Thai massage

In just two weeks in Thailand, I have walk passed more massage shops than I have in all my life. Getting a Thai massage was one of the things about Thailand, I was most looking forward to, but once I arrived, I felt overwhelmed by the countless number of massage shops, and unsure of which place to choose.

I finally opted for a Thai massage shop close to my apartment because it seemed to always be full of Thai people, but also had some signs with English words. As I hesitantly walked through the door, I was faced with an overflow of signs advertising the different packages ranging from 1 hour to 4 hours. I decided to go with the one-hour traditional Thai massage for $6.

Unsure what to expect, I followed the woman into a room where she gave me what seemed to be an extra-large pair of scrubs to change into. Once in my hospital attire, she led me to a bed and gestured for me to lie down. She rinsed my feet off with a warm cloth and went to work.

From that point on, what I experienced was a mix of extreme pain and pleasure, as she positioned me in a variety of yoga-like poses and went to work jabbing her elbow, forearm, feet and hands into every part of my body.

I learned that anything goes in Thai massage, from cracking my toe knuckles, massaging the top of my head, to straight up walking on my back.

I learned that parts of my quads are ticklish, that I have "computer shoulders," and that a tiny little Thai woman can use her entire body weight to give a surprisingly strong massage.