bath – rene bauer photography

Taiwan: The Unique Hot Springs On Lü Dao

Why should I take a trip to the Island of Lü Dao, also known as ‚Green Island‘, just for a bath in the ‚Zahori Hot Springs‘? The answer is simple: because this place is one of only three saltwater hot springs in the world! Learned this, i just had to go, if just for a day trip and short dip there.

The idea of a day trip ended up to a five day vacancy on the beautiful Green Island. But later more about it. On my first visit in the pool area i expected the place full of people, but ended up alone there. At least for almost an half hour or so. It’s a public bath, that’s why i couldn’t run around with my Nikon camera. But i grabbed my cell phone for a few pictures, whilst i’m pretty on my own in the pool.

My blue baseball cap replaced with a blue swimming cap i dived in the warm water. And while i’m floating in the different pools with water temperatures up to around 42°C, one of the staff member was willing to explain me, where the water comes from and how it get pumped up from the sea into the pools. The hottest pool is at the top, and its water flows down terrace like pools, mixed with colder water to reach the specific temperature of each pool.

He was also telling me with a proud tone, that there was only three saltwater hot springs on the world, but that one in Japan isn’t accessible anymore due an earthquake. Now there are only one left in Italy, and this one on Lü Dao.

März 15, 2024März 15, 2024 by Rene Bauer Categories: Asia, culture, landscape, nature, portrait, reportage, tradition, travelTags: Asia, bath, fareast, greenisland, hotsprings, island, landscape, lüdao, nature, pool, portraits, renebauerphotography, reportage, sea, selfies, swimming, taiwan, tauting, Travel, zahori, zahorihotsprings Hinterlasse einen Kommentar

Relaxing In Hot Springs

What else could be better than a relaxing bath in hot springs at an end of a long journey on rough, dusty roads, many new impressions and some early mornings? I brought my parents to the newly opened and completely new designed Hot Springs of Gross barmen, not far from Windhoek anymore.

Mai 16, 2016Mai 16, 2016 by Rene Bauer Categories: Africa, Nambia, portrait, reportage, Uncategorized, urbanlife, waterTags: adventure, Africa, bath, culture, gastronomy, grossbarmen, hotspring, landscape, namibdummies, namibia, nature, overland, people, pool, portraits, relax, reportage, safari, swimming, swimmingpool, Travel Hinterlasse einen Kommentar

Bathing Japanese Style / Baden auf japanisch

It’s rather ironically i couldn’t visit and photographing more ‚Onsen‘, as Japanese call their typically bathing places. Around Yufuin are many hot springs, therefore it’s famous for many public bathing places. Often they are settled in lush gardens, midst in a forest or surrounded from rocks. Sulfuric steam crawle over the ground, damp air rise above a volcanic area, when approach one of the Onsen. Three wooden walls and a roof are attached around a traditional hot bath area. After cleaning with a bucket shower, the visitors sit in more than 40°C hot water. Some young students from Tokyo share the bath with me. They came all the way just for a relaxed weekend in some Onsen here. „But i also like girls“, confess one of them. A shame women are usually separated since people use to enter an Onsen naked. Some families have their own bath. The hot water is collected from the source into tanks, from there pipes leads to private houses or small public bath. Of course there’s also bathrooms in Ryokan (traditional Guesthouses), some of them very nice settled towards garden. A must to end the day with a hot, relaxing bath.

Yufuin und seine Umgebung sind berühmt für die heissen Quellen und will noch mehr Bekanntheit als Kurort erlangen. Da ist es schon fast Ironie, dass ich nicht noch mehr traditionelle Bäder -‚Onsen‘ genannt- besuchen und fotografieren konnte. Einige davon sind wunderschön in dichten Gärten gelegen, mitten im Wald oder in Felsen eingebaut. Weiter oben in den Bergen stinkt es nach schwefligem Dampf, der von vulkanischem Untergrund hochsteigt. In der Nähe befindet sich eine Hütte, dessen hintere Wand offen ist. Nach dem Betreten, zieht man sich aus und reinigt sich erst mit der Duschbrause oder Eimer. Sauber steigt man dann in das über 40°C heisse Badewasser. Hier gesellen sich ein paar Jungs aus Tokyo hinzu, die eigens für ein relaxtes Wochenende herflogen. „Aber ich mag auch Mädels“ gab ein Student mit verschmitztem Grinsen zu. Diese sind aber in eigens für Frauen vorgesehene Badebecken. In den Ortschaften haben einige Familien ihre eigene Oasen. Das heisse Quellwasser wird in Reservoirs gesammelt und von dort aus in Leitungen verteilt. Wer über kein eigenes Bad verfügt, kann sich für wenig Geld in einem öffentliches Bad relaxen. Natürlich haben die Ryokan, die traditionellen Gasthäuser, eigens Oasen für ihre Gäste. Nichts ist herrlicher, als am Ende des Tages noch in heisses Bad zu steigen.