After going to a hammam in Morocco you feel reborn. I barely consider myself clean after a shower now just because it is nowhere near to getting you as clean as a hammam trip does. Now my first two hammam trips weren't great. There's a reason why I have only been three times in three months, but after the third try I have finally had an experience that has me planning to make going to the hammam a weekly habit. The first time going to the hammam I was shocked and couldn't quite figure out how to handle being in a steamy bath house room filled with naked women. In reality my first experience was a pretty good one, but it was slightly ruined by having to rush out early after realizing I was several minutes late for an appointment. The second time I went was unpleasant to say the least. I had several old women yell at me for laying down on a bench (that's what they're meant for) and after that trip I wasn't left with much of a desire to go back.
As it has continually gotten colder showering has also gotten quite a bit more difficult. Taking a bucket shower in 10 c weather isn't exactly an appealing idea. Since the plan for tomorrow is to go with my family to a big fancy wedding I decided it would be a good idea to pick up and go to the hammam. To make it even better my host mom surprised me with treating me to the fancy hammam next to my house. She also paid for one of the hammam ladies to scrub me. So the basics of the hammam are that there are three different rooms. A super hot room, a medium hot room, and a mildly hot room. In the fancy hammam the process was that your set up in your own personal area where you have your own sink and bench all set up in the medium hot room . You put on the beldi soap which is a blackish green oily soap that is always used in the hammam and then go and lay down in the super hot room. You're supposed to stay in the super hot room for at least five minutes in those five minutes you sweat more than you ever think you could and you just feel like a limp boiled pasta noodle. Next you move into the medium hot room and fill up your sink with hot and cold water and wash the soap off. Once you wash the soap off you get on a cot and a lady scrubs your body. Just imagine a lifetime of dead skin being completely scrubbed off your body. You honestly don't know how dirty you have been living your entire life until you go to a hammam in Morocco. Many people repeat the process a few times or you can continue on to just wash your hair and body until you are satisfied and then move onto the mildly hot room for a final rinsing. Afterwards your super clean and your whole body feels like a babies butt. Bam! A whole new person just because of a hammam trip.
As it has continually gotten colder showering has also gotten quite a bit more difficult. Taking a bucket shower in 10 c weather isn't exactly an appealing idea. Since the plan for tomorrow is to go with my family to a big fancy wedding I decided it would be a good idea to pick up and go to the hammam. To make it even better my host mom surprised me with treating me to the fancy hammam next to my house. She also paid for one of the hammam ladies to scrub me. So the basics of the hammam are that there are three different rooms. A super hot room, a medium hot room, and a mildly hot room. In the fancy hammam the process was that your set up in your own personal area where you have your own sink and bench all set up in the medium hot room . You put on the beldi soap which is a blackish green oily soap that is always used in the hammam and then go and lay down in the super hot room. You're supposed to stay in the super hot room for at least five minutes in those five minutes you sweat more than you ever think you could and you just feel like a limp boiled pasta noodle. Next you move into the medium hot room and fill up your sink with hot and cold water and wash the soap off. Once you wash the soap off you get on a cot and a lady scrubs your body. Just imagine a lifetime of dead skin being completely scrubbed off your body. You honestly don't know how dirty you have been living your entire life until you go to a hammam in Morocco. Many people repeat the process a few times or you can continue on to just wash your hair and body until you are satisfied and then move onto the mildly hot room for a final rinsing. Afterwards your super clean and your whole body feels like a babies butt. Bam! A whole new person just because of a hammam trip.
