One of my favorite indulgences while living in India is getting a massage. It only costs me $15 USD! However, there are some significant differences between a massage in India and one in the U.S.
1. The first thing I noticed is that they give you disposable panties to wear. They look like a paper shower cap with leg holes. I guess they give them to you so you don’t get oil on your underwater. They look funny but are adequate for the purpose.
2. No cover sheet: You just lay there feeling exposed. Perhaps it is because it is generally hot here, but regardless it took some getting used to.
3. No music: I’ve gotten massages from a number of places and none of them play the typical soft relaxing flute/piano music we generally hear in the U.S.
4. You get to choose the scent of your oil. These people take their essential oils very seriously, and they apply it generously.
5. They climb up on the table. Not every massage therapist does this but I’ve had it happen enough times that it no longer surprises me. The tiny little Indian girls spread your legs and then climb up on the table between your legs for better access to your thighs and lower back.
6. They massage your breast! Well actually, they are massaging the muscles underneath your breast tissue but it shocked the hell out of me the first time it happened! For this reason I suggest women have female massage therapists, otherwise it can get a little creepy.
7. They turn the lights off. Yep, they massage you in the dark but they usually leave one candle burning. I like it and sometimes I fall asleep.
