Baring It All!

Before moving here I’d heard a lot about Jimjilbang’s, Korean bath houses. I knew they were quite popular and were meant to have some health benefits. I told myself I would go, but alas I found myself over eight months into my contract with no jimjilbang experience. Well this all changed last weekend. On Saturday some girlfriends and I decided to throw our modesty and inhibitions to the wind and brave the bath house.

We met up Saturday morning, with the boys in tow, and made the nearly 30 minute bus ride to the bath house. The distance was long by choice; we went there 1. Because our friend Luke had been there once before and 2. the long distance ensured all of us that we would not see any of our students. Once arriving at ‘Ocean Spa’ the girls and boys were separated to their perspective bath rooms. Rachel, Holly, and I could not help but laugh the entire time. Sure we are all women and we have the same bits and pieces, but we were slightly uncomfortable and nervous. Regardless, we knew what needed to be done, stripped down to nothing, and made our way to the spas. Upon entering we were all greeted with various stares and pointed fingers. Now this is something the three of us are used to as foreigners. We are constantly pointed and gawked at in public. However, when you are naked it just isn’t nice. I was beginning to develop a complex about the stuff I was strutting. Was my body oddly proportioned to them, did they think my lady bits were deformed/misshapen in some way? I didn’t know what made us so special, but we were all willing to hurry into a pool of water.

The spa room is comprised of six different pools, all varying in water temperature. The coolest pool is about 18 degrees Celsius and the hottest pool is around 42 degrees Celsius (that’s about 60-108 degrees Fahrenheit). In addition to the differing temperatures, the pools are also treated with different minerals and scents. The idea of the pools is to move from hot to cold and then back to hot again. This movement between varying temperatures is said to improve circulation and to help get rid of cellulite. Yes! After spending as much, or as little, time in the pools as you want there are also four saunas at your disposal ranging from 45 degrees Celsius to 62 degrees Celsius. If spending any combination of time in these places doesn’t make you feel like your body has sweated out any and all toxins I don’t know what will.

Once we were done in the pool room we made our way up to the upstairs, coed portion of the bath house. Here there is a food bar, wide open rooms for socializing/meeting up, and six sweat lounges. Here, you wear the uniforms which were given to you when you entered the facility. The sweat rooms are large clay domes, where you sit/lay on the pebble floor. These rooms too vary in temperature. The coldest coming in at 0 degrees Celsius and the hottest coming in at 97 degrees Celsius (keep in mind water boils at 100 degrees Celsius). I stayed in the 50 degree room and found myself comfortably sweating.

By afternoon’s end, we spend around four hours there, I was famished and shaking. I forget how hard heat can be on the body. I was completely drained of all energy, but I was surprising still feeling good. Rachel and I grabbed a large bowl of ramen before we left and headed home. Despite the initial discomfort earlier in the day, I was really happy with my bath house experience. So much so, that I want to go back again. The best part, this four hour spa and relaxation treatment only cost me the equivalent of $5! It’s safe to say I’ll be baring it all again and very, very soon!