Having spent a satisfying Morning with Mom, we decided to go grab a bite to eat, then walk Torrey Pines State Beech for Sunset. It was a totally-fantastic day!
She asks "Where are we to spend our time tonight (given that I had not made sleep accommodations for that Friday)"?
'I don't really know . . . maybe we can find a hotel in the LA area that's close to the airport?'
[She immediately dives-down into her phone, and produces a solution]
"Wi Spa . . . it's gana be great."
[driving-up from Oceanside to LA on the 5, we transitioned to the 101 going West]
It was a video-game for me (as the driver (of an unfamiliar, rented Toyota Tacoma)).
We Arrive at Midnight, and slowly drive-right into the Enter lane, and meet the greet (to which I share $4 for the parking privilege).
{I had to pee}
She cautioned me that I needed to pare-down my items to fit the personal locker, which would be soon-to-come. She was correct!
We enter, and walk-down a small flight of stairs to the Main Desk, and they greet us as any Rep might normally greet a road-worn traveller at 4PM (in any other town). There were about twenty other people in varying stages of Processing for the same Service
Of course, the cost for admittance is higher than expected.
They detailed the general specifics of our near adventure, our options, and gifted us with a bundle of site-specific clothing, and sent us--each--on our respective ways.
I was gifted a 'watch', which I was supposed to use to gain near-reader access to my Locker, etc.
A coed environment does not mean that sexes are meant to immediately mingle . . . She had her path to follow, and I had mine.
I work my way (arms laden with my 'stuff') to the Men's Portal, and find a series of small, numbered lockers. #166 is revealed, and I placed my 'watch' against the plate a handful of (or more) times until I ultimately realize that I am not gaining access to what I thought I might gain.
{I really had to pee}
I slowly return to the Main Desk (three hours driving, on four hours of sleep 'slowly'), and share that I can't find my Locker, and that I really need to pee; to which, they further-reveal that I need to go-further to find the larger, active locker area.
[It was--at this time--that I started to envision that this Setting was an obvious segue to me getting captured, and indoctrinated into some sort of clandestine International Spy-Ring (or some-other body-harvesting experiment)]
I (slowly) return to the catacombs, and (eventually) find that I'm in an area with an entirely-different section of numbered lockers, the #166 of which actually responds to the resting of my 'watch' upon the faceplate!
[guy next to me is fumbling with his clothing]
So, it's so; there are two, brown ottomans on the floor shared among sixty 'lockers'.
I claim one, and drag it to sit near #166.
[naked guys walks-past]
I was told that I need to be entirely des nudo to access the sauna area (which I came to suppose, was where the toilets/urinals were located).
{The need to urinate was building to an untimely crescendo!}
[looks down towards "there", to be greeted with the sight of a number of guys: some nekkid, some partially clothed, and some wearing white robes (each of which bore no formal representation of what I had been led to assume was my expected outcome]
My Locker was 12" wide, and 36" tall; a shelf was included, but it was lying askew, at the bottom.
I spent a further two minutes fumbling with the 'shelf' (mostly because one of the four 'pins' which kept it floated 6" above the bottom had haphazardly fallen to the back-bottom (I had to find it, single-handedly grasp it, and (eventually) find a way to pin-poke it into the side-wall in order to get it to rest, intact)).
Only then, was I able to ex-pediate my shoes/socks, get them into the sub-platform, and {further} remove my clothing, thus proceed to the "sauna" area!
{Big Jim was beginning to drool a little bit, at this time}
With just my skin, I traversed the short-catacombs, through a prep area, then found a portal which opened-up to an area filled with twisty-windy pathways, stalls, and large, recessed bathing areas.
{Big Jim was beginning to convulse, at this point}
I found a twisty-windy path that (eventually) led me to a room with urinals, poop-thrones and sinks...
I quickly (and satisfyingly) positioned myself before one of the urinals, and (I believe) peed for about 37 minutes straight! ;)
Having calmed Old Man Tate, I slowly wandered-out to find that the stalls were for my showering; one of which I availed myself (incredibly)!
[partitions, separating shower-heads; each with a lever, head, and three gel-dispensers of un-labeled specifications ('green', 'white' and 'clear')]
I used the 'clear' to wash my face, and part of my body.
I found that the middle 'white' gel to have a conditioner-type effect; on further assessment, I re-rinsed, clear-gelled my hair, and applied the white to my hair.
I did not experience the 'green', nor will I probably ever.
The Shower lever was an entirely new experience, for me.
A simple, part-way turn expressed a narrow, directed flow of approximately 5000PSI!
After a bit of negotiation, it was revealed that partial-open was a cool water-flow, albeit with the pressure of a DC-9 turbo-engine.
To get the shower to express something approximating "hot", the turning of which to F-111a was necessary.
I found that the F-35 setting was satisfactory, and I proceeded to scour my flesh to the bone with necessary abandon.
[a little, brown hand-rag was included with each 'stall', and I used it to blot my eyes between each washing step]
Decadence is now at-hand!
Blindly (to a certain degree), I slowly worked myself out of the shower area, and into the 'Spa' area...
...greeted by a 35mx45m room, centered-around a series of recessed pools of water.
I chose the 'warm' pool, and submersed my body up to the neck (which, of course, flayed my flesh at a ripe 100F).
[guys walk-in/-out at varying degrees of clothing-ness]
Four dudes (obviously visiting together) flittered-about between pools, the periodicity of which escapes me, now...
Immersed in the [now] bliss of submersion, I have the presence-of-thought to be able to observe the 'room'.
[some guys entirely des nudo, some covering their crotch with hand-towels, and some with a towel-sari-effect affect]
Submerged, I find time to further observe.
[Doorways--into which a few dudes came, and went--that had digital displays above them; one with "127", one with "178", and another with "197" . . . I did not enter into any of these doors!]
I made my way back to the shower stall, cleansed myself of the chlorinated water that clung to me after submersion, then returned to my 'locker' to robe myself with what I needed to appropriately gain access to the Common areas, above (namely, to spend time with Her!).
I had no shorts in my bundle, but those were immediately found in the fore-ground area (proximal to the spa/pee areas).
Suitable dressed, I found another twisty-windy pathway that led me to a stairway, which wound-up to the General Communal Area,
She, and I, had agreed to meet at 1AM there.
I arrived early.
I found a large, 40mx40m space, with twenty (or so) individuals on floor-mats (in varying states of consciousness), an adjacent cafeteria, and a side-restroom-like area.
Off this area, were five portals, each of which were Spaces dedicated to some degree of a "sauna" experience:
- cold-spa: 40F
- clay-spa: 137F
- salt-spa: 127F
- dry-spa: 135F
- ?-spa: 197F
She lay-down a few minutes for the clay-spa experience, but I demurred.
[TBC]