The Trials and Tribulations of Going to a Hammam for the First Time (in Morocco)

Well before my trip yesterday I didn’t quite understand the fascination with the Hammam but I AM SO CLEAN. 

The one I went in had a separate drying/clothing storage place and the actual washroom which was a ceramic encased room with a number of hot and cold spouts scattered throughout the room.  Each person was to claim some floor and pour the water (temperature of their choosing) from their bucket onto themselves as they scrubbed their body free of dirt. 

Being a hammam newbie, I was told to bring a bucket, a plastic chair, a change of clothing, a towel, some scrubbing soap and a type of really rough loofa they have here, in addition to shampoo etc…

This is where I made my mistake. 

The plastic chair I chose was far too big- imagine Adirondack chair sized- when in fact I was supposed to use a chair far smaller than my bucket.  It was supposed to be the size of a step stool!  So naturally, you can imagine the comments and laughter I got as I lugged this giant plastic chair through the tiny winding streets of the medina.  I may have attracted a bit of attention… Luckily, a friend noticed my mistake and corrected it before I arrived at the hammam, but by the increased number of laughs and comments directed toward me, I could tell that I was doing something wrong.  After I got the right chair, I had a very normal hammam experience. 

On an entirely different note, the word for pigeon and the word for bathroom/bathhouse are almost identical (to a foreigner), so if I accidently pronounce bathroom with only one m, I am really asking about the pigeons.  This greatly amused some waiter at the beginning of my trip when I asked him about the location of the pigeons.  

Sorry, no picture with this post.  I felt like the ladies in the Hammam would have been a little frustrated if I brought a camera in with me and took pictures.  On the other hand, here is a dish that was traditionally made with pigeon meat.  It’s called “pastilla”.  This particular one is chicken, almonds and cinnamon (I had a different one that was veggie friendly).