I’m not really a big massage person… I mean, I enjoy them as much as the next guy, but I’m not going to go out of my way to get one. I even skipped out on them in Thailand and India despite seeing massage places everywhere (both places have a reputation for having good cheap massages… especially Thailand). However, my friend convinced me that I should submit and get myself one of the foot massages that Taiwan is famous for (PS… in case you didn’t figure it out from that line, I’m in Taiwan)… and by convinced me, I mean that we were walking down the street and she told me that she was going into get a foot massage and I could just sit around waiting like an idiot or I could go in and get one as well (I’m paraphrasing here… ;-)).
Now, I know I’m a bit tight generally (I’m talking in the muscular/skeletal sense here people), and all that trekking hadn’t exactly loosened me up, so I knew a foot massage wasn’t exactly going to be the most pleasant experience. But good lord, I was not prepared for this… I’ll let the pictures do the talking:
The place…
My order…
.
My masseuse… f-ing fingers of steel on this guy…
I really have no idea what I’m in for…
And so it begins…
No, ‘m not giving birth…
Here’s where I first realize my friend is taking pictures of me… for her entertainment (the gall)…
The guy was laughing a bit too maniacally when he saw me respond like this…
You think maybe it’d get easier as it went on…?
But then you’d be wrong…
Still hurts…
Finally…20 minutes later… this is the look of sweet sweet relief that it’s over…
That was a very intense twenty minutes. I actually had to sit in the chair for another 10-15 minutes just to be able to get up and walk around. Of course everyone in the place was laughing at me the whole time (can’t lie… I would have been laughing at me as well). Now, I knew that I was tight, but I had no idea I was that tight… maybe I should be having these done a little more on the regular if I’m having this much trouble with them? Something to think about. Anyway… there you go, my first (and maybe last) foot massage (brought to you by the island formerly known as Formosa).
Richarding 
Hahaha, those pictures are pretty hilarious (sorry for your pain though). It’s funny how serious and indifferent the masseuse looks while you’re writhing there in the chair. I would have thought someone who’s had such insane adventures over the last 12 months such as walking across an entire European country and climbing some of the world’s highest mountains would have a higher tolerance for pain 🙂 Glad you survived the massage! 🙂
Apparently I’m a big baby when it comes to certain types of pain? Or… maybe my feet/calves were just that tight? I’ll keep thinking it’s the latter when it’s likely really the former.
You are such a hoot!!! I’m amazed you had that kind of pain after all that walking across the European country including the mountains. I wonder how you would survive with a full body massage……Speaking of foot message, I just had one last week. Loved it. Ok Ok, I’m sure it wasn’t quite like you had….. Thanks for the follow up on your journey. I wondered where you were and what you were doing…. Be safe…….