Saturday, December 22, 2018

Resist

Couldn't resist posting one more #Iceland picture #Butt now we're done! #馃崙 #Booty #FullMoons #SkysOutThighsOut#Husbands #Iceland #Gaycation#ReykjadalurHotSprings #Instagay #Gay#Men #LoveIsLove #GayBubbleButts #Cute#CoupleGoals #GayAdventures #Night#Hiking #Mountains #Winter#ilovgayboyfriends #WeAreTravelGays#LgbtqTravelers #TheGayPassport
In our photographic specials (well it seems that it might well be a returning feature here) of iconic Icelandic soaks, let's look at the Reykjaladur hot stream.

A personal visit report can be found here.
It has hardly changed since (luckily enough), though an adjacent boardwalk and  windscreen / open change cubicles have been added.


Wczoraj ze starym byli艣my na koncercie @olafurarnalds … jak zamknelo si臋 oczy to tak jakbym znowu by艂a na Islandii… by艂o cudownie 馃挄 a ja chce tak bardzo tam wr贸cic 馃挄 #iceland #icelandsong##hverager冒i #hotwater#hotsprings#nakedbath #naked
Care
Some recent links on Reykjadalur:
'Yes, you need to get naked in the wilderness with people around. Get over it. In Iceland, nobody cares'.
'... visiting Reykjadalur is one of the most untouched locations to really enjoy hot springs in nature.
Its rural setting means that there are very few amenities at Reykjadalur. The most man-made parts of this site are the wooden boardwalks along the sides of the river, the small wooden steps that lead into the water, and the wooden partitions built for changing your clothes.
That’s right, there are no private changing rooms at Reykjadalur Hot Springs- just a small wooden wall to crouch behind. And even then, your body will be exposed to whatever weather Iceland feels like having that minute. Honestly, after building up a sweat from the hike in, the cold Iceland air feels great and your naked butt may never see a more picturesque setting without getting arrested. Take it all in.
...
Swimsuit and Towel: To be honest, this one is based on preference too. I saw plenty of people who were comfortable enjoying the thermal river au naturale. It’s not a big deal in Iceland'.
So you might expect many a naked soaker. That might not be the case, at least if your source of info is from instagram ...


The perfect spot to end a road trip and start your day with @lisa_travelgirl #skinnydip #24hoursnosleep #hotriver #hotsprings #6ambeers
Note that when visiting, you need to be able to walk a bit, but it's certainly not over-strenuous. 
Beware of weather though, situations can change swiftly, but in that case it might pay to hunker down and soak the poor weather away.

Iceland you are truly the land of ice and fire.Your mountains are covered in snow and the air we breath is freezing cold. But your rivers flow warm and gently through the landscape.#naturalhottub #hotpot #relaxing #iceandfire#nature #hiking #wanderlust#travelgram #iceland
Our last night in Iceland, we began our hike up the mountain to the popular hot river at 10pm. We didn’t know it would be an hour long arduous climb, or that a freak snow storm would meet us there with blinding sleet and snow. We kinda figured we’d have the place to ourselves though, and we sure did. This is midnight, right after the snow stopped long enough for Darin to fish the camera out of our ice covered bags. That adventure was a wild and perfect goodbye.
Gor膮ce 藕r贸d艂a to jedna z najfajniejszych atrakcji Islandii.Islandia, lipiec 2014#islandia #iceland_ig #iceland #amazingiceland #europe #europa#blogipodroznicze #podr贸偶epoeuropie#podr贸偶emarze艅 #travelinggirl#wonderfulmoments #hotspring #gor膮ce藕r贸d艂a #instago
sacrum60s

:P #islandia #hotriver #vandrouki
Evening dips in hot springs 馃尶



Birthday suit bathing at Reykjadalur geothermal river. How do you like to get wild at the weekend? We like to hike up mountains, get naked and soak in watery magic with new friends. There's nothing like naked liberation giggles to break through social boundaries. Yes we all have bottoms, of all different shapes and wobbly sizes! Oh the freedom! . Love this capture of mermaids @abagg, @chloemoss and @cherabella_ ! ..
#letsgetnaked #bodypositive #wholehumans#truenature #icelandretreat #natureretreat#maisonfish #geothermal #fireandice


