The Pain and Pleasure of a Thai Massage

Of all of the things that people told me I must do when I get to Thailand, getting a Thai massage was high on my list. I decided to have this experience on the beaches of Koh Chang. On this island there are signs for massages around every corner- right next to just as many tattoo parlors. I got a recommendations from a girl staying at my guest house and headed down the beach. The scene was picturesque: There were 4 thin mats laying on a raised wooden platform above the sand, with a slight breeze and the sound of waves lapping at my ear. In Israel, and I'm sure many other places around the world, spas put on soothing music and pleasant scents to simulate this very setting....and for more than 30 shekels an hour.

I have heard many rumors about getting a Thai massage, how it can be painful and intense . I must admit, these rumors are true at times. Perhaps it was better that my eyes were closed and I was laying on my stomach so I did not see this small Thai woman, (who could not have weighed more than me,) put her body weight behind her elbow digging into the spaces between my vertebrae. But I exaggerate. Overall it was a pleasant experience. Besides the elbows and forearms pressing in into my back, there were also numerous cracks and stretches that I loved. The most impressive move was when she lifted my arms above my head and then using the weighted of her feet she lifted me completely off the ground into a back-bend like position that I had not done since grade school.

I left the message feeling battered and tired, but it was worth every baht.