The Basement Spa in Nylam

A yellowed-crinkled piece of paper was thrust in front of my face by a weathered brown-hand. With a giant toothless smile and sparkling eyes a little man demanded, “Massage? Hot tub? Steam” as the little drawings on the paper further translated his pigeon English. I looked apprehensively around the local coffee shop as a small heater glowed brightly in the middle with three chairs gathered round it. Josh had recommended the shower in this building, but I began to wonder if I had perhaps wandered into the wrong place.

The little man, sensing my scepticism, grabbed my shirt sleeve and guided me down a narrow staircase into the basement where rubber flip flops lined the walls. Were these the tacky material remains of those who had passed before me..? I began to feel a sense of panic wondering if being led down into an abyss of rubber footwear by a man who I didn’t know who clearly sensed a commercial opportunity was, in fact, a good idea.

The staircase led to series of hallways and closed doors and then into a small square room, lined with aluminium-colored walls with a shower head hanging from the wooden ceiling. “Hot” indicated the man as he turned one of the two dials on the wall. Water poured from the shower head as steam began to fill the room. I couldn’t believe my luck and quietly promised myself that I would buy Josh a beer for his fantastic recommendation. What a find..!!

Apart from a man showering in the cubicle next to mine and using the cleansing exercise to also clear what sounded like 25-years of mucus build up in his throat, and concern that it might have been a scene out of ‘Porkey’s Revenge’, it was one of the best showers I’ve ever enjoyed in my life. I was nearly tempted to have a nose around the other rooms to see if the hot-tub, sauna and massage advertisements were equally well thought out. Clearly the man saw a niche in the market and was happy to hand over the 20 yen as a reward for his entrepreneurial acumen. Perhaps he had once entered the Tibetan equivalent of ‘Dragons Den”?

Another example of the local entrepreneurial spirit was in the internet café - for a few dollars per hour one could surf to their hearts content - under the condition that you were used to chain-smoking about 15 cigarettes per hour and did not manage your life through Google or Facebook applications. We all made excellent use of the internet and used the opportunity to update various blogs and communications with the ‘outside world’.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully enough - a computer lesson from Helen as well as another 5-hour acclimatization hike. As the sun set over Nylam and the temperatures plunged we donned our down jackets and headed into the local, “Rising Sun” restaurant for yet another rice and cabbage Chinese extravaganza.