Hedonism

I came back from the Kilimanjaro Kempinski Anantara Spa a few hours ago and I STILL haven't recovered - recovered from total bliss that is!

I feel all woozy, sleepy and not in the mood to do a thing which is such a fabulous feeling! What more can a self-proclaimed diva ask for?!

This all goes back to Christmas....I received a number of gifts from my very sweet and thoughtful Engineer. Among them was this diet-busting, totally tempting tin of chocolate-covered treats which I practically finished single-handedly:


One of his other gifts was a voucher for the 'Kempinski Retreat' spa package which translates to a 2.5 hour long festival of self-indulgence comprising a foot bath, steam bath, full body scrub and massage (my skin feels softer than the bottoms on those babies in Johnson & Johnson ads). Woo hoo!



I didn't dare check the price on the spa menu when I got there in case I went into cardiac arrest and ruined the entire experience for myself.

I must say that I don't understand people who shun spas. What is wrong with sitting and doing nothing while someone else expends time and energy to get you looking and feeling good? I say nothing at all!

I do realize that there are a number of, shall we say, less than comfortable circumstances when one is at the spa. The removal of clothing is high on the list (although the good spas do provide paper underwear) and I know some people dislike being touched by strangers. My advice is: close your eyes and revel!

I'm of course referring to legitimate spas and not one of those that also offer 'extra special' massages! That's an altogether different kind of experience and no diva worth her salt would go within a 10 kilometer radius of one of those spas! Just think about what must be all over the massage table and on the towels..... eeeewwwwwww! Fortunately, the Kempsinski is a totally legal spa that deals only with 'proper' treatments so I didn't have to worry.

The whole experience put me into a "pamper me" mood and I finally did what I've been meaning to do for a long time - bought some take-away sushi from the Kempinski's excellent Oriental restaurant.

To show my appreciation to the man behind my Happy Day, I dropped off a serving of California Maki at his office, complete with wasabi, soy and pickled ginger. My only complaint was the take-away package. The gorgeous sushi was dumped unceremoniously into one of those horribly ugly foil take-away things that are so popular here in Dar. One would think that the Kempinski would attempt to be a little classier than that!

Well, now that I've had my sushi and watched an episode of Sex and the City on DVD (okay, more than one episode but don't tell anyone), I'm going to go and lie on the couch and read.

I must say, even though I've discovered that selflessness and non-attachment are the way to lasting peace....it's so hard to remember that when hedonism just feels so darn good!

images from steppestravel.co.uk and kempinski-daressalaam.com. Pic of "Temptation" cookie tin by Trish