A Day of Self-Care

So today, after hanging around the hostel all morning with new friends from Germany, I went to enjoy hammam and a massage. It was something we were going to do together but they ended up needing to complete a busy day as it was their last full day here before going home.  Hammam is a head-to-toe scrub bath done by a member of the same sex and the water they use is hot in just the right way. Contrary to what I imagined, the room contained not a pool, but a couple of clay slabs with a light, permeable mat to lie on and a big pot of water continuously filling til the end when the pour the remaining water over you. The experience felt more like being polished than simply scrubbed. They get every bit of dead skin off of you and shampoo your hair. Afterward, the oil used in the massage made my skin seem brand new again. There is still a ton of work left to do in order to fix the muscles in my shoulders, but today was a lovely start. The whole experience only cost 30 Euros (300 dirhams) plus a tip.