Today we decided to go to Harkany for a soak in the well know thermal pools. The entire town is built around a water complex complete with outdoor pools, indoor pools, cabanas, swings with awnings and a huge water slide. I'm sure in summer this is a happening place, but today it was extremely quiet when we arrived. The bus schedules remain a bit of a mystery. I check the schedule on line and I think I know what bus to take to get to our destination in the shortest amount of time. We get to the terminal on time and I am able to find the proper platform for the destination we are looking for. However, on both of our trips by bus out of town, I thought we were taking the express bus but nooooooo – we stop many, many times and it takes considerable longer than what I anticipate. We always get to our proper destination – so it’s just part of the journey. Luckily, both times, our return trip has been via express bus. One day I’ll figure it out – in the meantime – oh well.
On to the spa. We found the spa complex which was enormous. The outer areas were deserted and closed up tight for the winter months. We found the main building that houses the dressing rooms, two hot pools, a couple of snack bars and areas for massages and other medical treatments. There were more people here including some who had staked out the prime lounging areas. The water was nice and warm and you could swim/walk through a curtain to the outside. It turned out to be a beautiful day and we enjoyed joining the locals in “taking the waters.”
[We didn’t take any pictures because it was such a comfortable place for local Hungarians, who clearly love soaking in natural thermal springs and believe they cure all ills. They visit with one another, sleep, and eat packed lunches or drink beer. Tom and I both commented that we felt down right skinny and probably ate extra for dinner that night. The pools themselves are lovely. The outdoor one has steam rising and the water itself is wonderfully warm and embracing. Some men were playing chess on a water proof board.]
It is not really clear when you enter the building exactly what the protocol is. This was one of the very few places we have encountered where the clerk seemed rather proud of the fact that she spoke no English and was somewhat reluctant to try to communicate. It turns out that after you pay the entry fee, you go into a really small cubicle that has a small square opening into a large room where your belongings are stored. You reach through, get a heavy hanger that has a bag attached, close the window, and change into your swim suit. When you are ready, you open the window, hand the clerk your hanger, get a claim ticket and proceed to the pools. All sorts of people were walking around in their swim suits, talking, eating, napping and enjoying their day.
It turns out that there is another area where you can rent a small room to change in and keep a key for the day. We also noticed lots of folks with plastic containers on lanyards around their necks. We could not figure that out until we wanted to buy some snacks and had no money with us. So – we learn. It was a very good experience and we plan to partake in the Szechenyi baths in Budapest, but we probably won’t return to Harkany. We are glad we did it, but don’t see the need to do it again.
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