In one packed day, Yasmine El-Rashidi discovers the healing powers of Safaga Perhaps it was the product of an over-active imagination, but bottom line: the weekend was not quite what I had envisioned. When we speak of "health", "spa", and "weekend", my mind immediately thinks, detoxify: rest, relaxation, beauty treatments, colon cleansing and wholesome food. But that is not quite what I discovered in Safaga. For your more moderate traveller, the weekend would probably have been just fine: massages, facials, body wraps, scrubs and the use of a gym -- plus the luxury of a four-star hotel. But perhaps my thinking is just too extreme, too obsessive: use whatever term you wish, I didn't quite fit in. I arrive far too early -- long before one is meant to be awake. It is hot, dusty, and the 45-minute drive from Hurghada to Safaga is a bit too bumpy for my liking so early on this weekend morning when I would otherwise be peacefully in bed. I also discover that my return flight at midnight the following day is not confirmed, and the only guaranteed availability is that same day at 1am. Frustrated in my desire for austere self- reinvention, my mission becomes something rather simpler: "the most perfect 24-hours of self-care". And minus the food -- which in its five-star hotel manner (croissants, pastries, pasta in rich creamy sauces) is just too tempting to resist -- what I get is indeed 24 hours of self-nourishing bliss, albeit a bit too action- packed perhaps... Safaga is internationally renowned for its therapeutic qualities. Some even claim it is the best place in the world for the treatment of various skin diseases and other ailments. Surrounded by picturesque high mountains that act as a natural defence against wind and sand storms, the climate is moderate, and the natural concentration of pure sunlight, clean air, low humidity, high-salt sea water and special sands are said to furnish many magical weapons for the battles against ill-health. The sand in Safaga is unparalleled for its natural healing powers. Research has shown that "Safaga sand" contains three radioactive minerals (uranium, thorium, potassium) in quantities at once potent enough, yet safe enough, for the treatment of psoriasis, joint pain, joint oedema and skin inflammations and allergies. One resort -- the core of Safaga -- capitalises on that natural magic. Mina Ville tourist village combines the lure of therapy with tourist entertainment. It is here, at the heart of the 800-square-metre site, that Carlo Vefari's world-famous Czechoslovakia-based Thermal Health Centre has now opened an Egyptian branch. Set beside the deep blue sea spangled with patches of pure turquoise, the centre rises up in front of a backdrop of mountains and the mystical skyline beyond. The "village" itself is made up of simple low-rise bungalows designed in a slightly-doctored Moorish style. Between them are lawns, palms, and the vibrant flora and vegetation of an untainted climate. The Carlo Vefari Centre includes a healthcare clinic, Jacuzzis, saunas, massage parlours and a complete gymnasium. The healthcare clinic includes facilities for electro- therapy, mineral water therapy, natural treatment by the inhalation of pure oxygen, and wax therapy for the treatment of ailments associated with aging. After a tasty breakfast, which perhaps does more to nourish the soul than the body, it is to the healthcare area that I head. Perhaps, given the purpose of my trip, I should be trying out all the more sophisticated-sounding forms of therapy. But I refrain myself, opting instead for a menu of massage and scrub, followed by some hydro-therapy. The massage is great -- relaxing, invigorating, hypnotic in its power. The hydrotherapy, however, which I try repeatedly in its many numerous forms, is something else. It basically involves having your body manipulated by water of comfortably high pressure. Designed to aid circulation and help (women rejoice!) in the mobilisation of fats, the treatment certainly feels like it does just that. You will feel significantly different after this experience. Historically, hydro-therapy has been used for the treatment of disease and injury by many cultures, including those of ancient Rome, China, and Japan. Water-based therapies have been around for centuries. The ancient Greeks took therapeutic baths, and water is an important ingredient in traditional Chinese and Native American healing systems. It was a Bavarian monk, Father Sebastian Kneipp, who helped repopularise the therapeutic use of water in 19th century Europe. There are now many dozens of differentmethods of applying hydrotherapy, including baths, saunas, douches, wraps, and packs. The recuperative and healing properties of hydrotherapy are based on its mechanical and thermal effects. It exploits the body's reaction to hot and cold stimuli, to the protracted application of heat, to pressure exerted by the water, and to the sensations it produces. The nerves carry impulses felt on the skin deeper into the body, where they are instrumental in stimulating the immune system, influencing the production of stress hormones, invigorating the circulation and digestion, encouraging blood flow, and lessening pain sensitivity. Generally, heat quiets and soothes the body, slowing down the activity of the internal organs. Cold, in contrast, stimulates and invigorates, increasing internal activity. If you are experiencing tense muscles and anxiety because of stress, a hot shower or bath is in order. If you are feeling tired as well as stressed out, you might want to try taking a warm shower or bath, followed by a short, invigorating cold shower, to help stimulate both your body and your mind. When you submerge yourself in a bath, a pool, or a whirlpool, you experience a kind of weightlessness. Your body is relieved from the constant pull of gravity. Water also has a hydrostatic effect -- a massage-like feeling induced as it gently kneads your body. Water in motion thus stimulates touch receptors on the skin, boosting blood circulation and releasing tight muscles. Hydrotherapy and hydrothermal therapy are chiefly used to tone up the body, to stimulate digestion, the circulation, and the immune system, and to bring relief from pain. Water seems to have special powers in getting rid of stress and rejuvenating our body. It acts directly on the skin and muscles, and calms the lungs, heart, stomach, and endocrine system by stimulating nerve reflexes in the spinal cord. For these kinds of treatments, Safaga is the perfect place. Although the food may not be entirely appropriate to a health centre, the hydrotherapy is certainly worth the trip. My advice, however, is to plan ahead. Make sure you have your tickets confirmed in advance, and take your own tools for rest and rejuvenation with you: books, means for meditation, and enough water and health food snacks to avoid the hotel-food temptation. With those tools in hand, you are all set for a well-rounded weekend of nourishment for the mind, body and soul.
