I managed to live in Korea over a year and never visit a sauna or bath house. They’re everywhere, and, of course, good for your health. Well, I’m not going to lie; the idea of public nudity didn’t sit too well with me considering I get stared at enough fully clothed. However, I got over it. If I ever wanted to use the shower at the gym, I had to.
So I finally had my first jjim jil bang experience. You could call it a sauna, but really it’s so much more than that. My friend Lauren and I went to a rather posh place attached to a hotel. We were given a key for lockers to put our shoes and other belongings in. We were also given clothes to wear into the sauna area, which we tried first. This part is coed. Men and women, children and the elderly all hang out together on an expanse of heated floor or in the saunas, watching TV, drinking tea, and sharing snacks. Lauren and I ate hard-boiled eggs and after sweating it out in the hottest sauna room, we shared pat bing su. ( Shaved ice, milk, topped with red bean, fruit, and other shit. In this case, strawberry syrup, condensed milk and fruit loops.)
There was also an oxygen room that’ll give you a bit of a buzz after a few minutes. Didn’t try the ice room.
After the saunas we headed for the baths, which of course are separated by sex. I don’t know what I was expecting, but definitely not for it to be so nice. Walking into the room you can hear the sound of waterfalls. It ran over stones into various pools of various temperatures deep enough to swim around in. Before you could go in, you had to thoroughly wash and scrub. Scrubbing is important. It’s the reason you should go with a friend or family; you need to have someone help with your back. (I’ve heard plenty of stories from foreigner men who freaked out because their male Korean friend or random man would without asking start scrubbing.) I laughed watching a little girl wearing scrub mittens working away at an older woman’s back. She had to walk all around her to reach.
There were hot baths, warm baths, bubbling baths, and an Oriental herb bath. Lauren and I did get stared at a bit, but only from children. Everyone else just went about their own business or were at least very discreet when taking a peek at us.
I’m not sure if I’m ready to spend the night at one of these places. (Men and women sleep together on the floors) but I’d definitely go again. I’d never felt so clean in my life.