Friday feeling. That moment when we all threw our underwear and our self shaming to the side and said WHY NOT? I still got the visual of everyone's bottoms tottering down the geothermal river and it makes me BEAM. The morning after at breakfast, all fully clothed with a cheeky glisten in the eyes - did that reeeeeeallly happen? Yes it did, and it was freakin' marvellous. In truth it felt a bit weird to wear clothes again for reasons other than functionality. The naked spirit had been set freeeeee..@maison_fish #fridayfeeling #bodypositive#freedom #nakedspirit #asnatureintended#wildchild #whynot #icelandretreat#yogaretreat

 

Sunday, December 16, 2018

Correct


The second part of Sascha's report on B膬ile Herculane.

In the previous part we looked at the general overview of the village and it's springs and with some detail at B膬ile Venera.

Picking up from here, Sascha continues:
'Ceausescu Hot Springs
Just in front of the B膬ile Venera springs another hot spring is coming out of the wall. Soaking Romanians told me that the water comes from another hot spring that fed in the past a hotel that belonged to Nicolae Ceausescu. 
On the picture [above] you can see the ruins of the hotel with the two smaller roofs. 
I tried to check the hotel, but the entrance was closed. Even if it is easy to enter on the hotel ground, I was not in the mood for Urbexing and preferred to stay in the pool at the river. 
No idea if this hot spring has an official name, therefore I suggest temporarily to call the spring Ceausescu Hot Springs.
The water was 48°C hot but mixes up to quickly with the cold water from the river. The bottom was quite muddy. 
The more comfortable soak was clearly on the other side of the river at B膬ile Venera'.
Well, we might have to use the correct name. travelguideromania:
'Opposite it is a circular building with a conical roof accommodates the Neptune Fountain II (Stomach Spring). Its water is good for diabetes. We continue upstream on the banks of Cerna to arrive at Baia Neptun (also known as Austrian Empire Baths). It is one of the most imposing buildings from Herculane Baths having its own bridge over the Cerna river'.
Pumped

After possibly naming a no name hot spring, the next on offer is actually named no name by Sascha:
'No name hot spring in B膬ile Herculane
Continue the walk on the right side of the river (where B膬ile Venere  is located) and you will come to an unpopular hot spring of 38°C. 
I didn't see people bathing here, maybe because the entrance on the street was closed, maybe because of the noise of the water pumping machines right behind [the soak]'.

Massed

We now move towards Hotel Roman (Facebook), so-called because:
'In the monumental structure of the hotel [Roman] building, the old Romans Baths are incorporated. Inside, there is still an ancient bas-relief depicting the demigod Hercules. To see the remains of Roman baths you have to enter the hotel. Unfortunately this is not mentioned anywhere on the outside'.
Sascha:
'Hot springs close to Hotel Roman
The next hot spring is a bit out of the town, but still at a walking distance.
Cross the town on the left side of the river and head to Hotel Roman. It is one of the old hotels of the 80s that are still open (at the moment it is a 2 star hotel) and needs urgently a renovation. At the hotel, it gives the impression that the road ends, but it continues under a kind of tunnel and goes straight to the national park.
Around 100 m after the hotel you will find the hot springs. When you walk you will see them immediately, but probably not when driving in a car.
The water varies from 40°C to 42°C. Two concrete pools are on top, that create two waterfalls that feed the lower pools with another stream. Therefore, the lower pools have more or less the same temperature than the concrete pools. It is advisable to soak early in the morning or late in the evening when the masses are back in their hotels for dinner. It is probably the most natural hot spring in the area, and it is always great to find a hot spring that gives possibility to refresh in a cold river.
Very closeby starts a hike to two caves that are special because they are heated by natural hot gas. Do not expect sauna temperatures, it is more a humid subtropical climate in the cave'.
Barepockets describes a visit to the soaks of Roman hotel:
'Two outdoor hot-water pools await climbers in front of Hotel Roman, right on the banks of the Cerna River. These are not as smelly or crowded, but freaking hot! Luckily, there’s a solution. People improvised a small dam on the river where thermal water mixes with the river’s. And if you feel like swimming, Hotel Roman has an indoor hot-spring swimming pool'.

