Eastern Star

Prior to arriving in Hawaii, I searched Groupon & Living Social for deals near Waikiki Beach.  I saw many interesting offers on restaurants and activities, including watersports and tours.  I ended up purchasing 2 Groupons (2 admissions for $35) for Herbal Spa & Sauna.  Once I arrived on the island, I called to make an appointment for the spa visit, which included a jacuzzi, steam room, & sauna.  The proprietor informed me of a discounted price of $80 (regularly $120) on the full spa services for Groupon customers.  The enhanced package included a body scrub, shiatsu massage, cucumber facial, coconut and banana body mask, scalp massage and hair wash.  It was absolutely fabulous.  I had a little trepidation when I first walked into the small building that also housed a Vietnamese restaurant at the front.  The spa visit started with a tour of the facility along with a view of the mineral salt tank that was used to pump in the steam.  The components reminded me of my water softener tank at home.  My 3 companions and I started in the mineral salt steam room followed by the dry sauna, hot tub, cold water pool, the Himilayan mineral salt sauna and the clay sauna.  During our round of the spa, we were called individually to the table for bodywork starting with the salt scrub.  Every inch of my body was scrubbed until I felt like a newborn baby with no toxins left in me whatsoever.  After the scrub, I was slightly embarassed by the dirt specks remaining on the table, until I heard everyone else say the same thing.  We left there after about 3 hours feeling refreshed and ready to bask in our newly cleansed selves.  If only I could do that on a more regular basis.  Plus, we met two very friendly military wives who graciously offered to drive us to our hotel so we didn't have to take the bus back.  The visit to Herbal Spa exceeded all of our expectations.  I imagined that must have been similar to the process Esther underwent in preparation for the king.  I definitely could have put up with that treatment for a year.