I stayed at Panba this morning to rest and write and upload photos. Around 2:00 Gary & Ariela came back from wandering and together we went out to the massage parlor. En route we discovered many more picturesque streets and fabulous shops. We ended up buying a lot of fun, somewhat inexpensive pieces of clothing.
Once at the massage parlor, I had my doubts. There was no one there and no one spoke any English. They handed me a menu with a few choices: Herbal Foot Bath, Tibetan Herbal Foot Bath, Chinese Massage, Oil Massage, Foot Repair, Clippings, All over body massage. I pointed to the Tibetan Herbal Foot Bath and had a seat. The red overstuffed recliner chairs with lace doilies were set in a semi-circle around an huge TV Screen with floor to cieling speakers. Each chair had a foot stool. I reclined and spread my arms out and waited. My lady appeared with a wooden bucket filled with hot water and little pieces of clear, jelly-like pieces. Would this be Tibetan Herbs? It didn't really dissolve but felt great. After a while she came back and emptied a small packet of something sweet smelling into the water. Could those be the herbs? Instant?
While my feet were soaking she started on my shoulders. YUM. When the water was getting cool she brought some towels and removed my feet.
The minute she started working on my left foot, I knew it would be good. Aah. Strong hands, very well trained. Not sure what style I'd call it, but it was very methodical and rhythmic. After 30 minutes on each foot, up to the knee, I couldn't imagine getting up. She brought me the menu and pointed to my toenails and suggested a pedicure, I think. But since I'd gotten one of those in Beijing, I pointed to the Full Body Massage. She got excited and led me to a private room. On the way we passed a room with two recliners and a young couple each soaking their feet in wooden tubs while their shoulders got worked on.
From my private room, which had both a recliner and a massage table, I could see out the window to the waterfall that drove the water wheel in the center of town. It was lovely. I had a wonderful 60 minute massage on my back, legs, arms and face. This woman did not speak one word, and worked so diligently with focused attention that the aches and pains washed away. It may have been one of the best massages I've had in my life. (And I've had a lot.)
When I got to the front desk, the clerk smiled and showed me his calculator - 76 RMB, which is about $12USD. I thought there must be a mistake, but since they had no English, and my Chinese has escaped me, I just paid the money and went dreamily downstairs.
I'm feeling much better with the altitude, although still incredibly dizzy when I stand up, bend over, or climb even a few steps. My feet were feeling fabulous until we got lost walking home and ended up walking for hours to find our way.
Gary tried calling Panba to tell we were on our way for the dinner but they said there wasn't enough food so we should eat elsewhere. We looked around at the mysterious offerings and settled on a place that offered Barbeque. They had grills on the sidewalk with baby pigs split in half roasting away. Next to that were racks of fresh food items that could be grilled or made into soup. Choice items included bullfrog, chicken feet, about 15 different kinds of mushroom, tofu small fish, sausages and unidentifiable meat on skewers. We settled on Chicken soup with a lot of fresh veggies.
Shortly after sitting down the girl comes with a small propane tank, a gas burner and a large clay pot filled with our veggies. We realized we'd have to sit there while they cooked. The chicken chunks looked cooked already. I tried not to think much about what they were. I am quite certain there were at least 3-4 chicken claws, and a liver or two. most of the chunks were unrecognized, the bones were smashed so the marrow floated around. We managed to eat enough to fill our stomachs. We asked for rice and got a wooden bucket full delivered to the table.
As we sat there on the sidewalk, we got to experience a stream of street performers trying their luck singing Kareoke with an amp and mike. These were the wannabes who were hoping to be singing in the clubs in the not too distant future.
After dinner we proceeded towards Panba and stumbled upon a main plaza where many Naxi people were dancing in lines. Evening was just setting in, and the mood was quite festive. About 15-20 women in native costumes were leading. They must be the wives of the men who led the orchestra last night. They looked ancient, many were toothless and wore the lines of hard physical labor in tough environments. There were all manner of people joining in. Foreigners, Chinese tourists, Asian tourists, young locals, all dancing together. It was very festive and welcoming, and no one cared about the cameras. Everyone had them. At one point, I was photographing a little boy, and his father then picked him up and wanted to take a picture of us together. He was very shy, but daddy persisted, and then the wife joined in, and soon a few other people wanted their photos taken with me. It turned into a circus.
There was such a magical, warm, friendly and upbeat atmosphere. However, we soon discovered that as darkness falls and the red lanterns light up the streets and alleyways, everything looks different and we soon lost our way. We then proceeded to get distracted by the lovely shops and women weaving, men pounding silver jewelry, and young lovers shopping for fun souvenirs, that we ended up walking for miles until Gary got us home.
Panba is located a bit far from town, but the good side is that it is away from the crowds and club noises.
Tomorrow morning we're off to Tiger Leaping Gorge for two days of hiking, and one night on the mountain.
I will try to upload a video from the dancing in the square. It was unique.
Nancy
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