Although I haven't yet experienced the authentic banya (where you are essentially beaten with special branches by trained beaters inside the sauna), I must say I have fallen in love with the tradition of a Russian Banya. They are like sauna's back home, getting as hot as about 100ºC, and modern ones can include a separate steam room. They also furnish a pool with icy water to dip in between sauna sessions, and a lounge area for drinking tea, eating snacks, listening to music, and otherwise enjoying company.
You can rent these special rooms and saunas by the hour, for a select number of people, and I am excited to share this experience with a handful of my closest friends this week for my birthday. It is a very bonding and relaxing time, and I am very grateful to experience this before I say farewell to my friends and life here in Kiev.
It's a time of cleansing and renewal, and as I face a new journey ahead of me, filled with doubts and unknowns, I can't think of anything better with which to usher in the beginning of my 29th year in this crazy adventure we call life.
As they say here after someone comes out of a banya (which I think means something like "happy steaming" or "hope you had a good steam":
С легким паром! (S legkim parom!)
You can rent these special rooms and saunas by the hour, for a select number of people, and I am excited to share this experience with a handful of my closest friends this week for my birthday. It is a very bonding and relaxing time, and I am very grateful to experience this before I say farewell to my friends and life here in Kiev.
It's a time of cleansing and renewal, and as I face a new journey ahead of me, filled with doubts and unknowns, I can't think of anything better with which to usher in the beginning of my 29th year in this crazy adventure we call life.
As they say here after someone comes out of a banya (which I think means something like "happy steaming" or "hope you had a good steam":
С легким паром! (S legkim parom!)
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