Milk and Cream

Wednesday, January 18th, Afternoon and Evening.

I have a minor skin complaint. Just a matter of diabetic immune weakness, combined with the difficulty in taking a hot soapy shower when you're (a) in a refugee camp and (b) up a mountain in the freezing cold.

Today's solution to this came in three parts. (1) Get a tube of hydrocortisone cream. (2) Mention it to your host who will actually get his family to build you a freaking shower stall. So, future guests will have one more mod con, in addition to air conditioning, water coolers, smartphones with translation apps, and satellite TV.

Yes, these folk may be dirt poor and fleeing from an incomprehensible war, but this is still the 21st century.

Edit: In the event, no stall got built. Add to the list of things which don't happen because instructions get lost and people get distracted. No worries.

Oh yes, and (3): Take a trip to a health spa. A turkish bath with gender-segregated sulphate swimming pools. Iron sulphate? Copper sulphate? Iririum sulphate? No idea - and the attendants didn't know either. But it's definitely a sulphate of some kind, and it definitely cures all known skin conditions, because it's from 1000 meters underground. Or possibly 1000 feet. Because biology works by magic.

And you know it's genuine because there's only two places in the world which have this sulphate. Another supposed selling point.

But in any case, it was a very pleasant hour, spent wading in milky warm water with half a dozen men, including the inevitable obese giant who liked to dive bomb. There's always one, by law.

Then an hour of watching men smoke shisha and argue about politics. Followed by half an unbelievably good resteraunt meal - the other half is wrapped up in a plastic bag next to me for later, something known by the english word "Bucket".

Oh yes, and then another hour of watching men smoke shisha and argue about politics. This seems to happen quite a lot in the arab world. Imagine a youtube comment thread, but worth reading.

I know what this corridor leading to the toilet needs! Sartorially implausible miniturised stone milkmaids! It'll set off the tastefully understated fake marble walls and fake al-hambra floor.