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Elite Life

SOAKING IN OILIN THE LAND OF FIRE

在火之國來個石油浸浴

埃及妖后，妳的牛奶浴太過時了。

要跟上潮流，就要學學阿塞拜疆首都

巴庫的潮人，試試石油原油浴吧！

text | Leslie Yip 葉子青　photo | Leslie Yip, Firuza, Four Seasons

Move over, Cleopatra. Milk baths are so … ancient Egypt.

Take a hint from the elites in Baku, Azerbaijan, and go for a

crude oil bath instead.

「原油是什麼氣味的？什麼樣子的？可以讓我看一看嗎？」

我正一絲不掛地俯卧在巴庫四季酒店水療中心，服務員嘉西亞正準備把烘暖了的原油擦到我身上。我深呼吸了一下，希望聞到石油的氣味，但撲鼻而來的只是石榴香和檀香。這 股東西合璧的芳香，正好反映我的處地：在歐洲和亞洲之間，𥚃海沿岸的小國裡。

這兒就是有「火之國」稱號的阿塞拜疆。它是世上最古老兼產量最多之一的石油國。二十世紀初，產油量達全球總量一半。 巴庫從1840年便有油井運作，但更早幾百年前已經出現石油貿易了。馬可波羅在他記錄絲綢之路的《百萬記》裡寫道：「在格魯吉亞附近有個油泉，油量多致一次過可以供應過百艘船。 這種油不能進食，而是用來燃燒，並可藥用，醫治人們或駱駝痕癢瘡痂等。人們都遠從千里來拿這種油，而當地全區都用這油來作燃料。」

“What does crude oil smell like? Can I see it?”

I am laying face down, buck naked at the Four Seasons Baku hotel spa as

Garcia the spa attendant is just about to spread warmed crude oil on me. I take

a deep breath hoping to find out what crude oil smells like, but I can only catch

the scents of pomegranate and sandalwood perfuming my treatment room. This

East-meets-West fragrance profile certainly speaks of my present location, neither

Europe nor Asia, by the Caspian Sea.

Welcome to Azerbaijan, Land of Fire. Here I am, in one of the world’s oldest

and most productive oil countries. At the turn of the 20th century, this country

accounted for half of the world’s oil production. Wells have been operating in Baku

since the 1840s, but oil was discovered long before that. In fact, Marco Polo is said

to have written about it in his Silk Road travel journal il Milione: “Near the Georgian

border, there is a spring from which gushes a stream of oil, in such abundance that

a hundred ships may load there at once. This oil is not good to eat, but it is good

for burning and as a salve for men and camels affected with itch or scab. Men

come from a long distance to fetch this oil, and in the entire neighbourhood no

other oil is burned but this.”

Fairmont酒店位於現代巴庫標記的火焰塔以內。巴庫有很多五星級的酒店。除了以上提及的Kempinski 和四季外，還可以找到海悅、萬豪、希爾頓，亦有比較有的 異國情調的Jumeira珠美拉酒店 （總部在杜拜的一群高檔的一家連鎻酒店。）

Fairmont Hotel is located inside the Flame Tower, landmark of modern Baku. There is no shortage of five-star hotels in Baku. Besides Kempinski and Four Seasons mentioned in the article, you can also find familiar names like Hyatt Regency, JW Marriot and Hilton, as well as the more exotic Jumeirah (a Dubai-based luxury hotel chain).

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文中怎沒提及這油是甚麽顏色氣味的呢？

當我從首都巴庫的蓋達爾‧阿利耶夫國際機場出來時，我一道懷疑我聞到空氣中是石油的氣味，但環顧四周，那又可能是馬路上穿插於那些在亮晶晶的賓利和保時捷之間的老爺拉達車所排出的廢氣。汽車品牌的高下對比，是阿塞拜疆近代歷史的縮影。 它本屬蘇聯的一部分，到蘇聯政權1991年倒塌時，才獨立成國。石油令它經濟無憂，阿塞拜疆人也急不及待要把老蘇聯的苦樸扔掉。看，現代巴庫的地標「火焰塔」，腳下有林寶堅尼去年初開設的旗艦店。百年歷史海濱大道，駐滿了Armani、Prada、Ferragamo等名店。石油大亨，大口大口地嚙著阿爾馬斯白鱘魚子醬。將以1050米樓高成為全世界最高的建築物，今年就開始動工。今天的巴庫，極度奢華，是高加索的花都巴黎，不夜天的光管城。

這裡也有自己的艾菲爾塔呀！ 離城市中心不遠，就可以看到密麻麻的石油鑽機和火炬塔。占士邦片《黑日危機》中緊張刺激的油田汽車追逐場面，就在這裡拍的！別替我擔心安全，我不打算扮演邦女郎 － 我此行的任務溫雅得多。

No mention of the colour. Or the odour.

