Travel Archives - Page 3 of 7 - Conversations through the middle

Beauty – Hammam in Marrakech

November 19, 2012

While I was in Marrakech I took up the offer of a Hammam at the spa attached to the hotel. Now I had heard about this bathing ritual before, but to be honest, I wasn’t sure what it involved. Ladies, if you’re at all shy or prudish about nakedness it might be best to stop reading now. As I soon found out, there’s no point in being shy if you’re going to experience a hammam.

I entered the warm bathing room (not sure if it has a name) in my swimsuit and sat down on a stone bench. The swimsuit had to come off as far as my waist, then Imane, the hammam attendant, began the ritual.

First of all she poured comfortably hot water over me, from a stone dish, which she dipped repeatedly into a bucket of water. This was kept constantly overflowing by a shower attachment that was always on. After the initial rinsing, Imane then washed me with black soap, made from olives. This is very gel like. I then spent five or so minutes sitting in a steam room (bliss), after which I was back in the first room, almost as hot as the second, ready to be rinsed.

Following the rinse Imane covered me in a fragrant, I suppose you could call it shower gel, though I’m sure that’s not the name. It smelled lovely; she called it mountain blossom.

Then the exfoliation began. I should point out at this point I had opted for the exfoliation rather than the clay cleansing option, but I didn’t realise quite how skin scrubbing it would be. Imane donned an exfoliating glove and got to work on me as I lay down. Boy, she really put her back into it and by the time she’d finished I felt like I must have shed at least a couple of layers of skin.

After another rinse and a hair wash, I was ushered into a plunge pool – fearing the worst, ie freezing cold, I was a little nervous about getting in, but it was soooo hot! Not unbearably so, but just hot enough to feel luxurious. And the pool was big enough to move around in, like a mini swimming pool.

A few minutes later I was back in front of Imane for my final rinse (I sound like a washing machine), then it was time to dry off, get dressed and head back to the hotel.

So why did I say if you’re shy about nakedness stop reading? Well that has to do with the complete abandon with which she picked up my breasts and moved them out the way when she was washing, the way she washed them as if they were just any part of my body, and the way she included them in the exfoliation treatment. I wanted to laugh, it was so comical. I’m not taking the mickey, what I mean is it was comical in that they were treated as any other part of the body, a hand, a foot, without the connotations they carry in the West.

It was an enlightening moment. I had been worried about what to expect beforehand, yet when it came to it, I adopted her attitude, which came across as no big deal.

What is it with the image of breasts in western society and the obsession some people have with them? They are just a part of the body after all, they’re there to feed our babies (and in my case they did an excellent job there), so why the hang-ups? Why my nervousness at the beginning? I don’t know. What I do know is that I believe I came back from Morocco a more enlightened person. And I enjoyed my hammam ritual.

Travel – Hotel Tigmi, Marrakech

November 13, 2012

Just a quickie tonight. I have so much to write about my few days at Tigmi and the yoga retreat, but that’s for Thursday. I have a long day of travelling back to Blighty ahead of me tomorrow and I’m flagging after so much yoga – I have done more exercise in the last few days than I’ve done in months, and I’m feeling it in my hips, my legs, my knees and my bum – but I’m feeling oh so smug at the same time!

I’m writing this in my suite, with a wood fire glowing away in the corner. The nights in Morocco at this time of year are cold and so it’s wonderful to have the warmth of the fire. It’s hard to believe that just a few hours ago I was sitting by the pool, basking in the hot sunshine, while from the back of the hotel lie the magnificent Atlas Mountains, covered in snow. Back to reality tomorrow.

Travel – first day in Marrakech

November 10, 2012

I arrived yesterday, late afternoon, but today was my first full day. I managed yesterday evening’s yoga class even though I didn’t think I would after travelling all day, but then I missed this morning’s class due to turning off the alarm and rolling over back to sleep.

The other people on the retreat are all lovely, most of them are from Scandinavia – I wish I spoke Swedish. Luckily they speak great English, isn’t that always the way?

Hotel Tigmi is unlike anything I’ve ever stayed in before, the location is exquisite, there’s a Berber village just down the road and quite a few chickens, donkeys and dogs wandering around on the hills outside the hotel.

Travel – Hilton Hotel, Heathrow Terminal 5

November 9, 2012

From the moment I stepped into the Hilton London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 I could not have been better looked after by the staff. This was my little stopover the night before my flight to Marrakech, which was leaving at 7.30am, meaning I had to be at the airport at 5.30am! Dreadful timing on my part.

However, as far as experiencing the luxury of the Hilton goes, I couldn’t have planned it any better. I was given one of the executive rooms on the fourth floor and a key to the executive lounge (can you believe it). I did pop in there on my way down to dinner but just for a quick look. I know I could have sampled canapes and cocktails, but with a very early morning looming I didn’t dare.

Dinner was in the deliciously named Mr Todiwala’s Kitchen, and the menu, needless to say, was packed with a wide selection of great sounding dishes. Happy to take the advice of my waiter I decided on Murgh Makhani Pasanda and a side order of saag paneer, one of my favourite Indian meals. The accompanying roti bread, topped with mint, was excellent but – I couldn’t finish it (so not like me) as there was so much to eat.

I still made a space for dessert though, not usually something I go for, but the homemade Parsee Caramelised Apricot Ice Cream sounded too yummy to pass up. It was.

Due to my early start the next morning I didn’t have time to sample breakfast – who can eat anything at 5 in the morning (though of course later on in the day I did wish I’d taken the Hilton up on its offer.)

I loved the room – very big, great bathroom (me being the interiors anorak I am noted that the taps were Grohe, the sink and shower, Villeroy & Boch, and the bath – I don’t know, though I did look. You will only get why this is great if you’re an interiors nut like myself, if you’re not then feel free to skip this bit.)

The room was equipped with a large desk and very large chair – ideal if you need to work from your room, and the TV is satisfyingly large. The lighting was spot on – task lighting, main lighting and mood lighting (my interiors side coming out again). My only quibble is the bed – it was too hard for me, but then again for somebody else it could have been perfect. I also couldn’t get phone reception in my room, but I could in the restaurant and executive lounge, and as I was there for such a short time this wasn’t a big problem.

I would love to stay at the Hilton again but for longer next time. It really made a difference to me being able to stay the night before my flight so close to the airport; the staff put me totally at ease, which was a big deal for me, travelling as I was, on my own.