Somethin' in The Water

If there is one experience over the Prague/Budapest trip I must blog about, it would have to be the Szechenyi gyogyfurdo (or baths). Neo-Baroque buildings surround three massive outdoor pools, sitting like pots of steaming blue soup, in the cold autumnal weather. There are lots and lots of locals, but no tourists that I can discern. We stick out like a sore thumb, two scrawny Asians in a sea of big hulky Hungarian men (and women). As we walk to the changing cabins that we've been issued, I'm ticklish with anticipation, not sure what to expect.

Marc and I rent swimming suits (but I wear my own undies and bikini top under it because it's so gross! Eek), pick up our rented towels, and head out.

"1, 2, 3... we'll open the door and run out, okay?"

"Okay, we'll put our towel down on ... (looks around) that bench, and then run in to the pool."

"Okay."

"This seems crazy. :( It's so cold out there!"

"Yeah, I know."

(deep breaths, the two of us)

And then we dash out almost naked, trying to look as dignified as we can while rushing from the cold. Making it into the first pool, we quickly discover there is an insanely adorable contraption that makes the centre of the pool spin around, like one of those "Eye of the storm" rides they had in Fantasy Island in Singapore years ago, ONLY FASTER :)

So what you have to do is just join the circle (you can see it in the photo on top - the concrete 'island' walled off in the centre of the pool), and then you'll be whoooooosh!ed along the current and spun round and round. It was so fun, Marc was just like a five-year-old boy in that moment, I swear. He couldn't stop giggling and playing around. It was so entertaining (him, and the pool). :D

So after tiring of the whirlpool and the lukewarm waters of the first pool, we decide to make the huge 200m dash to the pool on the other end of the outdoor complex. The shock you feel when your skin feels the icy wind hit its surface - unspeakable agony. We half-ran, half-fleed to the pool, dumped our towels, and stepped in.

This third pool was SO GOOD. It was 37 to 38 deg c, which to my poor feet was initially too warm. But I adjusted after awhile, and it was just like being in the centre of a baking creme brulee - heaven. I hopped on Marc's back and let him piggyback me to the steps where we sat. Lots of Hungarian couples frolicking in the water, old and young alike, and it was kind of nice to see, in a good way. But then we tried to guess which couples were up to some fun :P Haha.

After turning sufficiently prune-like and sleepy, we both decided we needed to pee and got out of the pool to change out. When I went home that night, I fell asleep like a baby, and in the morning it took Marc at least an hour to pull me out of bed because I slept so well. Oh, and my muscles that were aching like mad in the day had gotten much better.

It's got to be somethin' in that Hungarian spring water. ;)

A wonderful experience. Thanks for making me go, Marc.

"I find the map and draw a straight line

Over rivers, farms and state lines

The distance from here to where you'd be

It's only finger-lengths that I see

I touch the place where I'd find your face

My fingers in creases of distant dark places

I hang my coat up in the first bar

There is no peace that I found so far

The laughter penetrates my silence

As drunken men find flaws in science

Their words mostly noises, ghosts with just voices

Your words in my memory are like music to me

Miles from where you are, I lay down on the cold ground

I pray that something picks me up

And sets me down in your warm arms"

- "Set The Fire To The Third Bar", Snow Patrol