More on Hotel Roman itself.
Tripadvisor gives it just 2.5 stars based on 18 reviews. Examples:
'Dirt and communism are oozing from every corner and crevasse, and there are lots of crevasses....The basement with the Roman baths is a gem, like the entire falling apart town'.
Agoda reviews are similar. 

Thursday, November 29, 2018

Gross

*WARNING* gross mushy pics ahead:
Man crush monday.. my partner in crime, lover & forever adventure soul mate @heyypatty.
.
.
#mcm#gross#happiness#love#iceland#hotsprings#bliss#adventure#wanderlust#travelbuddy
#getoutside#explore#cloudnine#cantgetenough#thisislove#bea
utiful#adventurecouple#powercouple#sponsorus#sexybooties
A short blogging interlude, mainly more autumnal / wintery soaks. 

Above it seems Iceland. Could have been mid-summer btw.

L I V I N G N A T U R E 馃彅 .
.
.
#living #life #happy #free #nude #mountains#water #spa #winter #cold ❄️ #hot馃敟 #wild#40° #0°
Meanwhile in France all what's on offer are the source chaudes of Prats Balaguer (above / below).

No esperes a tenerlo todo para disfrutar de la vida… ya tienes la vida para disfrutarlo todo馃檲馃懀❄️馃尣 #lugares#lugaresespeciales#rincones#rinconesmagicos #aguascalientes#aguastermales #fran莽a#france#mountainlife #mountainplaces #outdoor#outdoormountain#mountaingirls #winter#winterplace #moments
Ha ha happy


aintzaneton
#galicia#termas#ba帽o#prexigueiro#馃槏#paraiso#paisaje#rio#aguastermales#relax#naturaleza#bizipoza#asisepuedevivir#saturday
#resacasdiferentes#green#river#馃憤#november#oto帽o#2018#photography#pic#instaphoto
Heading onwards, Spain is large contributor to this blog, though not necessarily that of Prexigueiro (above) or  Bande (below); both from Galicia. 
Last one should be known to the followers: Termas de Santa Fe, Andalusia.

bobeccabashara
Ancient Roman Thermals found in Spain
#hotsprings#sunrise#stone#nakedinnature#happyplace
Hot springz ~ . .
#hotsprings #aguastermales #santafe#aguastermalessantafe #granada#spain#hello #bumbum #booty hahahahaah
Shame
Did someone say 馃崙….?
_
_
_
#summer#throwback#polishboy#iceland#gay#gayboy#hairygay#polishgay #hairy#tattoo#piercing#noshame#butt#hotsprings#travel#trip#friends#pose#strikeapose #bodypositive#nature#beautiful#hrunalaug#swim#howboutdat#tryme#best#feelingood #feelingfree#boom
More Iceland.
Above Hrunulaug, following Blue Lagoon which I believe is not CO. Hmmm.

Bringing out my inner Viking
Today starts the Olympic blackout periode and after sorting all my clothing stuff, this is all I am allowed to wear for the next few weeks.馃槀 #naked#olympics
#noclothesneeded #austria #hotspring#badgastein #fun #funny#hotwater#salzburg #epic #coolday#covertheimportant #water#candles#wearecarving #lessismore#itsallabouttheway
Finally (above), a not so current hot spring, that of Bad Gastein, Austria. It's an original soaking place, far from the modern day Felsentherme.

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Fierce

 

Sascha seems to know no soaking stop.

