sorry title huh. Well yesterday it was about 90 degrees plus humidity downtown and for some reason I decided to go to hamam, I get tunnel vision sometimes just ask my mom. I take after my dad in that respect.
It was wonderful during the session, not so much afterward. I sat in a room with a large stone platform that was heated from underneath for about 20 minutes and let all of the toxins out of my body then went to another room for a scrub down and suds up. everything was really nice and when I was there all I wanted was more but after I left and got home with a 1.5l water bottle half drunk my head was pounding. maybe i had a lot to get out of my body but maybe I over did it. Can't really tell and the whole experience sort of made me not trust my own motives sometimes...but then again it was only a headache and only lasted for a couple of hours. once I repenished fluids and electrolytes and rested I was back to normal. Well I guess that is debateable because now I have a different view of the hamam. I am simply going to have to go find some different venue for pampering. There are mud baths in marmaris which I am really looking forward to. When I took the bus back to Senol's apartment people seemed to be in a grumpy mood probably the heat...speaking of I can't really read people expressions here, is everyone happy or grumpy and why. I only get a fleeting smile from women when we meet eyes in passing and that only happens like twice a day. I miss your smiling faces.
Oh the other thing that I did was see the basilica cistern and the American couple behind me were utterly emarassing. The man took it upon himself to redirect a German daughter and father pair to the back of the line with the typical "the line starts back there" and then when they turned "yea I bet ya didn't know that, now they are going to cut somewhere else"...Ahh lack of trust and a sence of being the only person to enforce justice in crazy tourist world...it keeps some people going and totally defeats others. Like me. It is not the worst part of humanity by a long stretch but definatly ugly, and I thoght Mid Westerners were all friendly.
I am going to take a long bath and shave my legs, I need it! and then off to a coffee shop, potentially book store in the local part of town.
Pics: the top picture is of the basilica cistern which was an underground waterway to the topkapi palace. the domes on the cieling are on the right end of the picture and the support columns are illuminated, bottom pic is just a building that I walked by and found interesting
The hamam experience was good, the headache not so good. Happy it didn't last long after you drank water and electrolytes. The humidity and temp must be brutal, much harsher than San Francisco, but not as bad as New Orleans. Maybe that contributed to your headache. I suspect hamams are best used in the winter. I bet there is a cafe/bookstore on the water near or in a square where you can sit and absorb the ebb and flow of the town. I like meeting the people of the town when they are going about their everyday existence, because we are all one big human family with the same core wants and needs - even the midwestern tourist man.
ReplyDeletethanks dad-it is good to know you are there! I love you!
ReplyDeletePeople are funny about territory. I guess even when they are from the mid-west where there are thousands of acres of fields with cows in them. Well hun, put up those tired feet ( hopefully you took your mother's advise about the shoe department)and as for the headaches......judy.
ReplyDeleteLove you!
Sorry to hear about your headache. Sounds like dehydration to me. Hope you get more than 2 smiles tomorrow. It makes one feel so much better when a warm greeting is reciprocated. Must be a cultural thing not to give out too many. Oh well. It's been terribly hot in the South, 110 in N.O. Everybody must be wearing cottton underwear for sure. Love you, Sweetie Pie :):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)
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