On our very first visit to Turkey we took the opportunity to visit a Hamam or to the uninitiated, a Turkish Bath.
On entering you are given a changing room to undress in. Ladies and gents tend to keep their underwear on and are given a pestemal to wrap around them, this is usually a red and white check cloth.
A Tellak (attendant) will then lead you through to the hot room, much like a sauna, and there you will stay for 15 mins(I lasted 8mins), just too hot, for a delicate flower like moi!
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The hot room. |
After having been toasted in the HOT ROOM you are given scoop like buckets to take fresh spa water from the delightful ancient marble basins, to pour all over yourself, in preparation for the next stage of the cleansing ritual.
We were taken to the splendid marble platform by the masseur then soaked with warm water and lathered with a fragrant, sudsy swab - then the most amazing massage.
After that, we were scrubbed all over again, then another rinse. Finally, more soap washing, this was followed by a jolly good rinsing session with cold water. Fortunately, the marble platform was heated!
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The Gobektasi . A central raised heated marble platform. |
After we'd been pummelled, soaped, rinsed and even spun around and around, under mountains of suds, by the chuckling Tellaks, we were given our final rinse and then wrapped in huge warm fluffy towels.
We were led to the lounge area to recover from, what can only be described as the most thorough wash of a lifetime!
When we'd recovered from this most exhilarating experience we tootled back to our hotel room with the intention of having a quick nap then dinner.
This was not to be, we both fell fast asleep and awoke at 7am the next morning, having missed our dinner. Needless to say we were first in the dining room for a hearty breakfast!
Yet another happy memory of high jinks in Turkey.
My heartfelt thanks to Denise for devising ABCW and to the honourable Roger for all his hard work . Best wishes to all from Di.... abcw team.
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