I decided it was time to take Ellie out to experience a traditional chinese medicine foot massage - Brett's colleague Linlin had taken me there almost three months ago. It is a highly regarded traditional chinese medicine place that offers many different treatments including different types of body massage, foot massage, herbal baths, and cupping. Perhaps one day Iwill be adventurous enough to try fire cupping.
So I dropped Sebastien off with Daddy and Alex at the West Gate bus stop and left amid tumultuous crying from Alex who just knew Mummy was doing something exciting without her.
And so it was that I led an apprehensive Ellie up a couple of flights of escalators - we had been met at the door by a lady kitted out in a baby pink nursing outfit complete with starched hat - and used my rudimentary chinese to convey that we wanted to have a foot massage and that I would pay for a VIP room.
We were then shown to a VIP room which had a western toilet and a wooden bath in two small cubicles,
two chairs and footrests in front of a big screen television, and then behind a partial screen were three massage tables complete with face holes.
Being a VIP room meant that we were also served tea and slices of fruit (it had been a plate of juzi (橘子 joo-tse: oranges but more like mini mandarins) on Mummy's last visit). Here's Ellie having changed into room slippers and awaiting the arrival of our masseuses. 
The two masseuses that gave us massages brought in wooden buckets of heated water - the temperature was bearable. The water also contained some herbs and other unidentifiable items. We were happy that the wooden bucket was lined with a plastic bag as there is always a hygiene concern.
Once both feet are fully submerged in the water, we moved across to sit on the footstool and receive a neck/shoulder and arm massage. Our massages were different according to what muscles needed work. 
Then it was time to move back to the chairs and take our feet out of the buckets. The buckets were removed and the foot massage began. I was asked whether I had high blood pressure - possibly because my feet/ankles were a little swollen from the hot water - but nope, not that had been previously diagnosed, so we were good to continue. There is a list (in hanzi) of the conditions that, should you have them, mean you shouldn't have particular treatments. I had asked Linlin previously what they included and thankfully none applied to me.
The massage was different to any I've experienced in the West - part of the time they used this little device, holding the wooden part in their hand and using the metal on your foot,
which was run around the tops of the toes and up and down various parts of the sole of the foot. If you are ticklish this would be difficult to endure although sometimes it can be quite painful. The massage extended up the shins and calves - with the shins being the most painful part of the massage for me. Then our masseuses left for a few minutes leaving us to enjoy our fruit and tea.
They then returned with two small bags of heated stones wrapped in a towel which we placed the soles of our feet and achilles on. Then they were used to massage the legs. 
Finally our masseuses brought in some smaller buckets of plain heated water - still lined with plastic - to rinse off the creams and lotions used in the massage. And we were done! We both sat there for a few moments just enjoying the feeling of looseness of our feet. All up it was about an hour and a quarter for 80 kuai each - very reasonable.
Then we headed off for dinner at the Coyote Bar - and a margarita - to finish off the evening. This is definitely something I will be doing again and perhaps I will venture to have a body massage too!
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