Hamam & Massage Heaven

This morning, we froze our butts off while surfing. The day started with us having breakfast on the rooftop—again in the dark, because apparently, we’re committed to the “rustic adventurer” vibe. By 8 a.m., we were at the surf spot, ready to catch stronger waves than the day before.
Catching a wave was like winning a battle, but every victory came with a price: being pushed all the way back to shore and then fighting our way back to the lineup. At one point, Nadja and I were both trying to paddle past the breaking waves, only to realize we were going absolutely nowhere. Every few meters of progress was met with yet another wave slapping us right back to where we started.
To make matters worse, the sun wasn’t shining, so it was freezing. My whole body was shaking, and when my toes started turning suspiciously white, I decided that was my cue to bail. (Don’t worry, my toes are fine now.) Once out of the water, Philip—a guy from our surf camp—Nadja, and I walked back to The Riat (our camp) for a hot shower. On the way, we made a pit stop for coffee (Philip and me) and an Oreo chocolate milkshake (Nadja). Priorities.
After our shower, we had lunch on the terrace, where I heroically tried to study a bit. Eventually, the sun came out, and things started to feel less like north pole.
By 4 p.m., it was time for our Hammam and Massage appointment. I had never been to a hammam before, but let me just say—it was an experience. First, we were served Moroccan tea (complete with two obligatory sugar cubes), and then we were handed two bags for our clothes.
Two women brought us to another room, where they massaged us with oil and scrubbed us from head to toe—basically exfoliating us into a state of rebirth. They even removed the calluses from our feet (which, to be honest, felt a little personal). Afterward, they washed us with some special soap, gave us a head massage with shampoo, and finished with a fancy hair treatment.
The hammam hour was followed by an hour-long relax massage. And wow, it lived up to its name—I think I melted into the table at one point. Nadja loved it so much she immediately booked another session for tomorrow.
After this blissful experience, we went back to the camp to watch the sunset, had another shower (we’re basically clean freaks now), and then walked down to the beach for dinner. We were craving tajine, but, naturally, all the restaurants we tried were out of it. After wandering around, we finally found a tiny spot right next to The Riat, where the staff assured me (after some good French-English-Moroccan negotiations) that their tajine was gluten-free.
It was just amazing. The food was delicious, and the people working there were incredibly kind, which made the whole experience even better.
Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and warm, and I can’t wait. Fingers crossed we can actually feel our toes after surfing this time!Read more