Leevi & Sarahs Travel Blog

Well the first part of our Istanbul adventure is over.

To recap some tidbits that may have been missed so far:

• We visited the Hagia Sofia and where not only blown away wıth its size but also the workmanship of te beautiful mosaics (most still hidden under plaster render) which lined the roof, arches and walls of the building. Watch out Mıchael, Helen will have you mosaicing the whole house after she vists the museum.
• We met Timmies doppleganger at a pub while watching the World Cup Final. We also didn’t appreciate the $10AU the bar was charging for the beers, although our recent aquaintance Paul found a way around that.
• We got the most impressive vıew of all of Turkey and the Golden Horn from Galata Tower
• I enjoyed a freshly grilled mackrel sandwhich with plenty of salt on the shores of the Bosphorous for 3TYL
• I also enjoyed my first can of Cola Turka

So now onto the more important details about the Turkısh Bath and our time at Nobel Hostel. 

Turkish Bath & Massage

Our plan was to finish another long day of trekking trough the sites and markets of Istanbul with a Turkish bath including an unforgettable massage and dinner at Doy Doys Turkish Restaraunt.

We chose a smaller cheaper Turkish Bath house that was in our budget that didn’t have the appearance of a seedy bathouse that we had been warned about.

Earlier in the day Sarah and I had mad a reservation at the bath house and after wandering for what seemed like hours it was 6pm time for our appointment. We entered through a small doorway and where cheerfully greeted by the bathouses small but friendly team.

Walking through the reception I past a young man who was sipping his small glass of tea and asked him how the tea was. In a low voice he said “You’ll need one after that”. There was nothing ominous in his voice but in one hour I totally understood what he meant.

Sarah and I where shown a room and provided fresh towels and a place to change. Debate quickly followed wether ‘commando’ was the norm and a quıck consult with the young man downstairs it was confirmed that only a towel was required. We headed back down to the reception and shown to seperate rooms for our steam and treatment.

This is where Sarah and I have vastly different recolations of what happened next. I can only give my side of the story and I am sure Sarah wıll give you hers very soon.

So I entered the door to the male bathhouse (I later realised that what appeared to be a male only room was actually called the family room with females welcome) and took a seat on the hot marble floor next to one of the marble basins that contained fresh running water. The man opposite me poured a bowl of water over his head so I followed his lead. The result of which lead to me steaming like a pot of green beans.

Not bad so far, just like a normal jacuzzi or sauna and quite enjoyable. I got up slowly and had a bit more of an explore of the marble and concrete rooms and found the ultra steam room. Thirty seconds in that bad boy and I was pouring water over my head like there was no tomorrow.

About 20 minutes passed and a big Turkish man walked into the room, pointed to me and said one word… massage. He flicked the band I had on my wrist which indicated I was indeed booked for a Turkish massage and then walked out without saying anything more.

Not fully comprehending what had just happened (my brain was also steaming) I walked out to the cooler main room and laid face first on a big heated piece of marble in the centre of the room that was atleast five men wide. I closed my eyes for a second when I felt some large hands slide my whole body closer to the edge of the slab.

I opened my eyes and saw the man who previously questioned me about the massage in the ultra hot steam room. I may have been me but it seemed he was smiling at me with a look of craziness in his eyes. I figured very quickly that this was the start of a massage I would never forget.

From what I could tell the aım of the massage was to crack every bone in my body (possibly including ribs) and seperate every muscle from the bone. To do this I was covered with soap from head to toe, eyes and mouth included and tenderised with force.

I even was participated in the following classic move:

1. Lie face down
2. Man stands above you
3. Pulls your arms up and back
4. Man leans back
5. Mans weight supported by your stretching arms and arched back.

That was only one of many highlights of the massage. After all my bones where cracked I was sat down next to one of the marbale basins where the soap was rinsed from over my body and a forcefull head and shoulder massaged ensued.

After it was all over I really needed that cup of tea. Now if that doesn’t sound like your ideal massage I still suggest you give it a go. Two days later there are still some sore spots that where not there before the massage but overall I did feel better. I would not recommend the massage unless you are 100% fit and have no chiropractic issues that may be triggered due to rigorous massgae.

Nobel Hostel

It was an enjoyable 4 days at the Nobel Hostel, the rooms were a decent size and the staff were very friendly and helpful. From the small balcony at the rear of our room we could clearly see the Blue Mosque in all its glory.

The location was also excellent with all the major sightseeing targets and transport in short walking distance.

There was only three downsides to the Nobel Hotel

1. The breakfast was rather small and was not a buffet consisting of 4 olives, 1 boiled egg, 1 small sausage (cut in two), 2 slices of tomato, 3 slices of orange and 4 slices of cucumber. The saving grace was the loaf of bread served every morning.
2. Bathrooms are only cleaned once you leave and do not have very good drainage

I would fully recommend this hostel to anyone wanting to stay in the old city and see the sights.

Photos coming soon!