The spa. Aaaaaaah.

We headed Over to the pools about noon for a fabulous soak and shady relaxation prior to our appointments. We tried to get the same treatments scheduled for the same time. We succeeded with the Ancient Echoes: “Based on East Indian Head Massage techniques, this therapy will take you on a voyage that explores a variety of massage and energy balancing techniques of the upper back, shoulders, arms, neck, scalp, face and ears; finishing off with a luxurious foot massage.”

We also tried for the add-on Native American blue cornmeal prickly pear cactus skin scrub: This unique mixture of blue corn, prickly pear and ancient sea salt whisks away dry, dull skin revealing a softer, smoother texture ... rid the body of impurities ... nourishes skin and soothes irritations ... improve circulation and metabolism ... hot herbal towels open your pores and relax ... etc. etc. Unfortunately only one of us could get that add on scheduled, so being a gentleman, Gordon volunteered to pursue an alternative, more gender-appropriate add on of a beer on the porch of the wine bar.

We met back on the porch to continue the happy hour Gordon had started, and congratulated ourselves on our decision to come here. We were quickly joined by Steve and Monta Lee, a retired couple from Colorado who continue to consult for museums around the world. We enjoyed a lively happy hour discussion of travels and exotic places we had all visited.

We didn’t want to disturb the peace of the spa (whisper only zone!) to take photos, so we snagged some off the web so you would get an idea of the ambience and just a couple of the many pools.Read more