sauna

had my first experience in an asian gay sauna during my overseas trip last week. was pretty nervous about it initially as i have never been to a sauna in asia and didn't know what to expect. prior to this, my only experiences were mainly saunas in the west, more specifically, america. even then, it was only twice - in fort lauderdale and in chicago. and for both, i was wowed by the size (of the sauna and not the... haha!). the one in fort lauderdale has 4 levels and there were different things at each floors, including gym, dry sauna, wet steam rooms, amphitheatre, etc. and if you asked me if i have been to local saunas, well, no. i refused to go cos let's face it, the gay community here is just too small. all you need to do is to go to one sauna and next thing you know, everybody starts to talk about it... well, that was what i thought. and so, to avoid possible gossips, it is better to keep away, i conclude.

ok, back to the sauna. prior to the visit, i did an internet search and one particular site recommended a sauna called "action". and when i asked around, my friends told me "double" was better and that i should not waste time with any others. so that was what i did. i headed to "double". but it was not easy to find although the building was located just beside the mtr station. in fact, the entrance to the building was discreetly tugged in the corner of a small side lane. and when i walked into the side lane, i felt a little apprehension. i hesitated going up. a lot of "what ifs" went through my head. but after some 5-10min, i finally plucked my courage and took the elevator up. 

after paying the entrance and taking the towel, i fumbled through the place. there were so many half-naked people wrapped in white towels inside and i couldn't find the lockers! and the presence of these half-naked bodies standing around while i looked for the lockers made me feel very intimidated (and embarrassed)! haha. anyway, after fumbling around for a couple of seconds (that felt forever), i finally found my locker. i quickly changed up (or rather, stripped down) and in no time, i looked like one of those people standing around - half-naked wrapped in white towel. heh heh. my sense of individuality somehow disappeared that very moment. and that was the start of my sauna experience. ok, shall not write the details here. suffice to say, it was certainly a very interesting experience. 

in all, i visited 2 different saunas during my overseas trip. certainly, as my friends said, there were lots of hot bods in "double". nice! but for "action", which i went another night, it was a totally different experience. it took me and a friend quite a while to find it and when i went in (my friend decided not to go in in the end and left), it was rather empty. the people there were largely in their late 30s and 40s. for a while, it seemed like i was the "best" in the sauna (and i do not have that great a physique to start with! haha!). i left after half an hour... 

well, those 2 saunas marked my first sauna experience in asia. on the whole, i would say the place was very very small, compared to those i experienced in states. but certainly, being a "rice" person, i certainly find asian saunas better. 

:-)