Jjimjilbang

     Jjimjilbang is an expeirence that I will never forget.  After the hike, we traveled to our accomodation in Osaek Valley in inner Seoraksan.  This was a traditional Korean hotel.  In other words, you sleep on a pad...on the ground.  The floor is heated.  I guess thats a perk. 

Traditional Korean Hotel

     After a traditional korean dinner, barbeque and rice, we headed off towards the jjimjilbang.  As usual, it was not easy to find in this little town.  We found a group of Koreans and decided to ask them where it was.  Neither my friend or I  knew the word for where is, so she said Donde estas (spanish).  The gentleman replied in perfect English.  This was just the start. 
     We arrived at the jjimjilbang and discovered that you can not wear any bathing suits!  You are required to go nude.  This was a shock.  I was with a co-worker and the last thing that I wanted was to turn around at work and think....I saw you naked.  We thought, how bad could it be.  You get a towel, and then your in the tub.  After much debate, we decided to do it. 
     Well, the towel thing did not work out so well.  They gave us korean towels.  Which is the size of an extra large wash cloth.  Thank goodness I got two.  The whole place would just have to look at my backside. 
     Once inside, we could not stop laughing.  It was just weird.  There was naked older people everywhere, walking around in the nude!  Here was Julie and I, foreigners with towels wrapped all around us!  First, you walked across stones (that hurt your feet) in cold water.  Next, you went to various hot tubs.  This jjimjilbang was built over a natural hot spring.  There were about 8 natural hot spring tubs.  Each were at different temperatures and had various minerals added.  All the signs were in Korean, so we had no idea what we were going in.  I went into a lot of them, even the purple one (I was praying my skin would not turn purple).  Then, we saw a murkey water tub.  We figured, why not.  It was cold and smelled odd.  Then, we looked at the sign: Carbonic Acid.  Warning: do not put your head under the water.  I got out of that one in a flash. LOL.
     Tradition is, that you go in the hot tubs first, to open your pores, then go in the cold tub to close your pores.  I tried this and almost froze.  After the cold tub, you rinse off.  Traditionally, you scrub yourself down with a harsh scrub.  I opted out.  We did look around and saw people getting a massage and scrubbed down by Koreans.  We quickly walked away.
     What I learned:
            1.  Keep your personal space.  Julie and I were always at opposite ends.
            2.  Do not go in the sauna that is over 100 degrees.
            3.  Bring a regular towel.
            4.  The natural hot spring had magic healing powers!  I haven't been sick since that evening.