I hope she massages my meet-a-great-guy pressure point!
Last night I arrived to a very hot and sticky Hong Kong after 24 hours of travel door to door. Even after not sleeping on any of the flights, I felt pretty refreshed and excited when I landed, having not been to HK since 2000. What I remember of HK is shopping, shopping, shopping.
Today I decided to go see if that was still the case, given that I won’t have any time over the next three days straight of meetings. I’m staying at the ostentatious The Luxe Manor hotel, which is conveniently located in the heart of Kowloon within walking distance of Victoria Harbor and the shopping district.
Walking outside is like walking into a humid bathroom after a shower. But I braved it, strolling along Nathan Road where you can find numerous perfumeries, designer clothes shops, and electronics stores. I was hassled by shopkeepers at every turn, but surprisingly they were Indian instead of Chinese. They wanted me to buy custom suits, leather purses or watches. I was drenched in sweat and would duck into various air conditioned shops to get some momentary relief from the salespeople and the heat.
I made it to down to the Intercontinental Hotel which 1000 Places to Visit Before You Die says has “one of the most visibly stunning lobbies in the world”. After walking in I soon realized it isn’t the lobby that is impressive but the view. One side is completely glass with uninhibited views of the impressive Hong Kong skyline. Too bad it was misty outside, but I imagine on a clear day the view with be amazing.
I walked along the Avenue of the Stars, the Hollywood Boulevard of Chinese actors, which also has a great view of HK. I don’t know if it was the heat or jetlag, but as I began walking back I got hassled by one too many Indian salespeople and was very irritated and felt like I needed to immediately escape.
Mr. Chan has small hands
What's that? Do I see an oasis in the middle of HK?
It is called: The foot massage.
There was only one word to say: "Word."
My mind was instantaneously flooded with memories of Thailand where I got a foot massage on the side of the road for $2. Could this be the same? I was sold. I went straight inside.
The first thing I noticed was that I was not on the side of the road, but instead in a dimly lit, air conditioned, zen filled room that was decorated with dark stones, running water and soft music. I immediately assessed that the price for this foot massage was going to be nowhere near $2, but I didn’t care. I was in air conditioning and away from the pesky sales people. I was in heaven!
At Top Comfort foot massage at 45 Carnarvon Road, I was given a restaurant style menu of options to pick from. I immediately said I wanted just a foot massage. They had one for 50 minutes for 218 HK dollars (US $28). That was what I wanted. But wait – today’s special included a 10 minute foot soak, 15 minute neck and shoulder massage, and a 60 minute foot massage for only 358 HK dollars (US $46). I thought about that poor woman having to massage my smelly feet after I’d been walking all day in the pea soup outside. Done – I got the more expensive one.
Before we started they wanted me to get into some shorts so my legs would be exposed. The very nice Chinese man picked out one pair of shorts for me, but the little Chinese woman immediately put those back and dug around for the larger size. You know, for the fat American woman. I hung my head in shame, and shuffled into the bathroom to get changed.
The 10 minute foot soak was in one of those pedicure chairs that you find at any nail salon… except it was the super hero of all pedicure chairs! It had purple neon lights, heat, and massage balls that rolled into every crevice in your back. It was awesome. (I cannot believe I’m writing about the chair.)
But it gets better! The 15 minute neck and shoulder massage was on one of those standard sitting massage chairs at every mall or airport. But that woman massaged, poked nerve endings, and twisted me up like a pretzel in ways I didn’t even know I could move while in that chair. It was pure delight.
And then the foot massage. It wasn’t so much as a focus on the feet as it was the entire leg area. I’ve never had so much attention focused there, and it was absolutely divine.
I left there walking on water, feeling completely relaxed and did not even notice the crazy salespeople on the way home. I’m still basking in the relaxation now. I once had a psychic tell me that this time around on earth my soul is here to live the good life. I am beginning to believe that is true, and for that I am eternally grateful…