I thought I smelled oil in the air when I came out of the Heydar Aliyev

International Airport in Baku, capital of Azerbaijan, but that could just have been the

exhaust from battered old Ladas darting around gleaming Bentleys and Porsches.

This mix of high-and-low car models reflects the past and present of this country.

Azerbaijan was part of the Soviet Union until it collapsed in 1991. With its

newfound oil-funded independence, the Azeris are shedding their old Soviet

austerity with a vengeance. Lamborghini opened its first dealership in the country

last year at the foot of the Flame Towers, the landmark of modern Baku. The

century-old seaside boulevard is studded with multiple Armani, Prada and

Ferragamo boutiques.

Oil tycoons swallow Almas white Beluga caviar by the spoonful. Construction

of the world’s tallest building at 1,050 metres is set to begin this year. Baku now is

a moveable feast of over-the-top consumerism, the Paris of the Caucasus, City of

LED Lights.

You can find plenty of Eiffel Towers too – the many oil drills and flare stack

towers right outside the downtown core are awe-inspiring for a first-timer to an oil

country. The oilfield scenes in the James Bond movie The World is Not Enough

were shot here. But I digress. My mission here is much more genteel.

巴庫海邊不乏裡海的魚子醬。石油大亨只要最好的：阿爾馬斯白鱘魚子醬是全球最貴的，用24卡黄金罐包装，25,000美元一公斤。

Seafront Baku has easy access to the Caspian Sea for caviar, but oil tycoons insist on only the best. Cue Almas Beluga White Caviar, the most expensive caviar in the world. It is packaged in a 24-karat gold tin and sells for $25,000 a kilogram.

我到此地，目的就是要見識一下這兒獨有的spa理療。

巴庫的理療，歷史悠久。絲綢之路全盛時期，商隊都以巴庫為歇腳之地。巴庫城牆有兩個城門，一個是當地人專用的，一個是供商旅用的。商旅城門，不能直接入城，而要先經澡堂，清淨身上風塵灰土，方可通行。這種蒸汽澡堂是回教國家的特色。來到巴庫，可於舊城內有300年歷史的美和樂斯浴場作最傳統正宗的體驗（15美元入場費，另加15美元做Hise 擦身）。個別豪華酒店亦設蒸氣澡堂，服務和環境都是貴賓級。

另外一種阿塞拜疆獨一無二的療程，就是用石油原油的「油療」。早在第六世紀，有個絲路商人，已經發現原油原來是護膚佳品。 他路過納夫塔蘭小鎮時，其中一頭駱駝生了病，不能繼續上路。商人不願耽誤路程，把駱駝留下，讓他病死。那知道回程時，那駱駝不但還活著，病也全好了。 看到這奇蹟，他決定小心觀察，發現駱駝經常在渾濁的湖水沐浴。 商人懷疑這油油的黑湖水可能有靈治之力，且試試抹上自己手腳上的小瘡試試，果然瘡都好了。 自此之後，該地的原油變成家傳靈藥，相傳能治關節疼、神經疼、也能清好各種皮膚病。

I came to Azerbaijan for the spa experience.

Baku has a long and glorious spa history. In the Silk Road’s heyday,

caravans stopped off in Baku. There were two entrance gates: one for the

locals, one for these travellers. The one for travellers did not lead directly

into the city. Rather, it opened to a hammam bath -- caravaners had to clean

themselves before they could enter the city.

This type of steam and scrub bath is distinctive for Muslim countries, and

you can enjoy an authentic experience with the locals at the 300-year old

Mehellesi bathhouse in the old city (US$15 entrance, add $15 for a kese skin

peel), or indulge in fancier ones in selected hotel spas.

Another exclusive spa experience that is only available in Azerbaijan is the

crude oil spa. The use of crude oil as a skin treatment was discovered by a Silk

Road merchant in 6th century BC. He was passing by the town of Naftalan

when one of his camels became too ill to continue the journey. Not wanting to

delay his trip, he left it there to die.

On his way back, he was astonished to find the camel alive and healthy.

Bewildered, he decided to observe it, and found that it bathed frequently in

the muddy lake waters. The caravaner suspected that the black oily mud had

curing power and, indeed, the sores on his hands and feet healed after he

slathered some on. After this discovery, the crude oil from this area became

known for its medicinal properties. It has been known to ease joint problems,

neurological diseases, funguses and other skin conditions.

