As I am dictating this blog post, the bottoms of my feet are being worked over by a pomace. After a wonderful massage in the grotto downstairs, I am having my first manicure and pedicure for years. Of course, I am not giving that much to work with, as I have gardener’s fingernails and toenails. But that is beside the point.
Every time I come to Ethiopia, I go to Boston Day Spa at least once. It is wonderfully Ethiopian spa that is on the same level as any Western spa. When you enter there is a lovely reception.
The booking agents and the receptionist all speak wonderful English and a variety of other languages. So you can call in for a reservation. Then you can go downstairs for a wonderful massage. It’s like a cave in each massage room. First you get a footbath, and then a wonderful massage. Today my masseuse was really experienced and helped unknot my shoulder. Note that Ethiopian massages are very.. er,.. extensive. Nothing inappropriate, but check your modesty at the door.
Some helpful words for massages:
Kahss – soft
Tchan – hard
After after you pay for your massage, you go up a couple floors past the bar where you can get wonderful Spanish and Italian wine, past Lime Tree Restaurant (a great place for lunch later) and then to the third floor where they do manicures and pedicures. The service is excellent and the prices are insanely reasonable compared to Canada.
Overall, I highly recommend spending the morning or afternoon there.
My first trip to Ethiopia for Vulnerable Children Society, Pam, one of our directors, advise me to get a massage halfway through. She runs an organization called Swazi kids and makes trips like this all the time. Pam was so right… The pace is intense the work is emotional and difficult. So it was perfectly appropriate to stop and take a day off and recharge. I also highly recommend going to the spa to new Ethiopian adoptive parents. Taking care of strange kids that you just met a week before can be entirely exhausting. 
So get a babysitter, and go recharge your batteries.
I highly recommend… Boston Day Spa!
BOSTON BUILDING, BOLE ROAD (tell that to the taxi)
0913 323 878
