Scrub me down and call me majnoon (take 2)
I have to edit this because the experience wasn't fully embellished the first time around. Yesterday Chris and I experienced a wonderful tradition called the Hammam. This is a Turkish style bath house where for a measly eight dollars you get to wash yourself down, soak in a sauna, get "exfoliated" by some big old guy in a towel, get lathered AND massaged AND chiropractically adjusted by some other big old guy in a towel, them back to the sauna, then a head massage with double washing (beard included), and finally a nice hot rinse (it's a run-on sentence I know).
When you first enter this place you have to walk for about five minutes through the hustle and bustle of the souk (covered market). There are people selling everything, and this time we walked through a part where they were selling fabrics (I will take pictures for you girls to choose from). We found the tattered old sign hanging high in the mist and smoke of the khan and entered down into a long narrow stairwell. This passage opened up into the grand room that was wood planked from it's high vaulted ceiling, all the way down to the relaxation beds and marble floor. From what we were told we went to an older "locals" Hammam.
After pidgeon Arabic and English we stripped down, put on a table cloth like sheet, took our fresh bar of soap (this stuff is awesome) and wandered back through a maze until we found the Sauna. Oh the Sauna.........still daydreaming............relaxing more now.......yes the sauna was ancient, fed by steam pipes, amazingly tiled (Raz you and your dad would love this place) and sweaty. After sitting in here for thirty or forty minutes we were directed out to a bathing area where the man slipped on a brillo glove and gestured for Chris to sit down next to him. I must admit I am glad Chris went first because I had the benefit of knowing which way to sit, flip, and flop at each slap of the glove. After the man took off a good VISIBLE layer of skin, he sent you over to another man for a "soapin". This guy lathered they hell out of you and massaged you at the same time. It was so nice, and then a nice little suprise. No not the "happy ending" you pervs, the adjustment! He folded your arms over one another and popped your back - TWICE. Then flipped you over, massaged and worked the back and neck. Then finished with another neck rub and CRACK! I hdan't had my neck popped like that for years. A Chiropractor couldn't even do it - this guy was good!
So after all of this we went back to the sauna (oh the agony). After another ten minutes or so we were beckoned back to the "soapy" room for a nice head wash. I have been needing a proper shower since I have been here and this guy put the 'rinse, repeat' into the label. He got my head, my face; he even scrubbed the hell out of my beard - it was awesome. I felt like a ceaser. After a nice warm dousing we were wrapped up in many towels and escorted back to our little day bed area. We had fresh cheese bread and a soda, some water, and just kicked it for a while. All warm and cozy, relaxed, fed - damn I was happy. The best part...EIGHT BUCKS - this would have cost two hundred dollars in the US.
After being scrubbed, and with a new glow about us, we walked the souk until we found our way out of the maze. We approached some little kids who were so excited to meet us that I truly believe it gave them Rock Star status just to say that they met us. I have two pictures to post when I can: one of us sitting in towels in the Hammam, and the other a pile of children bum-rushing the camera as I took their photo. Many of the kids were Palestinian and (sorry Republicans) likened the small kids that nobody wanted to Bush, Blair, and Sharon. Lots of the Palestinian kids think Hitler was pretty cool cause he got to kill Jews like they kill Palestinians. I guess if you've seen what they've seen you might too. Scarey what goes on with the Palestinians. What a mess.
On a lighter note I am as clean as I have ever felt in my life, well fed, and I think I might have an apartment. Things really do take forever. We have pinned the bossman down to give us our living money but alas it didn't work. He said he would take care of it, so God willing (Inchala) we will have our flat in a day or two. Everything around here is either Inchala, or Buchara (tomorrow). Not bad when I want to be lazy, but damn it if everyone else wants to be lazy:)
When you first enter this place you have to walk for about five minutes through the hustle and bustle of the souk (covered market). There are people selling everything, and this time we walked through a part where they were selling fabrics (I will take pictures for you girls to choose from). We found the tattered old sign hanging high in the mist and smoke of the khan and entered down into a long narrow stairwell. This passage opened up into the grand room that was wood planked from it's high vaulted ceiling, all the way down to the relaxation beds and marble floor. From what we were told we went to an older "locals" Hammam.
After pidgeon Arabic and English we stripped down, put on a table cloth like sheet, took our fresh bar of soap (this stuff is awesome) and wandered back through a maze until we found the Sauna. Oh the Sauna.........still daydreaming............relaxing more now.......yes the sauna was ancient, fed by steam pipes, amazingly tiled (Raz you and your dad would love this place) and sweaty. After sitting in here for thirty or forty minutes we were directed out to a bathing area where the man slipped on a brillo glove and gestured for Chris to sit down next to him. I must admit I am glad Chris went first because I had the benefit of knowing which way to sit, flip, and flop at each slap of the glove. After the man took off a good VISIBLE layer of skin, he sent you over to another man for a "soapin". This guy lathered they hell out of you and massaged you at the same time. It was so nice, and then a nice little suprise. No not the "happy ending" you pervs, the adjustment! He folded your arms over one another and popped your back - TWICE. Then flipped you over, massaged and worked the back and neck. Then finished with another neck rub and CRACK! I hdan't had my neck popped like that for years. A Chiropractor couldn't even do it - this guy was good!
So after all of this we went back to the sauna (oh the agony). After another ten minutes or so we were beckoned back to the "soapy" room for a nice head wash. I have been needing a proper shower since I have been here and this guy put the 'rinse, repeat' into the label. He got my head, my face; he even scrubbed the hell out of my beard - it was awesome. I felt like a ceaser. After a nice warm dousing we were wrapped up in many towels and escorted back to our little day bed area. We had fresh cheese bread and a soda, some water, and just kicked it for a while. All warm and cozy, relaxed, fed - damn I was happy. The best part...EIGHT BUCKS - this would have cost two hundred dollars in the US.
After being scrubbed, and with a new glow about us, we walked the souk until we found our way out of the maze. We approached some little kids who were so excited to meet us that I truly believe it gave them Rock Star status just to say that they met us. I have two pictures to post when I can: one of us sitting in towels in the Hammam, and the other a pile of children bum-rushing the camera as I took their photo. Many of the kids were Palestinian and (sorry Republicans) likened the small kids that nobody wanted to Bush, Blair, and Sharon. Lots of the Palestinian kids think Hitler was pretty cool cause he got to kill Jews like they kill Palestinians. I guess if you've seen what they've seen you might too. Scarey what goes on with the Palestinians. What a mess.
On a lighter note I am as clean as I have ever felt in my life, well fed, and I think I might have an apartment. Things really do take forever. We have pinned the bossman down to give us our living money but alas it didn't work. He said he would take care of it, so God willing (Inchala) we will have our flat in a day or two. Everything around here is either Inchala, or Buchara (tomorrow). Not bad when I want to be lazy, but damn it if everyone else wants to be lazy:)
posted by chris @ Saturday, September 04, 2004
2 Comments:
At 9/07/2004 8:29 AM,
Anonymous said…
Hey you sexy shiny man (this is Marc by the way--I posted anon. because I was too lazy to register)... I could use a little washing myself. Glad to hear that things are well ad I am beyond happy that things seem to be going so well for you. I wanted to pass my e-mail along for I am sure that you have told all of your hot supermodel freinds about me and they must be pestering you about how to get a hold of me (marc.quinlan@colorado.edu). No seriously, drop me a line here and I will continue to check up on your blogger... I even have you bookmarked you little bugger! Cheers!
At 9/07/2004 8:48 PM,
Trish said…
hooray! i will place my fabric order as soon as the pictures go up. man, you're getting spoiled over there.
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