Is it hot in here?

Or is it just me?

I think it is hot.  I'm 100% positive of it in fact.

Step inside and experience it with me.  I'll tell you what it is like inside a wonderful Egegik Steam Bathhouse.

Grab your set of clothes, a towel and some soap, step inside away from the cold and feel the warmth begin to prepare you for what is about to come.

Inside this first room, the clothes and towels get left on the bench, you leave all modesty behind and walk with the others who are bathing into the steam room.  Your life as you know it is about to change.  From the unknowing inexperienced "modern showerer", you are instantly taken back to how it's been done for years in the villages by the natives.

Our host for tonight has grown up only steaming for her baths, she loves it and misses it when she travels.  She waits patiently and explains what she's doing, which water is hot and which is cold.  She tells us that the upper level benches put you up where it is much warmer and to sit down lower if we need to, and that using our washcloth dipped in cold water placed over our face can help if we start to get too warm.

SIZZLE.....water on the hot rocks.....instant heat....instant sweat, and instant amazement.  I can't believe how much steam, sweat, and the like is running down my body.  It's hot, a moment of panic grips my lungs, and I have to calm myself so I don't freak out.  I was ok, I know I'd be ok, but that moment of panic was intense.  Again, I look down at my leg and streams of sweat and steam from inside are pouring down, I have it dripping into my eyes and down off my lips, I wonder to myself, I wonder how many calories I could burn this way?

Cold cloth.  I dip the washcloth into the cool water, bring it to my face, and have instant relief.  Why didn't I do this sooner?  I didn't want to be a wimp, that's why.  You know what, it didn't matter now.  I'm a first timer, she told me it helps when it gets to hot an I'm going to use it.  Whew!  It was a god send!

Out into the side room.  Our clothes sit and wait but we take a quick break.  We need to give ourselves a quick rest from the steam and take in some air.  3-5 minutes and we head back inside.  I head back to the top bench because I'm going to tough it out, I want the full experience.  WHOOSH....water onto the hot rocks.  It got so hot, so fast!  After about a minute, I grabbed that washcloth and got the cold water and it was covering my chest.  I moved down to the lower level and had to protect my skin.  The steam was intense.  My face got water, my body got water.  It was hot, I almost couldn't stand it.  I did though and it felt so good.

At one point I did have to step out for a couple of minutes because I was feeling light-headed.  They warned me to do so if it got too hot and I felt that way.  I figured since it was my first time and she warned me about the possibility of passing out if I got light-headed, it was the good thing to do.  Upon returning it was time to sit on the floor, let the steam cool a little and then start the bathing process.

It was just like a regular bath really.  It reminded me of when you were little.  Wash the hair, wash the body and then use the pans to dump water all over you.  It was great, just three ladies in there chatting about anything and everything, taking a steam bath and it was not even weird.

We got done, our host squeegees the floor, and we head out to the other room to dry off.  As we sit there, steam rising into the cold air from our skin, conversation flows as it has for the past hour and a half with ease.  Dressing and re-packing ensues.

We scurry out of the steam house into the house and wait for the truck to warm up.  A gracious thank you to our host as she drops us off for the evening and a clean, tired, and warm writer blogs before she heads to bed.

What a wonderful Egegik Experince!