Definitely one of the better parts of the trip...Turkish bath in Istanbul. It's like going to Indianapolis in May and not visiting the Indianapolis 500.So here's how it works. We paid about 30 euros a person, change into a towel in a small room, and then we walk into a large hot steam room (pictured here). After cooking down for about 15 minutes, big Turkish guy comes over and tells you to lie down on the big center platform.
He works you over like a oversized piece of playdoh for about 20 minutes, and then you move over to a little alcove furnished with a large sink - where you sit down for a bit to cook some more. Then he starts throwing water over you first, and then soaps you up like southsiders everywhere do to their 1967 Ford Mustang each weekend. I had a chance to look over to see Joe, and he was looking like the Pillsbury doughboy. Anyway . . .
Massage number two commences while soaped up, which was a really good thing, because after walking through Istanbul all day long, I stunk. Also got into the exfoliated thing with this silk hand jobby. It was so cool, Andrea and I decided to get one for our own use. Anyway, after pulling about 3 cups of dead skin cells (and what felt like some live ones), I was rinsed again, and just left there like the used piece of flesh that I was - felt like a pig that had just gotten ready for the Indiana State Fair.
We chilled (actually we sweated some more actually - remember, it was a hot sauna) for few minutes until we walked out and were fitted with towels. Since we also sweated off about a liter of water, we then sat down at the bar, had a few drinks. After that we skipped the shave, went back to the dressing room, and slept on the cots there (Andrea was expected to take longer).
We then got dressed (forgot to bring clean clothes, oops), and waited for Andrea in the marble court. Pretty cool.
Since this Turkish bath does not require the 7 different pools that Baden-Baden has, I think we can easily recreate the experience at home in Indy without having to dip our body in a cold water sink (a la Joe Grabczak). Plans are being drawn up now.
