All Content and Images are protected under Copyright © to  Marcus Stock 2001

Our 1st Visit to Ladies hamam

In Marrakech at last after 7 days of greasy hair, baby wipe washes and smelly body odour a visit to the hamam is crucial. Armed with shampoo, shower gel and towels we all piled into a taxi and ask the driver to take us straight to the hamam. We arrive 15 minutes later, the taxi driver either Mohamed or his driver ( they both look the same) negotiated the price with about half a dozen very angry sounding ladies who worked at the hamam. These ladies were very scantily clad and let everything hang loose! After what seems like hours of negotiating another argument started about lockers. That sorted we then got down to business.

All wrapped in towels we were ushered into a very steamy tiled room, with ladies who were fully stripped and washing themselves. We were then instructed by a lady to sit on the floor and then started to scrub. They then covered us in Henna soap, and started scrubbing furiously all over. The lady I had, didn't speak any English except she said " Black Spaghetti". ( I think that meant we were very dirty) The water was warm and it was very relaxing having this poured over us. The other ladies "The Locals" were doing a D.I.Y. job on themselves, and really pummeling, scrubbing and dying their hair.

After about half an hour and a good few ounces lighter, having removed lots of "Black spaghetti", we were refreshed with a cold water rinse to complete the ritual.

We were then free to go feeling refreshed, clean and much closer having shared the experience with each other. This was my first hamam and I am sure that it was the first for a lot of the other girls as well.

We were clean - but for how long? This was going to be our 1st and last wash for the next 5 days. Oh joy simple pleasures.

Lisa Hill