After enough recommendations from Koreans and Americans alike, we finally did it: abandoned the freezing cold van and headed over to a hot sweaty Jimjilbang in search of some comfort.
Upon entry my 3 trousers and 2 jackets were making me sweat just standing at reception, gosh! How I was looking forward to get to the sauna!
As always a minor language barrier at the till, but eventually Radka and me stood there, orange pyjama and towels in hand.. ready to ENTER.
No idea and not exactly sure what to expect, we entered the female changing room. Only about 2 steps into the area the cleaner woman came charging at us with her mop/broom thing, shouting frantically in Korean and getting everyone in there to turn their heads at us, whilst covering their naked bodies with very small towels. Koreans are not very accustomed to the idea of women having very short hair, with most of the Korean women sporting about 4 different hair styles, tops. Therefore, we surely must be boys!! ! lost in the female changing room. She’s charging at us, while we repeatedly shout at her and everyone else: We are girls!!!!
Someone finally translated that into Korean and the woman stops in her tracks and just bursts into laughter, with everyone else joining in, slowly lowering their very small towels. Oh I couldn’t have wished for a better entry. At least everyone knew within seconds that 2 foreigners had come in.
A little embarrassed and now definitely sweating, we try and locate our lockers, to get undressed.
At the far end of the room we locate steamed up glass double doors, we step in and go ‘Ahhhhhhhh…’ HOT water, HOT rooms!!! I wish it hadn’t take us nearly 3 months to make this move.
Koreans surely know how to beat the winter blues, I reckon the Finns and Swedes could learn a thing or two. ..
