Hot Tea in the Sauna

I come from the land of 10 oz. of chipped ice in my medium Coke, where most people know that on a hot day the only thing to drink is something frosty cold. That puts me in a minority worldwide, I realize (Precious Ramotswe, for example, would never drink something cold to refresh her), .

And the appeal of a sauna has always been somewhat lost on me. I prefer steam if I have a choice. But Hazmik (proprietor extraordinaire of The Shaping Zone in Yerevan) convinced me to use the sauna before my massage both to relax me and to get those pores opening up. Her assistant is always ready to offer mint tea (no sugar, glass cup) and even though I was in the sauna, the tea was forthcoming.

So with perspiration rolling down my cheeks and neck, I sipped a big cup of HOT mint tea. Oddly, it seemed just right. I tried to imagine a tall glass of something icy and cold, but the image jarred me. Totally wrong.


I think I learned something that might be of use when I go to the Congo, which is a natural steam room. Precious has something. And so did Hazmik. The sauna helped prepare me for the massage!