Unwinding in Hot Stone Baths

There are rooms of varying size, with one, two, or more baths. We were in room 5. The baths were ready for us, with herbal sprigs floating in them, and steaming indications of hot water.

We lowered ourselves in, and let the hot water perform its rejuvinating magic. As the water cooled, we would knock on the wooden panels. Moments later, a voice would call from the other side - "Stone?" "Yes please", we'd respond. And within a minute we would feel the thunk of large hot stones being dropped in the water of our baths.

So the ends of our baths stick out through the wall, and are well divided from where we sit, and where the stones are dropped, so as to not risk our feet touching the stones directly.

The stones are piled over a fire, and large metal tongs are used to move them about. Two or three men were servicing the baths, cleaning and preparing, or adding stones.

It was an amazing experience.