Soul journey

I could have spent the whole day in that sauna. But then I would have missed Machu Picchu. And no one should, really. With its ever-shifting mists, Middle Earth–like structures and legendary energy fields, the atmosphere of the place is decidedly otherworldly. No matter how many times you may have seen its photograph, stepping into the reality feels strange and transcendent. The atmosphere among the ruins seems custom-designed to help you regain your perspective on life. My transformation was taking hold.

ECUADOR

Several days later I arrived in Quito, a great destination in and of itself, with its generous endowment of colonial architecture, imposing mountains and city bustle. Here I was met by an emissary of Luna Runtun, an adventure spa near Baños, in the Sangay National Park. Though long, this was another drive I didn’t mind in the least, its scenery ranging from rolling green hills to firmament-piercing volcanoes for the entire four hours.

When I got to Luna Runtun, a mountain- and mist-surrounded hot spot that attracts both sybarites and adventurers, I sat down with a guide to go through the menu of eco-excursions. We settled on Pailón del Diablo and headed out the next day. After hiking briefly through some rocks — and taking a suspension bridge across a rainforest-flanked gorge — we got to the furious waterfall, which produces a constantly evolving mist. Having been baptized there by his shamanic grandfather, my guide had an unmistakable connection to the place that enriched my own experience.

At Luna Runtun’s spa, I was able to sign up not only for treatments but also where I wanted to have them. Oozing the same rustic charm that pervades the entire property, each treatment room is decorated with element-themed frescoes. I liked the Water and Air rooms best but suspect I’d have been happy at the hands of my therapist no matter where we were. Clad in traditional textiles, she gave me a massage that erased the stiffness in my body (as much as my eyes were enamored with the ride to the spa, my body was not as happy), then set up a local specialty: a rose petal bath. Soaking in the petal-packed, rose oil-laced tub, I was in olfactory heaven.

With far too much unseen and untried, I had to hit the road after two days. But this time, I had some amazing stops to make on my way: Ingapirca, one of Ecuador’s most important Incan sites (the surrounding hills — bright green and llama-studded — are as worthwhile as the ruins themselves); and Cuenca, a Spanish colonial architecture-lover’s mecca and home to the most beautiful cupolas I’ve ever seen. (Dazzlingly tiled in multiple shades of blue, they clearly helped earn this city its UNESCO World Heritage Site status.)

VENEZUELA

Wanting to finish my own journey in the same place as Guevara had, I made my last stop Venezuela. Though I found traveling here profoundly difficult — layers of bribes were often required, and there were abundant instances of misinformation and scams — this last stop proved worth the effort. Renacer Spa Center is perched in the gorgeous, if quirky, setting that is La Colonia Tovar: Imagine Bavarian architecture in a landscape of palm trees and hibiscus.

However odd this aesthetic pairing, one local spa makes you feel immediately at home — in part because you are. Renacer founder Madeleine Duyos turned her own weekend house into a healing retreat and now, years later, it is where she still spends her weekends. Familiarity is the leitmotif and can include having unexpected treats delivered to your room (I learned not to be surprised to find thick, steaming hot cocoa and a generous slab of cake by my bed after a hike or treatment) as well as hugs and kisses from the owner. The spa is equally pampering (though quite rustic), offering hearty treatments like the oatmeal-and-honey facial and a chocolate body wrap.

Yet for all my trip’s admitted pampering, there was an equal if not greater measure of spiritual and sensory recalibration that even Guevara himself might have condoned. I went — if only temporarily — from harried New Yorker to thoroughly nature-addled nomad. A revolutionary change? Perhaps not. But a worthy one nonetheless.

Spa Magazine  portrays the full-depth of the spa experience and ways to live it every day. Dedicated to providing the information and inspiration needed to pursue health of body and mind, Spa Magazine  presents a contemporary view of spas worldwide. © 2006 World Publications, LLC

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