When considering what brings people together to socialise: wallowing in murky, sulphurous water, sweat forced out of pores by the heat, taking our bodies to the limits of their temperature receptors, isn’t really what comes to mind. Yet, at The Rudas Bath this happens; throngs of people flock to the ancient baths to socialise whilst indulging in the act of bathing. Despite being warned by The Lonely Planet Guide, that the communal weekend hours (the only time of the week males and females bath together) become some what of “A Zoo”, we decided to give it a go and stepped out of the chilling wind and sideways rain to be greeted by two queues. Ever the British, we joined the first, to get tickets, before being ushered to the second, the queue to the cabins and the Baths themselves. When we travelled down the steps into the bathing area, we all remarked how we felt we’d stepped back in time to the Roman era. The vaulted ceilings, rugged, warn stone, steam thick in the air, the murmur of voices catching up on the weeks events. Yet the baths aren’t Roman at all, but in fact Turkish and opened in 1550. As Brits, and particularly a group who all went to the Roman Baths in Bath last year, the Roman era is synonymous with the act of bathing being a communal activity to enjoy with others. And this was exactly what we were doing, bathing whilst catching up on the day we just had. Resting our weary legs after exploring the sights of the city. Photo: http://www.bathsbudapest.com/rudas-bath Wanting to make the most of it we started in a bath the temperature of which could only be described as tepid, before working our way up through the temperatures to the 42ºC bath. As a result of travelling through the different pools this one didn’t shock when entering. What came next certainly did. After the Caldarium? The Frigidarium - a mere 18ºC. A stickler for the rules, trying not to yelp as the cold shock set in was no easy feat. But the extremes of temperatures didn’t stop there and the 77ºC steam room proved too much for me. An earlier injury to my nose meant I didn’t just feel discomfort from the high temperatures but actual pain, all in the effort to steam away impurities. Yet, after all of this, floating around the central 38ºC pool was pure bliss; relaxation in every sense of the word. Despite the oohs and the ahhs, produced by both the hot and the cold, the moment when you lift your feet in the perfect temperature pool and let the water gently take hold of you, melting all other worries away, the warm cocoon taking over. And it is for this very reason that even now, thousands of years after the Roman’s first made bathing common, people visit spas as not only an indulgence, but a way of catching up with friends and spending quality times with those we love. Visiting Baths, has and always will be a social activity.
1 Comment
|
AuthorFrankie Clarke ArchivesCategories |