THE INDIAN WAY OF “ENJOY YOUR STEAM!”

Among the many tourist attractions we made sure to visit the local “temaskal”. Temaskal” is a traditional Indian bath, translated from the Aztec language "house of hot rocks”. It was still a ritual associated with spiritual purification.

Located in the jungle, “temaskal” is a round building of red brick with a round glass top. For the Indians, “temaskal” was the womb of Mother Earth, a woman who gives birth. Inside, everyone is crammed in, sitting half-naked, tightly packed together, the air being very hot and humid. Ritual bath exercise occurs at night with the moon in the sky and a real shaman leading the ritual. At first, we came in a circle around the campfire, joined hands and repeated the sacred words of the shaman which were a request to the four cardinal points, the four elements. This was a spiritual cleansing. The volcanic stones having been heated by the fire, all the participants entered the in “temaskal”. With every of the four acts of bringing in the stones the temperature and the scents of grass increased, which the visitors of temaskalya welcomed with action cries "Ahhhuuu! We really liked the song that we were asked to sing in Spanish and then in English: "Earth is my body. Water is my blood. The air is my breathing. Fire is my soul." After the washing all were thrown cold water on them, rubbed with aloe and sent to rest in hammocks. For a small meal they got a treat of baked potatoes, water with lemon, guava, cactus, tuna. Everything was over around 23.00. The result was a complete inspiration and tranquility.