Yesterday was banya day. The Russian equivalent of a sauna with all its own perks and charms.
The banya was a dark, wooden hut affair in the forest, the gaps between the logs being plugged with wool and straw. Inside were two benches and a metal stove. Ilena, our Russian banya expert, opened the stove and threw in a ladle of herb water that had been infused with herbs gathered on the 6km walk to the banya. As the steam circulated our English companions squealed and ran out screaming “It’s too hot, let us out!” Thus leaving more room for the remaining four of us to perspire.
After 10 minutes we made a dash outside and down to the icy cold stream that spends most of its Siberian year as ice. It felt like it. Then a quick shot of vodka and back in to the banya.
This time I was asked to lie on my front on the bench as Ilena grabbed a bunch of birch leaves and twigs out of a bowl of boiling water. She preceded to sprinkle boiling water over my naked body and then to slap it vigorously with the twigs. It was pleasantly painful when coupled with the herbal steam and surprisingly soothing on my many mosquito bites. After this, submersion in the stream actually felt good and vodka has never tasted better.
After another sweat and dip it was time to wash, mixing hot and cold water in a wooden bowl to spoon over myself with a wooden ladle. The whole process was topped off by dipping my hair in the yellow herb water. A true Russian banya experience in the taiga of the shores of Lake Baikal.
The banya was a dark, wooden hut affair in the forest, the gaps between the logs being plugged with wool and straw. Inside were two benches and a metal stove. Ilena, our Russian banya expert, opened the stove and threw in a ladle of herb water that had been infused with herbs gathered on the 6km walk to the banya. As the steam circulated our English companions squealed and ran out screaming “It’s too hot, let us out!” Thus leaving more room for the remaining four of us to perspire.
After 10 minutes we made a dash outside and down to the icy cold stream that spends most of its Siberian year as ice. It felt like it. Then a quick shot of vodka and back in to the banya.
This time I was asked to lie on my front on the bench as Ilena grabbed a bunch of birch leaves and twigs out of a bowl of boiling water. She preceded to sprinkle boiling water over my naked body and then to slap it vigorously with the twigs. It was pleasantly painful when coupled with the herbal steam and surprisingly soothing on my many mosquito bites. After this, submersion in the stream actually felt good and vodka has never tasted better.
After another sweat and dip it was time to wash, mixing hot and cold water in a wooden bowl to spoon over myself with a wooden ladle. The whole process was topped off by dipping my hair in the yellow herb water. A true Russian banya experience in the taiga of the shores of Lake Baikal.
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