The Turkish Bath Experience

The semester is coming to a close, papers and presentations have been submitted, last-minute trips are planned, and finals are creeping up. A must-have break, especially in the Middle East, is going to a Turkish bath. Because winter is here, the weather is very cold in Jordan. A Turkish bath around this time was perfect. Entering a place so different and warm from the outside was a trip in itself. After changing into a swimsuit and rinsing off in the showers, we were lead to a steam room to exfoliate our skin. The ladies gave us ice-cold cloths to put over our heads and served us slushy-like hibiscus tea to keep us cool from the hot condensation drops that kept falling on us from the ceiling. Afterward, we sat in a spa under a pretty dome ceiling until more ladies called us up to give us a good hard scrub. It was like all the pollution from taxi smog and cigarette smoke from the past couple of months were being scrubbed away. After an exhausting scrub, we were lathered in oil ready for a massage. Right before falling asleep, we were lead to a sauna where we each claimed a bench, lied down, and wished time would stop before heading back out to the city of Amman. But were were refreshed and ready.
This blog isn't as long as my other experiences, probably because my brain was asleep half the time, but if you ever have a chance, a Turkish bath should be on your to-do list. And if you happen to be in Amman, go to Al Pasha. :)