Skilled Hands

Last night I had my second massage since returning to Phuket. Massage options abound here, but I plan to be a regular at "Pim and Ek's Beauty & Massage". There's probably no such thing as a "bad" massage, but I knew I had found someone special in Pim when just minutes into our first session I started daydreaming of playing on the Asian PGA Tour and hiring her as my travelling masseuse.

Pim might be 40, but she's remarkably fit whatever her age. She is extremely thorough and, better yet, ignores the clock. My first "one hour" massage stretched to 75 minutes. Last night's session pushed the two-hour mark. Even with a 50% tip, the bill was just $8. That's marginally cheaper than many places on the island but still the "farang" or foreigner price. If I were Thai, the cost would be about $2. No, I'm not complaining.

My flexibility has improved considerably in just a week, especially in my hamstrings. Pim has an uncanny ability to find adhesions and sore spots. She has spent a lot of time working the soles of my feet. I haven't been able to follow most of her explanations of the accupressure points involved, but I leave feeling inches taller.

Did I mention I got scalped last week? I got a $2 haircut at a hole in the wall and left looking like a Thai military recruit. I had learned to live with it until Ek chased me out of the salon last night and asked me who cut my hair, "Not good, back short too much!" I knew that already but with a mirror she showed me how uneven it is as well. She offered to clean it up but I promised to see her the next time I needed a cut.