Hot on the heels of his Georgian quest for a good soak, he now focuses his attention to the southwestern Romanian town of Bile Herculane.
There are quite a few soaks to catch up with here. 
Let's just see what we can find on Bile Herculane and it's hot springs.
Starting off with Wikipedia: 
'B膬ile Herculane  is a town in Romanian Banat, in Cara葯-Severin County, situated in the valley of the Cerna River, between the Mehedin葲i Mountains to the east and the Cerna Mountains to the west, elevation 168 meters. Its current population is approximately 5,000.  
... 
Legend has it that the weary Hercules stopped in the valley to bathe and rest. Unearthed stone carvings show that visiting Roman aristocrats turned the town into a Roman leisure center.  
... 
In modern times, the spa town has been visited for its supposedly natural healing properties: hot springs with sulfur, chlorine, sodium, calcium, magnesium and other minerals, as well as negatively ionized air. Before World War II, when the first modern hotel was built (i.e. H Cerna, 1930) it remained a popular destination with Western Europeans. During the Communist rule, mass tourismfacilities were built, such as the 8- to 12-storied concrete hotels Roman, Hercules A, Hercules B, Afrodita, Minerva, Diana, UGSR, etc. which dominate the skyline. It was visited by all kinds of people, but was especially popular with employees and retirees, who would spend their state-allotted vacation vouchers there, hoping to improve their health. Today, they share the town with a younger crowd. New privately owned pensions and hotels appeared after 1989, along the Cerna/Tiena river banks, spread from the train station to the end of the hydroelectrical dam. Some of the Austro-Hungarian era buildings are derelict for the time being, including many of the baths, because of post-communism property related issues'.
From the website roman-thermal-spas.eu:

'Baile Herculane is blessed with 16 thermal springs with different mineral characteristics.
...
Around the statue of Hercules Baile Herculane’s imperial historical center offers a range of beautiful buildings like the imperial pavilions. Also see the railway station from 1878, which is one of Romania’s most beautiful stations. In imperial times, the Austrian empress Elizabeth – known as Sissi – came to Baile Herculane five times. For her the town was “the most beautiful spa resort on the continent”.
Amazingromania has a deeper look at the architecture of Bile Herculane.

'At present, 16 natural springs wait thermal mineral water, scattered along the Cerna for about 4 km, are known in the neighbourhoud of the resort Baile Herculane'.
Crazy tourist - 15 places best to visit in Romania:
'Archaeological digs confirm that humans have inhabited the area of modern day Baile Herculane since the Palaeolithic period. You can visit Pestera Hotilor (The Cave of Thieves) to see proof for yourself. The town is now famous for its luxurious thermal springs. Legend holds that Hercules himself once stopped here to bathe and rest. The city is so fond of its famous visitor that no less than six statues of him have been discovered here. Since WWII, people have come for the healing properties of the hot springs. Baile Herculane is a funny mix of senior citizens enjoying their retirement and the university crowd, looking for a great holiday'.
Travelguideromania has an extensive entry on Bile Herculane with some very good info:
'It was first documented in 153 AD. The first name of the resort was Ad Aquas Herculi Sacras Ad Mediam. It was given by the Romans, meaning the holy waters of Hercules from Ad Mediam.
...
All the springs are emanating a smell of sulfur, some stronger, some weaker.
The source of the spring waters seems to be in fact the surface water.
The water seeps underground and penetrate to depths between 1,000 and 2,000 meters. It heats up considerably (up to 190 ° C). After it rise to surface where it breaks in the form of springs.
The whole chemical process, which begins with the water infiltration into the underground and ends the day out as thermal springs, it can take decades and even thousands of years.
The water temperature is generally 35 ° -45 ° C, but in some cases up to 62 ° C. Water has a high degree of mineralization – as the result of the action of the hot water on the rocks crossed the way back to the surface.
...
Under the administration in Vienna were rediscovered the Roman baths and the resort started to develop.
Bathrooms were built and people were coming to treatment throughout the empire. Visiting the baths in 1852, the Emperor Franz Joseph I said that “now in the Cerna Valley is the most beautiful resort on the continent“.
...
Herculane Baths Resort nowadays: although it is a very important architectural heritage, the historic center suffers a fierce degradation. Even so, the historical buildings are outstanding beauties and worth visiting'.
A very extensive and informative article, a great source of information if visiting here.
Smarthealthtourism has more details:
'The waters in Baile Herculane are extremely beneficial to the health and come in a wide array of mineralization degrees and temperatures. There are chlorosodic, bicarbonated and slightly sulfurous mineral thermal waters, with a mineralization of 0.5 – 2.6 g/L and a temperature of 38 – 53 °C, chlorosodic, bicarbonate and calcic waters, with a mineralization of 0.6 – 3.5 g/L and a temperature of 46 – 56 °C and chlorosodic, sulfurous and iodized waters, with a temperature that reaches 62 °C and a mineralization of 3.85 – 8 g/L.
The springs available in Baile Herculane are similar to those available in Vichy and Le Mont-Dore, their main characteristic being the high concentration, of around 60 mg/L, of sulfurous hydrogen. More than 15 springs are known, the most important being Neptun, Diana, Hebe, Ileana, Iosif, Hercules and Hygeea, with waters that have temperatures between 41 and 67 °C. Baile Herculane is also well known for its natural aeroionisation. The aeroions are beneficial for the human body by lowering blood pressure and calming endocrine ailments, headaches and insomnia'.
So in general, the springs are well covered on internet.

