the price of pampering

One of the things I was really looking forward to on this trip was some good old-fashioned pampering - facials, massages and man/pedicures; something that I can only afford as a luxury back at home in New Zealand and I guess will be next to never in my soon to be new home. So I have been making the most of it here.
Bangkok
The first full day we were in Bangkok I took Simon to Shewa spa just around the corner from our guesthouse. Friendly and professional and with a good enough grasp of English I placed my self in their hands for a few hours. My leg wax produced the highlight of the day with not one, not two, but THREE girls doing a very good and comparatively painless job. Simon and I both had facials and man/pedicures - it was really funny to see two girls working on Simon's feet and their tut tuts at his unmaintained feet as they reached for more and more industrial looking tools to tackle 29 years worth of wear. The facial is a real steal at only 250B (about $10), the only scam in sight being the attempt to upsell you to a hot mask which would cost an extra 300B; we both went with out. For a very thorough man/pedicure it was only 300B.
Chang Mai
After the sleeper train trip from Bangkok it was time for massages. Dotted all over the cities we have been thus far are opportunities for "genuine" thai or kumu (laos) massages. So in Chang Mai I opted for a slightly more medicinal and well set up place, this came with an increased cost 500B for 1.5 hours rather than 300B. This turned out to be not that relaxing and rather more medicinal with an ancient looking Thai woman really putting me through may paces and making me wish that I wasn't just another farang with tight shoulders. The herbal hot packs were a definate relaxant though and afterwards all I could do was stagger back to the guesthouse to lie by the pool for the rest of the afternoon.
After two hours walking around the Sunday market we treated ourselves to 30 min foot massages for 69B. On my feet unused to wearing jandals all day this was heaven and a bargain!
Luang Prabang
Here Simon indulged in a two hour traditional massage with the slight Laos girl climbing all over him while I went for a full body scrub with massage. Then we both had facials. Coming in at about $10, including my man/pedicure I felt well relaxed by the end of it and it is definitely the most satisfying way to stay out of the sun from 12-2.
More to come....