Sometimes relaxation is hard work

The plan was simple.

Resort. Book. Pool. Bar. Spa. Relax.

Except that when I moved to the resort this morning, I automatically took the shuttle into town to run some chores like doing laundry and getting some food. I got a cheap (not particularly good) pedicure (RM20) and a quite good leg wax (RM60) at Centrepoint but getting your hair ripped out by their roots in frankly not-quite-clean premises with the one clinician in Borneo who apparently knows how to do a leg wax - I had to wait half an hour because the one person who could do it across three sites was hungry and wanted lunch - is satisfying but not exactly relaxing.

Of course, all this could have been avoided if I'd paid the rates for the spa and laundry at the Sutera Harbour resort but they were frankly ridiculous. I mean, there's "we're going to pay more at this five-star resort" and then there's "$200 for a massage: pull the other one it has got bells on".

Then, after a lunch of mee goreng (I'm counting down my meals in Malaysia) I happened across the lovely South Sea Sanctuary spa. I spent a lovely afternoon having a fantastic facial and 75 minute massage (all up RM280 or about $90) and walked out much more relaxed.

Then I just bought a couple of bottles of wines and headed back to the resort. I'm not quite there yet but you never know - I could have wound down by the time I go home.