Hospitable
Let's look at how Sascha approaches Bile Herculane:

'The pictures that I saw before of Bile Herculane were often not too inspiring. But the impression was wrong; I really appreciated the town and the hot springs. In addition, Bile Herculane is a good starting point for beautiful hikes in the Cernei / Domogled National Park that is part of the UNESCO heritage. In autumn with sunshine it is just wonderful. 
The best map for the national park is published by muntii-nostri.ro, that map also helps to find the hot springs, although they are all close by the main street on the river and easy to find.
Bile Herculane is easy to reach; from Timisoara it is about 180 km, I took a rental car, but there is also a (slow) train that goes from Timisoara to Bile Herculane
However, some hot springs require a long hike on the main street or a taxi. Because, the best hiking trails are a bit more inside the national park, a rental car is certainly a good idea. 
It is also advisable, to spend 1 day in Timisoara, the town is in a good shape (in comparison to other Romanian cities). 
Direct flights to Timisoara exist from Frankfurt Hahn and Brussels Charleroi with WizzAir.

It is easy to imagine how beautiful the city of Bile Herculane must have been in the past, when Sissy [of Austrian empire fame] stayed several times in her house close by the river. 
Today, most houses are run down, the thermal complex is closed and also a number of (communist) hotel complex. It is like the city felt asleep and waits for complete face lift. 
It is better to know that before travelling to Bile Herculane in order to avoid being disappointed. It’s part of the Romanian reality.

I travelled to Bile Herculane in October [2018] and there was no need to make a reservation before, which permits to negotiate the hotel prices. Some hotels also have pools with thermal water, and some few of them have the pool outside, which is quite nice in the evening after a long hike. 
Do not expect too many young people; the average age should be around 60+. One reason is that retired persons in Romania get vouchers that permits to pay only 50% of the regular hotel price for a period of 60 days per year. Another reason seems to be that Romania does not have too much thermal towns, and Bile Herculane is the most known.
During my travels in Georgia I met a Romanian couple and they shared my point of view, that Georgians were not as friendly to tourists as we expected. “You should go to Romania and you will feel real hospitality” he said. Well, as most of my friends I had not a real idea of Romanian hospitality. After Bile Herculane and Timisoara, I have to admit they are really friendly and helpful. In each hot spring I found somebody who spoke a bit English or German, each soak ended in a discussions and translations for the other soakers. I had the impression, that in Romania, soaking is much more a social activity than e.g. in the Pyr茅n茅es / France where the impression was that everyone is soaking on his own'.
Murky 

