Jjimjilbang

So I have finally done it, I have gone to a jjimjilbang!  Jjimjilbangs are public bathhouses, where you can do a variety of different bathing things and sleep and just chill.  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jjimjilbang)  They are super popular here and I had some time to kill while I was waiting on my bus back to Yeoju from Seoul.  A friend and I ventured out to find a jjimjilbang because I wanted to get a scrub down.  It was interesting.

First you get completely naked before going into the gender segregated bathing facilities.  So we got naked and went into the sauna.  Once inside you see that nobody has any shame and they are all walking around naked and just chilling in these baths. (think Roman bath houses)  The baths range from room temperature to super hot (at least this bath house, some have even colder baths).  And there were two different saunas, one wood sauna and one stone sauna.  Before you can enjoy the baths and saunas however, you have to clean yourself at the shower area.  Just like you should at a public pool.  It was awesome.  We hung out for a bit and just chilled.

The interesting part however was not the fact that I was in a completely naked area with other women but the scrub down I received from an ajumma.  First everyone is naked except for the ladies who are working in the sauna.  They are in their underwear, sometimes only underwear and no bra.  Well the lady who gave me a scrub down was in a see through black number, that kind of defeated the purpose of having it on but whatever.  Anyways, the scrub down was awesome.  This ajumma basically wears these gloves and rubs your body down to take the dead skin off of you.  And when I say rubs you down, I mean it.  Everywhere, expect for your girly parts is rubbed down.  Normally they just give you the scrubbing and then put some oil on you but I paid for a massage too.  It was awesome.  I got all sorts of skin soothers and a nice massage.  After I was done, my skin felt so nice, like a babies bottom.  Totally worth the awkwardness at the beginning.

In total, the place we went to cost about $6 to get into and $35 for the scrub/massage.  It was great and something I will totally be doing again.  I mean who cares about being naked in front of complete strangers.