Back in London I am an advocate of regular deep tissue massage. Indeed, they iron out the creases (but usually for a hefty price.) So, when I was invited for a massage in Cambodia, "cheap, cheap" I thought I was getting a bargain.
I innocently assumed that the young girl announcing, "han relee," was simply offering a special type of cultural experience. Indeed she was.
Flicking to page 70 of the, "Lonley Planet guide to South East Asia on a shoestring," I quote - "most of these offers involve truly wandering hands - yes, most massages are of the naughty variety."
Having made my excuses, (it was 4pm in the afternoon) I journeyed to a place where only blind massueses were employed. Surely this would be professional? I was asked to strip and put on a blue, surgical outfit and prepare myself for heavy thumbing. errrrr!
1 hour later and I was relaxed beyond comprehension, happy that I had made a small contribution (no pun intended) to the blind people of Cambodia.
The next night however, I was busy at the urinal in a north Cambodian nightclub when a short man started massaging my back and shoulders. I know exactly how this would be received in a nightclub in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne - but the guy was doing it to everyone.
I must confess it felt good but I was trying to concentrate. The fact is, across Cambodia and Vietnam they have so many types of massage it seems a minefield (no pun intended) in deciding which one to choose.
In southern Thailand I saw, "milky massage" being offered on a board. I mean, whats that all about?