Sascha has visited nearly half what is officially listed as hot springs belonging to 
Bile Herculane, but not the 16 mentioned above.
This post introduces Bile Venera.
Sascha:
'The hot springs are described in a geographical order. Coming from the main road from Timisoara, you enter first in the town of Baile Herculane and the first hot spring to visit is Bile Venera.
Bile Venera is located in the town of Bile Herculane. There are inside bathrooms (entrance fee 7 Lei for adults) and an outdoor pool which was empty at the time of my visit. This complex was first built in 1838 during the Austrian-Hungarian Emperor. To find the free concrete pool, it is advisable to check the situation from the other side of the river, as the entrance is not directly visible. It looks that you are crossing private ground, but in reality it is the path to the pool. When you enter into the official Bile Venera ground you are on the wrong way.
The pool itself is 38°C warm; warm enough for a long soak. The water is somewhat green-murky, but seems to be normal and natural (the thermal water in the hotel had the same color). According to the hotel owner it is slightly radioactive, but the intensity is so low, that even children are admitted to soak as long as they want'.

The hot spring of B膬ile Venera has it's own Facebook page and it does seem that there's a more official part to this hot spring. In the photo above tou can see a sign above a lower building.
What Sascha has been looking at is the more rambling part, probably the citizens bath ...?

Furthermore from the website Barepockets.com it has the following:
'B膬ile Venera (“Venera Baths”) in the Old Historical Center is one of the very few surviving Roman baths in the resort. Not long ago, almost every hotel had its own baths, and there were several public ones to choose from. Now, they’ve all been left to rot, sad reminders of a golden age long gone. B膬ile Venera bears testimony to Roman-bath architecture, with high vaulted ceilings echoing and amplifying each sound'.
Finally, there's a video:

Friday, November 2, 2018

Reconstruction


The final Georgian soaking report from Sascha, concerns that of Senaki / Menji.
Located in western Georgia the Senaki wikipedia page notes:
'At a three kilometer distance from Senaki the resort Menji can be found. During Soviet times it was a famous balneologycal and recreational water resort, which, nowadays, is severely damaged and abandoned'
So it's Menji resort, near Senaki.
Recreational Resorts in Georgia Facebook page has a post from 5 years ago:
'Menji Banleological Resort is located in Western Georgia Senaki District, in the Valley of the River Tsivi. There is subtropical climat, warm Winter and warm and humide Summer. Menji is known by its Hydrogen Sulphuride and Chloride Natriumian mineral waters, that are used for the treatment of the following deseaes: joint bones, peripheral nerval system, gynecological and heart, blood vein deseases. Season - whole Year. Sanatoriums are under reconstruction works right now'. 
Broken down
Sascha picks up from here:
'Each local can show the way [to Menji].
The Menji Sanatorium was in Russian times well known to treat skin and stomach illnesses. The sanatorium is some kilometers west from Senaki town.
The sanatorium today is a ruin, the last floor broke down and it is not recommended to visit the building.
Surprisingly, the sanatorium is still habited by refugees from Abkhazia. It is hard to believe that the refugees are in such poor living conditions since years and nobody seems to care about them.
After the Russians left Georgia, the sanatorium and the old spa were abandoned, however, the springs still exist a few kilometers further to the west'.
Let's have a look at these springs then. 
Sascha:
'A very friendly local took the pleasure to show me the real hot spring (after crossing by foot a river and private land).
Here again, the thermal water is boiling, soaking is impossible.
I could not determine where the water flows; I think it flows into the river, maybe it is worth a try to search further for some pools.
The local also showed me near a pond, two other cold springs that were used in the past for stomach problems. The taste was extremely disgusting, like liquid old eggs.
If anybody is interested in going here, let me know, he gave me his number and would be happy to show to other people the hidden treasures of the past. He speaks only Georgian, but as usual, after a while, a minimum understanding became possible'. 
 
'I asked him if there were no real pools left with a possibility to soak in. Unfortunately, this was not the case, but around 2 km away on the fields exists another source with healing powers'.