巴庫被稱《高加索的巴黎》。對著裡海的阿齊茲‧阿利耶夫街這條林蔭大道兩旁的石灰石建築物， 看起來真的很像巴黎。

Baku is often called the “Paris of the Caucasus.” The limestone buildings lining Aziz Aliyev Street, the grand boulevard facing the Caspian Sea, certainly live up to this name.

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最正宗的原油療程，就在離巴庫大概三小時的納夫塔蘭。 現在有一所現代化水療中心，讓遊客不用坐在露天的湖裡，不過，不是人人都可以接受這個理療的安排。 原油浴過程就只是十分鐘，在裝滿溫溫黑黑原油的浴缸裡坐一下。他們是不會為每位客人換一桶新油的，男男女女就輪流地在同一油缸浸浴。再想想，不是每個人都穿泳裝（大部分都不穿的）。儘管原油說是有殺菌作用的，我對這樣的羣浸，實在有點怕怕。思前想後，都是舒舒服服留在巴庫市中心，到古城海旁的四季酒店，來個現代富豪版的原油療程吧。

改版的原油療程叫納夫塔蘭禮儀。客人不用坐在浴缸裡，而是享受原油裹身，聽說更能吸收原油的護膚效用（約＄275美元，120分鐘）療理中心的服務員先用乾刷輕輕的刷身，不但能清除角質和死皮，又能增強表皮微絲血管和淋巴的循環。 接著，就是擦油的時候了。我對石油原油覺得十分好奇，沒法乖乖的躺著。 「原油是什麼氣味的？什麼樣子的？可以讓我看一看嗎？」我問道。

The most authentic form of the crude oil spa can still be found in Naftalan, a

three-hour drive from Baku. A modern spa facility has been erected so visitors no

longer need to sit in lakes, but don’t get too excited yet. A typical crude oil bath

session is just 10 minutes of sitting inside a bathtub of the warmed black liquid, and

they don’t open a new barrel for each guest. No, visitors -- male and female -- take

turns dipping into the same gooey bath, one after another, and not everyone wears

a bathing suit. Most don’t.

Although the oil is said to have antiseptic properties, I don’t think this

arrangement is quite to my taste. Instead, I decide to splurge on an adapted form

of crude oil treatment at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Baku, at the seafront

of the old walled city.

In this adapted form called Luxury Neftalan Ritual, instead of sitting in a bathtub,

one gets to enjoy the skin conditioning benefits of crude oil in the form of a body

wrap (approx. US$275, 120 minutes).

The spa attendant begins with some gentle dry brushing which, in addition to

exfoliating dead skin cells, helps with surface capillary and lymphatic circulation.

Next, she applies the oil. I am so intrigued by the concept of applying crude oil over

my body that I just can’t lay still. “What does crude oil smell like? Can I see it?” I

ask.

從巴庫四季酒店的療理中心，看到裡海和國旗廣場的美景。

Beautiful view of the Caspian Sea and the Flag Square from the treatment room at Four Seasons Baku.

加斯姆‧貝爾澡堂的遺址。這澡堂為絲綢之路旅客在進人巴庫舊城以前清洗的地方，現在是聯合國教育科學及文化組織指定的世界文化遺產之一。

Ruins of the Gasym Bey Bathhouse, used by Silk Road travellers to clean themselves before entering the old walled city of Baku, now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

在金賓斯基酒店享受奢華的澡堂浴 （60每元60分鐘，蜜糖磨沙另加30每元）

Enjoy a luxurious form of hammam bath at the Kempinski Hotel ($60 for 60 minutes, add $30 for honey scrub).

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嘉塞利白油護膚這牌子是遺傳學家姆薩耶娃博士創立的，她發明和改善了把當地的阿賽利白油改做成美容之用的方法，並拿到專利權。

Gazelli White Oil products are available for purchase at the Four Seasons Baku Spa. The brand was founded by genetic scientist Dr. Zarifa Hamzayeva, who perfected a patented method to adapt the local Azeri white oil for cosmetic use.

阿塞拜疆位於裡海西岸，伊朗以北，俄羅斯以南。從加拿大前往，一般是於法蘭克福轉機到巴庫城的蓋達爾‧阿利耶夫國際機場。阿塞拜疆航空公司有從紐約直飛的航線。進境需要簽證（100美元單次或多次進境。）可以上網申請：http://evisa.mfa.gov.az.

