Saturday, May 21, 2011

Life at the Sanatorium

Day 45 of 11 (Just a comment on the joys of waiting out the court mandated waiting period).

Ruslan was chuffed to wear dad's sunglasses.
After much too short a visit with the kids yesterday, we drove down to Pyatigorsk and got checked in to the Rodnik Sanatorium.

The last time we were here we noticed certain large hotels were extremely busy and seemed to be where the cool kids hung out. Our translater graciously showed us the district containing the nice spa/resorts and explained the hows and whys of Russian health spas or as they are known in these here parts: Sanatoriums.

We are on the side of a mountain called the Mashuk. Hot and cold springs flow right out of the side of the mountain all over, from retaining walls, and walkways in the parks. So spas (disguised as large hotels) are all over the side of this mountain.

Beautiful stream from a cold mineral spring 100 yards from our building.

So why a Russian Health Spa?
1. This area is known for having healing waters.   People have come from all over Russia to stay here and get healthy for over 200 years.
2. We decided this would be a fantastic opportunity for exposure to a rare slice of Russian culture.    
3. We could not stand the thought of 10 nights on the torture device at the Intourist Hotel known as a bed.
4. Considering meals are included, it is no more expensive to stay here vs. the hotels down the hill.

So we asked Alex to arrange for us to stay at one of the better spas thinking we would experience something unique and strange.

Oh lord, were we spot on with the Unique and Strange.
It took almost 3 hours to check in. We got here in the afternoon were up and down the elevator with our translator about 6 times. We saw:
  • 2 rooms so we could choose which one to stay in. (Less than 10% more in cost doubles the square feets)
  • The doctor to register our chief medical complaint. (We quickly claimed back problems so we would have massages ordered for us. Woo-hoo!)
  • Drop off passports at front desk for registration papers.
  • Back to the room to get the Internet Wi-Fi setup on Lynne's laptop with spa IT staff.
  • Dining room tour and table assignment. Staff brings out entrees and we point at what we want.
  • The nurse who schedules the spa treatments with long winded discussions with our vastly experienced and amazing translator, Nonna, with much writing and poring over our spa treament record books that we must carry with us everywhere for the next 10 days.
  • Off to the ATM down the street to get cash to pay for 10 days in advance as they don't take VISA or AMEX here.
  • Shown where the Mineral water taps are, with strict instructions to drink the hot mineral water 30 minutes before every meal. Oh, boy.
Then at 9:00am this morning, we met Nonna and Marina, a student from the Linguistic University here.
They took us to our first appointments at Russian spa camp:
To drink a big cup of herbal foam in a glass with a spoon. (tasted like unsweetened cough syup and herbal tea foam). Lynne claims she will not drink it again, thank you very much.
Across the street to take a luxuious (by Russian standards) foam bath in a building for just this purpose.
Well, at least it was hot and relaxing. We met with another nurse who gave us more details and pasted in treament timetables in our medical treatment books. Then Lynne went to breathe some Oxygen at the oxygen breathing wing of the building. Next round of spa treaments begin Monday moning.

Here at spa camp, meals in the dining hall are filling but they raise blandness to an exquisite high art form.
Most of the people are here for 21-24 days, so we are only getting a small dose of the place.
We will get to work out in the mornings and hit the pool for group exercise before lunch, then it is off to the orphanage every other afternoon.

Oh, by the way, they have the same dreadful bed as we had at the hotel last February.
Do Svadanya and good night.
Icon inside the "Lake in the Mountain" cave down the street from Spa camp.

1 comment:

  1. Great account on the spa...gotta love it. Jeanne and Jason (Sasha) arrived tonight 6:30 @ MSP...it was great. I'm too tired to blog but will. We praye that everything goes quickly and completely for you all. God bless!

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