William Penn Life, 2002 (37. évfolyam, 1-11. szám)
2002-06-01 / 6. szám
The Hajduszoboszlo Medicinal Spa (Part 2) THE SPA OF HAJDUSZOBOSZLO IS world-famous not only because of its cures and treatments but also because of the great number of tourists who travel here to spend their summer holidays at the open-air spa. The open-air spa lies on 25 hectares and is open from May 1 to Sept. 30. Every summer hundreds of thousands of tourists come here. On a hot summer day, tens of thousands will be visiting the spa. Each of the spa's 11 pools is very popular. Every generation can find their favorite. The so-called "wave-bath pool" is always a big hit. This pool deepens gradually. When the start of the wavebath is announced, hundreds "attack" the pool to "ride" the 1.5-meterhigh waves or to just sit in the cool, refreshing water for 10 minutes several times a day. It does create the illusion of the sea. The jacuzzi pool has thermal water in it. Here, no splashing is allowed so that elderly guests can relax undisturbed. Next to the wave-bath pool, you can find the children's pool. Walking past the boathouse—only women are allowed to sunbathe on its roof-the first thing that meets the eye is the stretched-surface 50-meter swimming pool. Further down, there is a special "splashing pool" for the little ones, and a training pool where children are taught to swim. A few steps from these lies the "omega pool," which gets its name from its shape. It is also suitable for swimming. A two-track giant water slide towers above the omega pool. It offers great fun for youths and families. For those of you who don’t read Hungarian, we present an Englishlanguage version of this month’s “Magyar Nyelv” feature. While not a word-for-word translation, it will give you a general understanding and appreciation of the subject discussed. One of the most interesting sites of the open-air spa is its 5.5-hectare boating lake. It is a terrific experience to cruise the lake in boats or watercycles, which you can rent at the boathouse. The bank of the lake is also a good place for sunbathing and relaxation. A favorite pastime of spa guests is feeding the lake's small fish. The spa also features many sunbathing benches, several playgrounds and a "sportsground." Should you become hungry, there are several restaurants and various catering services from which to choose. The Hajduszoboszlo Spa has been attracting guests with an everwidening range of cultural and entertainment programs. Each year the spa's management arranges a lively opening ceremony with music and games as well as fashions shows and a special children's day show. But, it is the traditional spa dance hall that steals the show three times each summer. Here, everyone dances until late into the night. The highlight of these balls is the beauty contest in which young women compete for the titles of Miss Spa and Miss Hajdú (and the valuable prizes that come with the titles). Men usually prefer the ladies' wet T-shirt contest. Keeping up with the latest trends in water recreation, the Hazduszoboszlo Medicinal Spa constructed the first waterslide park in Hungary in the year 2000. The necessary equipment was ordered from Spain. The aquapark was enormously popular from the time it first opened, appealing to both domestic and foreign visitors. In a spontaneous public opinion poll conducted by the spa, visitors used terms such as "super good" to describe the aquapark. The aquapark features a 12-meter high tower with six different slides, including a giant spiral slide, two kinds of "kamikaze" slides, a giant, four-track slide, the "Black Hole" and "Mad River." The last of these requires all riders to wear extra life belts. For small children, the aquapark offers the bubbling spouts of "Seaside World," life-like elephants in the pool, two children's slides and a playground. The slide park can be found on one hectare in the rear section of the spa. The overwhelming popularity of the aquapark has spa management already planning for expansion. The indoor swimming pool is next door to the campsite and is open all day. The pool meets international standards and is suitable for competitions. The campsite is being continuously enlarged to accommodate the ever-increasing number of tourists. The Hotel Thermal Therapy day sanatorium has been in operation since 1996. Here, you can choose from more than 40 kinds of treatments. It houses a consultation room, a gym, an underwater jet message room and thermal pools. The directors and owners of the Hadjuszoboszlo Medicinal Spa are continually updating the facilities to meet current trends and tastes. The discoverer of this thermal spa, a geologist named Pavai Vajna Ferenc, predicted the therapeutic waters here would make Szoboszlo "the world's bath." History has seen his prediction become reality. |H|'[ | 16 llilliani i'enn Lile, June 2002
