Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Joe Sparkly starts his journey in his home in upstate New York, where he lies back, soaking in his hot tub as he plans his trip around the world. He plans to sightsee as much as he can, but also to take as many baths as possible and try out different forms of bathing.
His thoughts turn to where he is, and his own country's history, which of these baths is the American invention Joe has at home?
2. The first leg of Sparkly's tour takes him eastwards, to Iceland! Once here, he wants to plunge into one of the famous hot springs as soon as possible. After paying the entrance fee to the famous Blue Lagoon and receiving a towel, he showers off, puts on bathing trunks, and dives into the amazingly hot water! As he lies back, enjoying a mud mask on his face, Sparkly can't help but wonder: is the Blue Lagoon really a natural hot spring?
3. In Finland, Mr. Sparkly meets up with a distant cousin, herra Siisti, who invites him to partake in a traditional Finnish sauna. Sparkly is a bit surprised when he is shown into a small cabin at the edge of the woods, and even more surprised when he discovers that there is no pool or tub, merely a single room filled with steam!
As his glasses fog up, Mr. Sparkly can't help but wonder what he should wear for the occasion?
4. After the shock of Northern European style bathing, Mr. Sparkly decides to go somewhere more relaxing, so onward to Italy and the Roman baths! The ancient public baths are not in use anymore, but a friendly concierge at the hotel is able to point Mr. Sparkly to a smaller, modern-day version.
After disrobing, Mr. Sparkly is led into a small room that contains no water at all! This is the tepidarium, where the body is prepared for the bath by the heat radiating from the walls and floor. From here there are several other doors leading to other rooms, all marked in Latin. To avoid embarrassment, which door should he take when he feels good and ready?
5. In Istanbul, Turkey, Mr. Sparkly makes his way to the famous Turkish baths for an invigorating experience. After being shown to a locker room and given a small towel, Sparkly is told to take a long, relaxing stay in a small "hot room" before moving into a larger, communal room for his kese and wash. Mr. Sparkly feels a bit anxious about this, so he has to ask: what is a kese?
6. From Turkey, Mr. Sparkly decides to follow the old Silk Road a bit and soon finds himself in a smaller town in Azerbaijan. To his delight, his hotel can point him to a hammam, a Persian bath, right next to the mosque.
"Oh well," thinks Mr. Sparkly as he once again sweats it out in a hot steam room, "at least I know what to expect! I can look forward to a nice plunge and a decent massage, at least! But it's getting a bit hot in here, a nice soak in a cool pool sounds great right about now! If only I could find it...?"
Should Mr. Sparkly expect to find a pool area in a hammam after his steam?
7. In Yangzhou, eastern China, Mr. Sparkly walks down a street that is absolutely filled with bathhouses! Choosing one at random, he enters a facility where he is given a cup of green tea before disrobing. He is wrapped in a warm towel even before submerging in warm water, and bath attendants help him wash while he sips his tea and enjoys soft music. When the bath is finished, attendants massage Mr. Sparkly with the "Eight Light, Eight Heavy, Eight Thoughtful" massage techniques, before he finds himself clothed and back on the street.
But seeing how many other different bathhouses and options are available, Mr. Sparkly starts to doubt; did he really get an authentic Yangzhou experience?
8. In Taiwan, Mr. Sparkly is excited to finally be able to dip into a genuine, natural hot spring! In one of the three pools at Zhaori hot spring, he lies back and relaxes, watching the stars come out overhead. After just a few minutes, he feels pretty hot, though, and has to get out of the pool to cool off.
As Mr. Sparkly strikes up a conversation with a bath attendant, he is pleasantly surprised to hear that the Zhaori spring is very distinct, and that he is lucky to have come there!
What sets the Zhaori pools apart from other hot springs in Taiwan (and most of the world)?
9. On to Japan! In Tokyo, Mr. Sparkly decides to visit a sento bath. After removing his shoes by the door, he is issued a small "modesty towel" and a larger towel before entering the changing area. The signs on the wall clearly state that he needs to remove ALL of his clothing and take a shower before entering the bath itself, covering up with the small towel on the way. The large communal bath is quite full, but he manages to find a small space for himself in between two other gentlemen. When he submerges himself in the water, however, Mr. Sparkly is at a loss - there is no room at the edge to leave his small "modesty towel", so where should he put it?
10. Returning home to the US, Mr. Sparkly is greatly honored to be invited to join some friends in an authentic Native American sweat lodge.
The lodge itself is a construction of bent branches with hides and blankets spread over it. East of the lodge, a large fire is burning, and a man is busy transporting large rocks to be placed near the fire. The heated stones are brought into the lodge, where water poured over them will produce the steam to fill the lodge.
The ceremony will take place over four rounds, with a short trip outside and a sip of water in between the "sweats".
But the most important thing is to follow the directions; who should Mr. Sparkly look to during the ceremony if he has questions or needs instructions?
Source: Author
Twotallgnome
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trident before going online.
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