This is the question asked of me by the youthful masseuse in the Turkish Bath (built around 1500). He said, 'this is how the Turks do it.' I sensed a certain, are-you-tough-enough bravado, and definitely a bit of aggression too. Those of you who know me well know that of course, I said 'yes.'
During the massage, the masseuse put his elbow into my back and put his whole body weight down through his elbow into my back, then moved up my spine. It was intense, so much so that I gave out a war cry, a gutteral AAARRGHHH from the base of my throat. It was fight or flight, and I was pinned down so I couldn't run. I was ready for battle.
After the massage, I developed a new motto. "Always say 'yes' when asked in a Turkish bath, 'Do you want it hard?' " Good motto to live by. Below is a picture of my back after the massage. The bruises run in parallel on either side of my spine. Delicious. The literal translation is, "Bone crunching massage."
By the way, the bath was the highlight for me in Turkey, well it was a toss-up with the baklava. This bath (Suleymaniye Hamami) was constructed around 1500, and was so beautiful. You could feel the history. Marble interior, inlaid stone, stone basins, vaulted ceilings, and ancient bronze taps. Really cool.
5 comments:
"You could feel the history".
Um, I'd say. Crashing. It seems.
I can STILL feel the history...
It kind of reminds me of the time you ate a bunch of hot peppers here in the office and gave yourself an ulcer.
Apparently you like pain : )
That looks painful!
some things, like hot peppers and brutal massages are worth it!
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