A free day in Hong Kong. We were
shopped
out, had seen the sights and wanted to do
something different.....something the locals
might do. And since Yvette wasn't feeling
up to par, we headed for.........
It looked like a standard upscale spa
...
mirrored walls, pleasant folk in well tailored
white jackets, soft music in the background,
faint herbal smell in the air. Except...this
was traditional Chinese medicine, 21st Century
Hong Kong style. Not so long ago, a day of
traditional medicine meant visiting a smoky
backshop that looked like some Kung Fu movie
set. Those days are long gone.
Instead, what you get is a place like On
Wo Tong (Harmony) Clinic with its crisp fluorescent
lights and fountains bubbling over decorative
rocks. It is an increasingly popular visit
for westerners.
In a small examination room, Master Shen
Shih Mou, a TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine)
consultant, took Yvette's wrist and felt
for three pulses. "Your pulse is quite
high," Shen said, shaking his head.
"You have a severe cold and nasal allergies."
How true! Yvette had fallen ill two days
before and was running an impressive fever.
It made for a nice test.
Shen prescribed an herbal mix of mulberry
leaves, chrysanthemum flower, honeysuckle
flower, forsythia seeds and licorice root.
It sounded like garden salad, but make no
mistake, Chinese herbs can have a medicinal
effect as strong as any western chemical.
This is why you come to a clinic for a consultation.
Some prescriptions take a bit of preparation.
A typical tea might contain half a dozen
herbs which would be stirred into three cups
of water, soaked for 20 minutes, then boiled
down to about a cup.
The consultation was free since we had also
booked a foot reflexology session (which
runs $197 HK - $25 U.S.). A three day supply
of prescribed herbal tea was another $123
HK - $16 U.S.
And so, we went in for our foot rub. As is
true in acupuncture, spots on your feet (64
of them) relate to specific organs of your
body. Master Edmond Chan has 15 years of
experience plus knuckles strong enough to
turn your feet into bread dough.
We got the general massage but, Chan explained,
there are specific massages for specific
problems.
"Ouch. OUCH!!"
"Oh, that is normal," Chan said.
"Everybody hurts the first time. A good
master should be able to adjust the strength
of his massage."
And he did.
Bill "relaxes" during foot reflexology
What followed was 45 minutes of assorted
pressures ... hard knuckles to the arch,
gentle strokings to the toes, occasional
vigorous shaking to relax the foot. Then
our feet were wrapped in hot towels and left
to bake a while.
"After a foot massage, you walk lighter.
Your foot is more free. So shopping is easier,"
Chan grinned. "And you will sleep much
better."
On feet light as clouds, we went out a
back
door to a vest pocket cafe that specializes
in herbal home cooking, Chinese style. Each
dish contained medicinal herbs. We had clear
broth with fruit and nuts, eggplant with
herbed pork, sweet and sour chicken and a
smoky rice topped with tiny, herb spiked
spare ribs. Lunch for three came to $152
HK - $20 U.S.
Back in our hotel room that night, we
brewed
a pot of bitter San She Tan tea, as ordered
by Master Shen, took our assorted herbal
pills and turned in early. A few hours later,
Yvette's
fever broke.
Though you could find a health clinic
and
the various herbal pharmacies by yourself,
it's a lot easier (and more fun) if you have
a local guide. A guide can be arranged through
your hotel or by calling the Hong Kong Association
of Registered Tour Coordinators, HK telephone
2807-6512.
For general information on Hong Kong,
contact
the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hong Kong telephone
(852) 2807-6543, or, in the
U.S., telephone 1-800-282-4582.. Website:
www.discoverhongkong.com.
In the Seattle area, for help with all
your
Asian travel needs: tickets, passports, visas,
tours, etc., contact Asssociate Travel, Inc.,
conveniently located in the heart of Chinatown,
at 416 8th Avenue South, Seattle WA 98104,
(206) 621-9200.
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