One of the excursions in Mexico for every tourist is a temazcal, a real Indian bath in which you can carry out a real ritual for anyone who wants to cleanse both their soul and the skin of the body.
What is Temazcal
For those who first hear the word temazcal, a new word for themselves, I will tell you what it is in a nutshell - a real Indian bath in Mexico, which is one of the ancient surviving parts of the Mexican tradition and is a temazcal. Many tourists compare temazcal to a Turkish bath hammam, yes, the ritual of cleansing is somewhat similar, but still they are two different things. If you are interested in the traditions and customs in Mexico, then be sure to read a separate article about it.
From an excursion to a temazcal anywhere in Mexico, there are such baths almost everywhere, near every hotel, you will learn that the real name of a Mexican bath sounds like “a haven of burning stones”. Immediately I will say one condition for visiting this bath, forget all those baths that are located near the hotels, the only real ritual place is a temazcal located in the jungle. If you don't know what I mean, ask your guide and he will reveal to you the secret of where the real temazcal is located in the jungle and how to get there.
From an excursion to a temazcal Indian bath, be sure to ask to tell a story, they can tell you very entertaining stories, in a nutshell I can say that it turns out that almost every person had such a bath in ancient times, both a nobleman and a poor man. In such baths, not only washed, but also treated seriously ill patients, as well as gave birth to women, just one article cannot be told, but you should definitely learn the story from your guide.
Be sure to check out the section for a complete overview of your trip to Mexico, where we talk about prices, food, traditions, the best resorts by the sea, cheap hotels.
How is the ritual in the temazcal Indian bath
So, I have already recommended that in order to experience all the ancient traditions you need to go far into the jungle, only here you can plunge into the real ritual of the Temazcal Indian bath. The whole ritual in the bath takes place with prayers and ancient songs, according to tradition, cleansing takes place in the nude, but you will not be forced to do this.
The whole ritual is performed by a real Indian shaman, the whole action will last about an hour and a half. Be sure to ask you to wash before the bath, only then go to the bath. Then, under special ritual ceremonies, you will be whipped with a corn broom and rubbed with real aloe juice. Most importantly, there is no light in the bathhouse, you will hardly see anything, this is dictated by the ancient tradition of rituals.
For the entire excursion to the Temazcal Indian bath, I paid $ 120, this is the price for 2014. After the ritual, do not forget to wrap yourself in a light sheet and lie down to rest right in the bathhouse for 10-15 minutes.
Currently, almost every resident in Mexico who lives in prosperity and his own home has an Indian temazcal bath. All baths are built according to certain building rules, the secret of which was never revealed to me, and you don't need to know everything that you shouldn't know.
Well, I hope I've piqued an interest in a real ancient tradition that you can become a part of if you want. Another thing that I was told during the preparations for this excursion is not to take equipment: a phone, a navigator and a camera, I don't know why, but I did all these actions as a sign of respect for the traditions of Mexico. So, it's your turn to try everything for yourself!
