It sounds like a wonderful idea and I was reading last week that the craze has now hit the beaches of Alicante and they are in big demand, where for 10 euros you can have a massage or a semi permanent tattoo and they'll sell you a cold drink at the same time from the hand sized cooler box.
The tattoo problems have been highlighted in the past with allergic reactions and burns being the most widely reported.
Proper henna tattoos would not (hardly) produce these reactions, but chemicals and dye are often added to the "ink" that these people use.
However, the massage craze is one that is new to the beaches of Alicante and I image that it won't be long before they arrive in Benidorm.
These people have been well established down on the Costa del Sol offering a massage for the past couple of years or more and they seem to have realised that they are on a "good thing" with more and more pestering you each day.
I say pestering you and that really isn't the right word to use because a polite "no thanks" and they go away, but then they forget whom they have asked and ask you again within the next hour or their colleague comes along.
Just a word of warning"¦"¦
I had 2 massages whilst I was away and the first one was lovely, it was very relaxing and included a mini Indian head massage, I had watched the girl for several days giving a daily massage to a guy on the beach before I decided to let her loose on me and I asked her to keep away from my neck or apply the slightest of pressure as I have problems in that area, but I thought that I would benefit from having my feet, legs and back massaged ..she applied the correct amount of pressure, it was bliss and I could have gone to sleep.
The second week of my holidays I had another massage from another girl and because there are that many of them and they all look similar, (not being racist here) I had got her mixed up with the one who had given me a massage the week before.
Big mistake, she was brutal, I had to tell her to stop and paid her off with 10 euros.
The next day I had thumb bruises on my back and legs and far from being beneficial, I ached in places that never ached before and it genuinely was painful for a few days to touch certain areas where she had applied the pressure on the points....the hubby had the pleasure of saying" I told you so"
The article that I read says that these people are experienced with expert hands, well I personally would dispute that as anyone can go pounding the beaches with a sign and a picture of the anatomy of the human body.
My warning to anyone contemplating having a massage would be.
A) Observe them first and later ask the person if the massage was pleasant"¦don't let you become the guinea pig.
B) If you have any medical problems, think carefully beforehand and if in doubt then don't do it.
C) Don't be fooled that a massage by a stranger will always be beneficial.
D) If you are intending on sunbathing after the massage, then don't let them use baby mineral oil, (which most of them do use), otherwise you will FRY make them use your suncream for slip.
Would I ever have another one ? NO! I will stick with a person who knows my medical history and who speaks my language or someone who is employed by a hotel and has qualifications that he/she can show me.
You live and learn and put it down to experience, but it may cost you more the 10 euros in the long term by aggravating an underlying problem.
http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/246180/0/masajes/tatuajes/playa/
Sanjiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
the woman must have been in bleddy agony, but determined to get her 10 euros worth.
