Had broken sleep last night and kept waking up a different times in the night. The cover on my right back molar has left it a bit exposed so every time I breathe in cold air it's really sensitive. It also hurts if I eat anything hot or cold. Over breakfast I messaged Emre on WhatsApp. He's our patient coordinator and explained about my tooth. He got back to me straight away and told me to be ready in reception for 12:30pm to be picked up and taken to the clinic.
Had breakfast and tried to chew everything on the left side to avoid any pain. I opted for an omelet where you picked the bits you wanted to add to it, small potato crochet things and some pastry rolls filled with cheese. None of which was going to win any Michelin stars but it was substance to start the day off so that was enough for me. I then went back to my room and read some more of my book. It's a really good read and hard to put done once I start. Check it out HERE if you are looking for a new book. Before I knew it I was in reception waiting for my ride then on the way to the clinic. It was going to be raining all day so didn't feel like I was missing out on the sun or anything.
Collected on time and then back to the shopping centre to the clinic. You go into a posh shopping centre (pic one) which is full of expensive shops all centred around an internal garden that is surrounded by glass (pic 2) then into the lift downstairs to the dentist which is along a corridor off offices (pic3). My host for today (Mustaffa) told me all the plants are fake despite them being in an open air garden with access to the sun and rain. He wasn't called Mustaffer I didn't catch it but he was only young with long greasy hair which made me think I musthavea shower when I get back" hence Mustaffa.
I arrived in the dentist and was seen straight away. I literally sat in the chair, she looked in my mouth and seemed to shine a kind tooth in my mouth around the tooth and that was it done. I didn't even notice her put anything in. It was like some space-age shit from Dr Spoc creating tooth from thin air.
Had to wait around for a while then for the next life back to my hotel. Met the girl and we went for some lunch a few doors down from us. We had these wrap kebab things that I forgot to take a pic of ( I really need to get used to living my life through pics for my blog lol). The bread it was wrapped in was really light and flaky, kind of like a paratha, very nice. I'll get r Kid to get a pic next time cos she will no doubt have another at some point lol. Layla and Kirsty had adopted a pregnant cat and Kirsty found a pic from our last trip and it was the exact same cat bless her.
When we went back to their room after food she only appears et heir balcony door. It's not like their room was on the front of the hotel, they had almost an internal room around the courtyard bit so bugger only knows how she sniffed them out lol. Kirsty is like an animal magnet though, last time we came there was another cat near the water that was ginger like the one she used to have called Catlean (don't ask) lol She jokingly shouting "CAT-LEAN" and it came running over! Had to put a dash between CAT and LEAN cos that's how she used to shout her lol.
Layla had been doing a bit of googling to find a Hamam for us to go to and experience a proper Turkish bath. she managed to find one that was about 40 minutes away. The prices didn't look too bad either compared to the ones the hotel reception tried to get us to go to. so we thought we would give it a go. I went online to try and book and she asked which branch we wanted to book so I told her where we were staying and she said the nearest was The Peak Hotel which was only 25 minutes away, result!
Layla sorted the Uber and we headed off. The traffic wasn't great as it was around rush hour time and we were heading into the main part of town so it took is a bit longer than 25 mins but we had allowed plenty of time to get there so still arrived early.
We had considered getting the bus but the taxis are pretty cheap as long as you agree a price first. They still put the meter on but at least you have an idea of the price. 100tl is about £4 and I think we ended up paying about £6 to get there due to the traffic.
We arrived at The Peak Hotel and told the guy at the reception our names and we were escorted down to the hotel spa area. There was a pool area and steam room and sauna around the edges with a seating area near a reception kind of area.
They then showed us to the changing rooms and lockers and then gave us paper pants and slippers and a towel. Very fetching.
First was our massage in a room for the two of us. I had Eileen (not her name but it felt like she leaned on me with her elbows the whole time) so I called Laylas lady Karmen (Karmen-Eileen) if you know the 80's Dexys Midnight Runners song it will make sense lol. to say it was painful would be an understatement. I was pretty much holding my breath the whole time while she got her elbows into every knot. This was NOT the relaxing massage I was expecting. It kind of felt like I had won a bet with a rugby player and his forfeit was to give me a massage so he was doing it as rough as he could to pay me back.
After that torture we had 3 minutes (literally) in the sauna and then into the steam room with a carton of water. No menthol smell just sweaty feet fragrance. Nothing says 5-star like athlete's foot.
Next stop into the "hammam" which was a kind of round slab of marbel in the middle of the room with los of running water everywhere.
It was a bit like the pic but without the drink, food and smiles, and it was a round slab.
I was hoping we would get two new people for this part but nope out same Karmen and Eileen loofa's in hand. We were lying on the slab together and then they started scooping up warm water with metal ashtrays and throwing it on us. Like a cheap car wash you used to do when you were kids for the neighbours. Then they did this trick with a tea towel wafting it back and forth to create suds and then squeezed them onto you. Next came the fun bit they got what I can only assume were two brillo pads and began to scrub the first layer of your skin off until they got down to the bone lol. Layla had to stop her when she tried starting with her feet and said "No love I want it head to toe so starting with my back, I don't want my feet doing then rubbing that on my body" she tried to continue and said Okay I do feet last and carried on with her legs "I don't think you understand me sweetheart, I want my top bit doing first" She soon got the gist lol.
Quick slip and slide to turn over and then same again "mind the nipples" I thought. then it was a bit of sandy scrub on the face, hair washed and head massage (that was probably the nicest bit as the shampoo smelled of watermelon). Then a load more water is thrown on you and then patted dry and then shown to the seating area for a rosehip tea and a glass of water. I felt more harassed and manhandled by the end of it not all tranquil and relaxed. I think straight after our treatment they probably went up and started hoovering some of the guest rooms with the same vigor.
We got a taxi back which was much quicker and he quote 80/90tl so I just gave him 100tl (£2 each).
I was goosed when we got back to the hotel so just read my book then went to bed. Skin was smooth once I had moisturised it to death.