Arriving in Colombia for a... Sauna?

2005.08.03

-=[ Public health service announcement ]=- If you are ever going to Finland (or other countries with this tradition - I just happened to catch this sickness in Finland), don’t go to a sauna. Or, if people talk you into it because it is soooo relaxing and enjoyable, go only once. At most once every four days. And don’t stay for two weeks there. Otherwise, you might face a deep addiction. -=[ Back to our regular scheduled posting ]=- So today I woke up at 3AM. Why? Because I had my flight to Colombia departing at 6:40, my house is quite far from the airport, and I don’t like travelling without a good nice shower just before that. Well, but that’s not too amazing - The amazing part is that Tacvbo woke up also at that time, and took me halfway to the airport. Why did he do it? Because he had at home the iPod that Jimmy Morales forgot in Mexico during CONSOL, and I am meeting Jimmy here in Bogotá. Well, damn, I also don’t want to overextend writing about waking up at 3AM and having lazy friends… The thing is: I got to the airport on time, met there a good friend I had not seen for over six years and had a nice coffee with him, and boarded my plane to Panamá. We arrived to Panamá at 10:25, and my plane to Bogotá was scheduled to leave at 10:55 - At the opposite end of an airport. Well, yes, it´s not that big, but anyway, I barely made it to the final call - And, fortunately, so did my baggage. After that, a short and easy flight, slightly over one hour. I love flying over Colombia - The Andes are such an incredible sight! The terrain seems to have been squashed like a piece of paper… Everything is green, beautiful - Forests, fields, little villages, medium-sized towns, many rivers dividing each mountain from the next one, and many impressive lakes. And, this time, really amazing clouds. We even flied higher than usual (at 41000 feet) as it was too turbulent - But the clouds are just spectacular. Damn++, I am also not blogging about my flight - Back on track: A girl from the Javeriana University, Isis, picked me up at the airport, and brought me to the Andino Royal hotel. When I entered my room, the bellboy started explaining the different features of the hotel (I hope to tell about some of them later) - And he mentioned that in the seventh floor there is a gym and a sauna. My eyes sparkled at the memories of the DC5 sauna sessions… I slept a bit, and then went to find out how this sauna is. Surprisingly, it is built in a way you can almost think i is a genuine one - Besides the vents in the lower part of the door (WTF!?), this was quite good for a new adict… And, as the service is free, I asked them to turn it on. Came back some 15 minutes later… I don’t think that you can find a bad sauna anywhere… But this one was quite lacking in the end. First of all, this is the first time I am in a sauna by myself, not talking to some other people (and not having Jesus taking pictures I am sure that are already at some geekporn site). Second, I was a bit nervous because people in Latin America have great fear for nudity - Of course, I would not insult the sauna by having a swimming suit on (even if I had brought it). But third, and most important: The sauna had a thermometer measuring up to 140°C, which made me a bit afraid - But they have it configured at 60°C, and they wouldn’t have me put it hotter. So, to compensate, I poured water like crazy, just to get more steam. The water had very nice aromatic herbs, but well, once you have been at boiling temperature, you just cannot accept such a joke. But anyway, with all of its defects, this was a sauna, and I do feel very thankful and relaxed. Next time I am in a hotel of this category, I won’t wait for the bellboy to offer it - I have to be more aggressive!