Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Spa vs. Spa

(This is my 200th post on this blog)

It is not everyday one can go to a spa in Korea one week and here in the states the next. It has given me a unique perspective on the whole spa concept. Needless to say in Korea I stick out like a sore thumb...all the kids look and stare. There's the first differnce, the kids. Dads take their kids to sit in the various heated pools...everybody in their birthday suits. In Korea (as well as Turkey...I am still trying to cool off from my stay on the hammam) they are more of a regular routine and all all about cleansing. Michelle tells me her mother goes about once every five days. Here in the states it is all about the pampering and it's too stuffy, too exclusive and way too expensive.

One can enter a spa (and spend all day) for anywhere between 6 and 15 dollars. You can then get the various services. I got a complete body exfoliation for 12 bucks. Not bad. Try to get that price here. Sure the wages and cost of living are different but adjust for this and it is still affordable to the majority. Whereas a day pass with a massage at a popular Wine Country spa will set you back nearly 200-bucks. Not too affordable for most. In both you get your own locker, your own special clothes, heated pools, saunas, and various amenities. It is just that elsewhere you get to keep more of your money than here.

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