Holed
So Sascha continues:
'Without his help, I would never found the ramshackle (GPS: N42.283314°-O42.018571°) which was not closed and seems to be open for the public. This water was lukewarm and should be used like a shower but not for more than 15 minutes because it is highly mineralized. Not really sure if I understood for what illnesses the water is recommended, in any case the shower was very relaxing and the discovery of new spring was a great experience. The fact that (at least) 4 different sources with different healing effects are so close together, makes the Menji place quite unique in Georgia'.
The ramshackle

'Finally, on the road back, I stopped at the old spa of Senaki, one can imagine the beauty of the past. On the picture, you see on the roof some holes.According to my local guide, the holes are from Russian machine guns when troops destroyed the place before having left Georgia'.
Piped
I would have imagined that there would quite a bit of info on the internet concerning these hot springs. But that's not what I can could find.

As ever there's the fall back option of info from Thermalsprings.ru: 
with accurate precision Thermalsprings.ru notes that the former described hotsprings are those named Tzivi (Tsivi):
'Location: Tzivi village located west of district center of Senaki. Well Tzivi-north (provisional name) is located 400 m north of the train station Tzivi, as well Tzivi-South - B 1 km south of the station.
  • Tzivi North Tsivi
Konstantin : This box from which protrudes a pipe 2, the water is very hot. When they were greenhouses. Even say there is a bath - but not in the public domain, it is necessary to make arrangements in advance. Just so purchased will not work. Near the river Tzivi - muddy.
  • Tzivi-South
Constantine : Once there was a great resort, it is worth the distance a giant 9-storey building of the sanatorium - all dead and destroyed, tube from the source to the sanatorium - local dismantled. This remained a cottage. Water barely warm, but pleasant. You can drive any car'.
Though Tsivi in Georgian means cold ... 

Then the other only worthwhile share is that by Marleen Laverman on circumbendibus (Jul. 13, 2016):
'We decided to drive towards the mountains of the high Caucasus, but we take it easy.
We read about hot springs on our way, and because our last shower was more than a week ago, they sounded even more appealing to us. Of course, we know that our expectations shouldn’t be too high, but there are two hot springs on our way and one of them should be good enough to wash ourselves a little bit, right?
The first one we want to check out are the Menji hot springs. A spa resort, as our tourist map tells, with curing mineral water. And it showed a picture of a beautiful gorge with stones and clear water. Let’s go there!
We have to take a dirt road and arrive in Mengi village. When we ask for the hot springs, nobody knows about it. But after sometime they seem to realize what we are looking for. “Ah, Sanatorium!”, and they point in a direction further away.
So, we drive on, out of Mengi village. We drive over a train track, pass a Soviet style apartment block and drive into a street. Outside of one of the houses there is a Georgian woman and I ask her where we have to go for Mengi sanatorium. She points us back again. But further than some pointing, our conversation doesn’t go. Too bad that we don’t speak any Russian! It seems like almost everybody in Georgia seems to know at least some Russian.
We turn the bus and drive back. We decide to take the dirt road that leads to the river. We drive on and on and than we end up at a place that is used as the local trash heap. Hmm, oh no…
“Why aren’t there any signs? It should be a place you should visit according to this tourist map!” I say. We try to turn at the small dirt track and drive back to the main road.
“Ok, let’s drive to the nearby city to ask there, they will know for sure”, Roderick says. We continue our quest, Roderick is notorious for not giving up easily… After talking to some people, they point us back in the same direction as where we were coming from. We pass the old Soviet apartment block again. It seems unmaintained, but at the same time it is full with laundry and we see some people walking around.
“Maybe it is this place?” Roderick says.
“No, I can’t believe it, did you see the pictures??! I don’t want to believe it!” I say.
We drive around the building and eventually stop in front of an old, crumbling stairway made of stone. Three man are sitting in the shadow of the trees. We stop and ask them: “Menji sanatorium?” They nod their heads and point enthusiastically at the building behind them. We are somewhat confused: should we be happy that we finally found it? Or should we be sad because it really is the place that we were not hoping it would be?
“I will take our bathing suits and towels!”, I say, still hoping that we would find our paradise. When we walk up the stairs we see the remnants of the sanatorium, which our now used as cow and chicken sheds. And when we walk further we meet some of the people that live in the huge unmaintained Soviet style apartment block. With gestures we try to explain what we are looking for: we make movements like we are swimming or bathing – and in the end they point in the direction of the scrap heap again… Disappointed we walk down to our bus. Maybe we should accept that we can’t find it.. But it looked so good on our map!'
The quest continues with little success. 

