several staff were walking around offering complimentary beverages, soda’s, water, juice and beer. Being that we are in China the other complimentary item being offered was cigarettes. There is a whole process of presenting smokes as part of a “making a connection” thing. How you offer, receive, light and partake. Think Mafia, Communism meets the Marlboro Copy Copy Man….
After getting really warm and toasty in one of the hotter tubs we 
went to the fun spa….the LITTLE FISHIES POOL. Yes, I am talking about soaking with fish nibbling on you. That pool was not as warm so we didn’t spend an extended amount of time with them and we had already experienced this “treat” when we were wandering around Cambodia. There were hundreds of small, size of a nickel, fish swimming in this large pool, you get in it and sit with the water up 
to your chin and the fish swim up and nibble on your dead skin. It is a freaky feeling but not uncomfortable…you have to breathe through the first few minutes and adjust to it. I just didn’t want them swimming into my cleavage as that would have been awkward. The story is that the more fish on you the more cleaning to be done….I guess this should be the time that I mention that Bill must have been very yummy! 
We followed that up with some of the fragrant pools, lavender, rose, bamboo, aloe and jasmine to choose from…very hot and quite enjoyable.
We decide it was time to be heading back to Nanjing. Back to the locker rooms for shower time.
This is the Chinese portion of our program, our locker room hostess collected our robes and shooed us off to the showers. Time to strip and bare all. The Chinese do not have major body issues like us Americans. In fact out of all the different nationalities I have interacted with the only ones that are more against nudity then Americans are the Islamic. What I find interesting is the lack of personal grooming that the Chinese embrace…as Catherine commented, “There is more “bush” here then in all of Africa.”
We strip down and jump in the rain showers, shampoo, liquid soap and conditioners all provided. Once shower time is done, you walk out and the hostess is waiting with nice warm towels, which she drapes around you and shuffles you off to your locker. Again since we were the Laowai’s we had several staff and guest lurking around to watch our dressing process. I really think that putting on your pants one leg at a time is universal but I know that anything we do, even getting dressed, is something of a curiosity for this inquisitive people. Once we have dressed, we are shown to the grooming area. I nice room with dozens of dressing tables with hair products, combs, brushes and blow dryers and Q-Tips galore. Both Catherine and I spend several minutes, grooming but mind you, we both brought our own combs and brushes – again – we appreciate the effort but I will stick with my own comb. I really think that I spent much longer at my table one of the hostess would have tried to dry my hair for me. As I have insanely natural curly hair, it has a tendency to bring out the curiosity in many of my new friends. I cannot count the number of times people have walked up to me and touched my hair. One of the reasons for cutting it all off was to deter this behavior.
Overall, I give the experience an above average rating. It was nice to be able to be warm to my bones for the first time in months. It was wonderful to be so relaxed that all I wanted to do was stay longer. I don’t know when we will get back there but I do know that I will not hesitate to return.
Until next time…..
