Baden Bond Baden

Had this writer been a producer of 007-like spy- thriller movies, he would have, without a second thought, chosen the German heritage spa town Baden-Baden as one of its locations. The town precisely boasts of all elements a Bond movie has to offer - temple-like thermal baths, a palatial casino, five star hotels, cobbled streets with grand colonnaded buildings on either sides, stone tiled winding alleyways with staircases, open-air cafes, art-nouveau villas spreading across the hillsides overlooking forested mountains; designer boutiques and of course medical and therapeutic treatment centers of the highest standard - busy catering to the whims of rich and famous.
Wealthy Russians and Arabs roaming about its streets on lavish convertible automobiles is a regular scene here. Then there are their people - the entourage of wrestler-like six-footer body guards in pristine black and grey suits donning dark glasses, curiously scattered here and there; interpreters and experienced shop assistants and ordinary tourists like me strolling passionately for some unforgettable adventure. The-next-awe-in-line are the town's beautiful women scantily clad under the summer sun. Where ever there is wealth coupled with state-of -the -art cosmetic clinics, there is also the abundance of beautiful women, perhaps you can spot them here more than any part of southern-Germany.  This however, is my general description of Baden-Baden. The German term for 'bath' used repeatedly twice - so you come and take a dip to discover the magic of German curative waters. Remember, the last line to be the town's personal definition of this writer.
Whatever, a bond movie is unimaginable without an ingenious desperado. The setting was there but the sinister-mind was missing and this writer hasn't mastered the art of weaving a nail-biting suspense thriller based on purely imagination as yet. May sound, far beyond the reaches of the middle-class Bangladeshi, but in reality this heritage town has plenty to offer to everyone. In fact, one even doesn't have to be rich enough to explore this town of old-world luxury.
On a sunny September morning we bought tickets for exploring the city through the city's road train -   designed in the shape of a train with a couple of carriages with tires. The road train's route took us past the Kurhaus to the Augustaplatz, onto "Das Paradies" - an Italian Renaissance-styled tiered fountain, here we took a short brake, before finishing off at the doorstep of Caracalla Spa. The trip is basically, a 50 minute journey through the town's major roads for having an overview of Baden-Baden's main highlights, but not boring as the passengers are provided historical information of the notable spots through a guided audio tour, explained in four major world languages. I kept listening to the ear-phone while observing the spots as the train kept moving while the audio speaker but the thrill to explore in person was missing. It's mainly the charm to explore independently that makes travelling so much exiting. The road journey felt more like accompanying a group of impatient tourists embarked on two-nights -three days package tour following a free-breakfast offer, but this writer is not a tourist but a traveller.
Having finished the road trip by 12 noon, my friends had left due to other engagements. Strolling around the city centre alone seemed stirring, but to experience the thrill first-hand, the emotions needs to be shaken and not stirred. Hopping from one designer boutique to another revealed a new series of cheeky consumer goods, price list in the open-air cafes were also more than cafes in other small towns , and even the goods in the flea market, held in the massive hallway beside the casino and the town's public drinking hall seemed overpriced.
Unlike the motto of Ian Fleming's 'You only live twice', my perceiving of living was different. I should live once while enjoying the lives of two. Money may be little in my possession, but every pence of it should be used so to stay away from even the slightest 'regret to have missed'. The casino was closed during the day, but the Caracalla spa wasn't and what's the point being in Baden Baden without experiencing its globally famed spa. With barely 80 euros in pocket this traveller headed towards the city-centre, not even knowing if it was enough or not.  
Located at R�merplatz , the heart of the old-town, the exterior of the Caracalla could be almost anything between a gigantic indoor swimming pool or a wealthy Arab's palatial mansion to even a plush corporate office complex. The puzzle unfolds once you enter. Sensing me a curious tourist looking for general information , the receptionist  coupled with another white collar employee didn't at first anticipate that this traveller had come to spend a full-day spa session until the ticket was bought  by letting go of 42 of my precious Euros. Coming here in any given day, one is likely to see a row of posh and glitzy cars silently boasting their arrogance in the parking lot. Clients in here come driving, not walking in an assuming manner like me in a pair of tattered jeans and a t-shirt.
However, guiding me through a dimly lit long corridor an assistant clad in the likes of a nurse gave me a short briefing. It was full of commonly used jargons and synonyms for 'rejuvenation' and 'renewal' of a new life. Listening to him, i had the feeling to have entered a place for my re-incarnation. When asked if i needed a massage, which is usually a complimentary feature of the day ticket, i nodded a 'yes' without much thought.
The reality of the interior in Caracalla is - it's actually a more than 4,000 square metre spa  centre offering a whole range of services and a perfect ambience for unleashing whatever you dare to imagine whether dipping or being half drowned in thermal spring waters. The sauna centre being a nudist area, allowed no towels or robes where everyone remains naked. This writer has been to a few steam-baths and saunas to deal with sinus problems and blocked nose in Dhaka but this was a completely new - experiencing spa being elaborately defined as an art of wellness. The large indoor pool underneath the impressive dome of the Caracalla Spa, surrounded by pillars and long windows is the first charm of the bathing area. The second was to have explored bathing facilities erected by the Romans in the formerly named town of Aquae Aureliae. One of these baths, titled the Soldiers' Bath, is located just beneath Friedrichsbad. It's in a uniquely preserved state in here today. Visitors can view the bath's remarkable floor and wall heating systems with a personal audio guide while witnessing the ruins of the ancient roman baths. There is even more, to complete the experience, detailed computer graphics will enable you to see how the historic baths actually looked during the roman times.
Relaxing and bathing at leisure in the warm thermal  spring waters and viewing the Roman saunascape located beside the castle's outdoor gardens was relaxing. Not using the innumerable health and mood renewal terms, the spa culture in Germany is completely different from the ones this traveller had witnessed anywhere else before. Here it's not all about the various forms of classical and oriental massages, distinctive baths or intensive skin peeling techniques but a place for relieving stress and tension amid a holiday mood with friends and family or even alone. Furthermore, recent scientific studies speak highly of Hydrotherapy, heat therapy and massages both improve blood circulation and manage blood pressure. A few clients seemed to be in deep meditation with closed-eyes. Having spent about half an hour inside the 'saltwater inhalation room' the definition of spa was fast changing to me. The 40� C saltwater kept dropping down over a graduation phases giving up salt into the air. The natural minerals are thus released which cleans your nose and other breathing systems.
Having come out of the Caracalla, I felt fresh if not re-incarnated.
Some three hours besides the money spent for exploring Baden-Baden's renowned Caracalla spa was worth it, but the invisible villain of my Baden-Baden adventure was still missing. Pretending agent 007, i guess he was on the highest alert or perhaps too afraid to ruin my German adventures. The adventurer will return.......
The writer is a freelance journalist
Whatever, a bond movie is unimaginable without an ingenious desperado. The setting was there but the sinister-mind was missing and this writer hasn't mastered the art of weaving a nail-biting suspense thriller based on purely imagination as yet. May sound, far beyond the reaches of the middle-class Bangladeshi, but in reality this heritage town has plenty to offer to everyone.