And so does this finish our final entry on Sascha's entries on Georgia. Certainly a lot to discover.

Sunday, October 14, 2018

Surreal

Once you reach deeper and deeper into your reality, you approach closer and closer its surreal essence..#roadtrippin #hotpothunters #ato枚oficeland#landoffireandice #iceland #inkbox #hotpot#wheniniceland
A slight change of the usual: a photo entry dedicated to a singular soak.
Well that must be an important soak then.

No, it's not really, though it's very photogenic:
It's of a surprising small size with adequate depth, lying under the gaze of West-Iceland Sn忙fellsnes mountains not only is this on everyone's itinerary heading to this corner of the island, the lack of exposure seems to elicit skinny dipping skills.

Landbrotalaug thus.

Cette personne parfaite qui joue 脿 «cherche et trouve la source thermique baignable» avec moi en pleine nuit ♥️馃尶 Un petit retour dans le pass茅, juste parce que je l’aime et que bient么t bient么t, on repart 脿 l’aventure馃殟 @maximecr#throwback#iceland #winter #cold #traveling #fun#mountains #bohemian#happiness #simple#life #sky #spring #simplicity #love #gypsy#peace #relax#zen #view #perfect#hotspring #nature #northernlights#skinnydipping #dip#night #hippie #travel#memories
Hotties in the Hot Spring @solfauquier and @agathe.ph
Replenish
I really love Iceland. #nakedfornature #nudefornatrue#getnakedaustralia #getnaked #snorrasta冒ir #landbrotalaug #hotsprings#iceland #sn忙fellsnes
There does seem to be a lack of poses to strike at Landbrotalaug: it's your front or back, closeup of with the snowclad mountains as back drop. 



 
crazyoldfritzwiki 
Spent today in a hot spring. Spent last night under Aurora Borealis.:-) also hiked up Eldborg crater!!! Miaouw!! #iceland #faery



 

thirdspacebeauty 
Replenish the soul & mind by taking time for self-care. 馃尯 When you take a pause you give your body a time to recharge and acquire everything it needs to meet the demands of a modern world. When is your next time to unplug & recharge in the thirdspace? The first space is home, the second space is work or school, and the third space is where healing, community and self- love & care take place. 馃挮
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#thirdspacebeauty #happyplace #hotsprings #iceland #beautiful #beauty#shine #nature #peace #selfcare #community #connection #awareness #love#mindfullness #muse #mymuse #heal #instagood #instabeauty #spiritual #love#happy #goodvibes
Nowhere 
hot pot Landbrotalaug, Iceland #landbrotalaug #landscape_lovers#hotpot#hotsprings #hotwater #capybaras #hotspot#iceland #thisisiceland#everydayiceland#dnescestujem #travel #travelgram#travelblogger #travelblog#travelling#exploreiceland #naturephotography #gopro#goprohero6 #explore#instadaily #instagood#greatnature #travelphotography#wheniniceland#pobalsaideme #fjords
It's not overtly popular, but does well in generating envy, I suppose to those poorer and/or less adventurous soles. 
On instagram #landbrotalaug generates 658 photo's, while for instance #seljavallalaug has a meager 9,666 photo's. 
So, not only with lesser souls (and spirits) definitely with less textile.
 


estelle.mllrs 
21 • natural hotspring in the middle of nowhere | Day 8 |
#iceland #roadtrip #roadtrippin #blackandwhite #photography #bw #hotspring#bestfriend #curlyhair #baby


The first of 8 hot springs we visited on this island of the invisible elves and amazing natural thermal pools | Landbrotalaug, Iceland
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#hotspringstour #landbrotalaug #hotpot#icelandhotsprings#igers_iceland#nudeinnature #nudeisnatural


This tiny Icelandic hotspring was absolute perfection! 馃挋