Azerbaijan is situated on the west coast of the Caspian Sea, north of Iran and south of Russia. The easiest connection from Canada to Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku is via Frankfurt. Azerbaijan Airline offers direct flights from New York City. A visa is required for entry to the country ($100 whether for single or multiple entry). Apply at: http://evisa.mfa.gov.az.

阿塞拜疆

Azerbaijan

服務員嘉西亞就把杯子揣給我看。是透明，無色的。

「原油不是黑色的嗎？」我一早做了功課，看過納夫塔蘭浴場的照片，浸缸裏是黑色。我覺得被騙了。 嘉西亞看到我一臉困惑，逐向我解釋，不是每種原油都是黑色的，其實大部分是金色或琥珀色。白色原油最為罕有，除了這裡以外，就只有美國南加州Placerita可以找到。原油從不同的產地環境各有不同的效用，阿塞拜疆的白油，特有增進皮膚新陳代謝的作用。

接著，她把原油倒進另外一個碗裡。 「我現在把油和火山泥混在一起，這對排除毒素和滋潤肌膚更有幫助。」她讓我看了混合體。噢，就是我預料中的深色泥漿。 「妳一定會感受到療程以後，皮膚確是有很大的改變。」她諾言道。

之後一個小時的療程發生了甚麼，我沒有半點印象，因為我在溫罄的絲繭裡熟睡了。 當嘉西亞喚醒我去淋浴，洗清身上的泥巴時，我才留意到，我的臉都變得軟滑了。原來我裹著身酣睡時，還有一個香葷蒸氣和納夫塔蘭面部護理過程。 淋浴後望望鏡子，果然容光煥發，皮膚又軟又滑。

離開前，忍不住買了一瓶Gazelli嘉塞利白油極級緊膚精華（約120美元，30毫升，gazelliskincare.com）。這牌子是遺傳學家哈姆薩耶娃博士創立的。她發明和改善了把當地的阿賽利白油改做成美容之用的方法，並拿到專利權。 精華液加入了α硫辛酸，強力抗氧及可增強維他命C 和維他命E的效用；亦含DMAE － 一種海藻精華，可減輕過早老化的症狀。現在我回到加拿大，仍可享

受原油的靈用。那麼，石油原油到底是什麼氣味

的？ 我只能說，像石榴。因為這就是我在療理中心，和是白油精華𥚃

聞到的香味。

Garcia obliges and shows me that precious liquid. Surprisingly, it’s transparent.

I thought crude oil was black. I had done my homework. I had

seen pictures of the Naftalan baths and the oil was black. I feel

shortchanged. Sensing my puzzlement, she explains that not all crude

oil is black. Most is golden or amber. White oil is one of the rarest

forms, and the only other place known to produce natural white oil is

Placerita in southern California.

Crude oil has different properties too, depending on its source

environment. The white oil from Azerbaijan has pronounced

regenerative power when applied to the skin.

Garcia proceeds to pour the oil into another bowl. “Now I mix the

oil with volcanic mud, and it will help further with detoxification and

moisturizing.” She shows me the mix and there it is, the dark gooey

mud I was expecting. “You will really be able to feel the difference after

the treatment,” she promises.

I couldn’t remember what happened in the next hour of the

treatment, for I had fallen into a deep sleep in my delicious cocoon.

Garcia gently woke me up so I could take a shower to wash the

concoction off. I noticed that my face felt softer too, not realizing I

had slept through the entire aromatic steam and warm neftalan facial.

Looking at the mirror as I stepped out of the shower, my face was

glowing and my skin felt soft and supple.

On my way out, I couldn’t resist picking up a bottle of Gazelli

White Oil Ultimate Firming Serum (approx.US$120, 30 ml,

gazelliskincare.com). This brand was founded by genetic scientist Dr.

Zarifa Hamzayeva, who perfected a patented method to adapt the

local Azeri white oil for cosmetic use. This serum also contains alpha

lipoic acid, a potent antioxidant which helps vitamin C and E work

more effectively, and DMAE, a marine algae extract that can reduce

signs of premature aging. Now, I can enjoy crude oil back in Canada.

And what does crude oil smell like? Pomegranates -- at least

that’s what the spa and the serum both smell like.

雅拿‧達結，是「火焰山」的意思。這是巴庫市郊的山坡，一千年來常年洩出火焰， 因為地下滲漏天然氣，讓這火焰長燃。

Yanar Dag, translated as the “burning mountain,” is a hillside near Baku that continuously vents flames of fire year-round, a process that has been going on for 1,000 years. Natural gas vents on the sides of the mountain feed this “eternal flame.”