Side Note: Massages in Siem Reap

After a long day and a half of “templing” the fam and I were ready for some pampering. Though my parents and sister had been in Cambodia for several days, they had not yet indulged in the famously cheap and high quality massages. We chose a $6 number right on Pub Street and we had the place to ourselves. While my mom elected to get a foot massage, my dad, sister, and I elected for a Thai-style body massage, which comprises a lot of pressure and stretching (the masseur or masseuse often uses elbows, feet and knees to apply pressure or stretch the client out).

Prior to the massage we were given one-size fits (or doesn’t fit) all flip flops, which were humorously large on my mom’s feet. Once our feet were cleaned, my mom was led into the foot massage area and the rest of us were taken into another room. There was a row of perhaps ten mattresses on the floor, each separated by curtains. Our mattresses were all next to each other with my dad in the middle. As we changed in to the clothes provided, a loose pair of cotton pants and an equally loose tunic, we all encountered the same problem. We couldn’t figure out how to put the pants on correctly. In Khmer, I called for help. The opening of the curtain coincided with significant giggling. The pants were not drawstring pants as I (and my dad and sister) assumed, but were meant to have the strings in the back and tied around the front. I shared my discovery with my neighbors.

Once changed, the curtains between our mattresses were opened and we settled in to receive our massages. Our masseuses were all pretty young, between the ages of nineteen and twenty-one. Though their English was limited, I was able to practice a good amount of Khmer with them, acting as translator between them and my dad and sister.

After sharing initial pleasantries, I was told to inform my sister that she was beautiful and that she looked younger than her nearly twenty-one years. As I turned toward her, my dad, who was in the middle, mistakenly thought they were talking about him and he thanked them before I could clarify that they were talking about my sister and not him. More giggling ensued in which the masseuses informed my dad that, although he may not be “beautiful,” he did look quite young.

More amusement ensued when the masseuses began working on our arms. My dad was born unable to twist his arm such that his palm is facing up. However, it is not painful and hardly restricts his activity. His masseuse asked if it was caused by an accident, if it hurt, and if he was still able to write. I told them that he was born with it, it did not hurt, and he was able to write without problem. On the other hand, I said, he would not make a very good apsara dancer, the traditional Khmer dance which involves intricate arm and hand motions.

Though we chatted through the whole massage it was one of the most relaxing I've had and, after getting dressed, we floated down to a warm cup of herbal tea. We left as heaps of jello with several new friends.