Hammam – up close and personal in a turkish bath
Venus Adventurer Julie has planned the perfect end to our trek up the Atlas Mountains. After a shower and a change of clothes we are off to the Hammam Ziami – a boutique hammam especially for tourists by the look of it.
We had already purchased the necessities in the market – a scrubbing glove, some lavender scented olive oil soap and some mud for our hair.
Stripped down to our knickers we were led into the steam room. Here we sat on a stool in front of a bowl of water and pour water overselves for 5-10 mins to open the pores.
Then we rubbed the goey olive oil soap mixture over every inch – feet and hands especially. After washing this off, we sat in the steam and waited to be called. Next stop – the sandpaper process – we lie down and an attendant scrapes every part of our body with the scrubbing glove. An embarrassing amount of dead skin starts to gather like spagetti and we are sent off for another shower.
Finally clean, I am helped on to the massage table – we need to be careful here, it is covered in oil and the chance of slipping off the table seems high. The massage is exquisite and slippery – firm but delicate – I am in heaven.
Only the mud remained – the small cakes of mud are soaked in hot water, then placed all over our hair and rubbed in and left for a bit. After that another shower and my skin and hair feels like that of a new born child. That night Julie orders in Pizza, we are so tired and relaxed that we can not move from the Riad.
The next day I join guide Julie at a public hamman – the one the local women go to. It was very different, but also wonderful. Our body scrapers and massagers were also unclothed, so we were surrounded by lovely pendulous breasts on all sides.
As I was dressing after the Hamman, I was asked if I wanted to have a henna tatoo – and after a brief negotiation, I was soon getting a henna tatoo on my leg. Unfortunately I forgot that it took an hour to dry, so i had to walk home barefoot.
It was fantastic to be with Moroccan women in places where they feel comfortable. Clearly when they are in women’s company they are at home – there are far less inhibitions, no embarrassment, a freedom and touch and be intimate in a way that seems impossible outside these walls.
Its one of the noticable things in Morocco – men sit in cafes together, women walk together or are at home in their own domain together. Here they are relaxed and will dance and play and giggle.
It is easy to see this with ‘western’ eyes as some form of oppression, but that is a simplistic way of looking at this society. Its entire social structure is supported by this strong family and religious framework. The family is the social welfare system – people look after their own, rather than relying on the government. Islam supports giving to the poor – and there are beggars in the street with high unemployment. The system works for them – its just different to 0urs.
More Adventures with Rosemary Articles
- Saigon and the End of our Road - December 3rd, 2011
- Cycling in the Mekong Delta - December 3rd, 2011
- Hoi An is more than clothes - December 3rd, 2011
- A new wardrobe and a massage - what more can a girl want? - November 22nd, 2011
- Moto tour of Hue, Vietnam - November 22nd, 2011
[...] had experienced a Turkish Hamman while I was in Marrakech, Morocco with Venus Adventures (story here), and I was keen to compare it with a Japanese Bath House experience. What the experiences shared [...]