If you follow us regularly, you’ll know we love to experience new and fun stuff. We’re not so much “bucket list” people, heck, I don’t even have one. We just like to source out and experience unique things to do. And our most recent spa adventure at a Turkish Bath in Vancouver was exactly that.

Turning 40 is supposed to be one of those landmark birthdays. You know, a big party with a $hitload of people yelling “SURPRISE” as you enter the room, and ending with only a memory of someone doling out the tequila shots.

That’s not really us. Both of our birthdays and our anniversary fall within 35 days of one another. So we typically lump them all together and do something epic. Side note, this post is only a portion of what we’re doing for our epic 40th celebrations.

This past week, on the Sunday of my wife’s 40th birthday weekend extravaganza, we went to Miraj Hammam, a Turkish Bath in Vancouver, and got pampered with their Hammam & Gommage exfoliating treatment. Here’s how things went down…

When we arrived we were offered water and told to wait for our Gommage specialist.  A few short minutes later our specialist, Ivana, introduced herself and orientated us on the process. The first step of that process – get naked!

Ivana left the change room as we stripped own, then we put on a sarong, and headed into the steam room. We were given 10 minutes in the steam room to just chill – well, quite the opposite actually. We relaxed on slabs of Jerusalem marble as the steam-heated air filled our lungs. The stream room has two levels of heat, for lack of a better term. Upon entering the massive room, the moist air temperature is probably around the 100 degree range (Fahrenheit). And further in the room is an even hotter, steamier, sexier option…minus the sexier. Imagine a glass shower, where upon entering you’re blasted with about 120 degree steam/heat. That was too hot for me, but Shelly enjoyed that little fortress of steam-itude.

After 10 minutes, Ivana returned and asked who was going to be scrubbed first (Shelly went first)…Oh, did I mention this Turkish Bath was a rub-n-scrub?

On the opposite wall of the high-heat steam room was a marble bench and shower hose system. The process was the same for both of us, which was as follows:

1. Lay face down on the marble with sarong underneath.
2. Get hosed with warm water.
3. Get scrubbed by a complete stranger wearing a loofa-like glove.
4. Roll over and show off your bits and pieces…possibly talk about whatever pops up.
5. Get scrubbed on the front side.
6. Get rinsed.

After our rub-n-scrub we dried off and proceeded to the massage room. They offer optional 15, 30, and 60 minute massages. Fifteen seems like a tease, so we went with 30 minute massages.

When our ultra-relaxing massages were complete, we put our robes on and were escorted to the super-comfortable and private relaxation area.  I got there first (not that it was a race), and when Shell arrived she said my eyes looked like two piss-holes in the snow. I just laid there in complete tranquility.

Additionally, we were offered Middle Eastern tea and a turd-shaped sweet cake which, despite the shape and my juvenile description, was quite tasty and hit the spot.

The past few weeks have been hectic and stressful finding a place to live. But with that out of the way, this treatment was exactly what we needed. Happy 40th Shell…with more to follow in a few weeks!

Now go sell all your stuff and pamper yourself with a unique rub-n-scrub!