Tran Thi van Chinh
University of Ulsan
I recently had the chance to attend a co-worker’s wedding in Incheon, Korea. Wanting to make the most of my very first solo trip abroad, I decided to spend one night at a reasonably-priced Korean Bathhouse called a jjimjilbang. Not only was I able to sleep over and have a luxurious bath in a very interesting and new way, but it turned out to be one of the most fascinating experiences of my life.
This lovely little jjimjilbang named “Chinjeong Sup Sauna” was located near Hongdae in Seoul. After paying a small entrance fee and locking my shoes into an unoccupied drawer, I received a bathrobe, two bath towels, and a key for my wardrobe from a woman and from that moment, things became really interesting. Because the wardrobes were opposite the door of the bath area and we were not allowed to wear clothes whilst having a shower, it was my very first time seeing so many people in their birthday suits. It was so awkward for me at first that I did not dare to raise my head. It is still funny looking back now how hard I tried to not see others and how I just tried to focus on finding my wardrobe.
After putting my belongings into the wardrobe, I could not wait to get inside the hot-steamy area. The bath area was not enormous but big enough for us to truly relax. Basically, there were four parts inside: an oil massage area, a shower area, hot water pools, and a sauna room. After taking a shower, I spent around fifteen minutes in the sauna room. It was steaming hot inside but once I left and soaked myself in the hot water pool, I felt extremely refreshed. The sauna was such an awesome thing for me personally, because my face became silky smooth and glowed for days afterwards.
All these things, from taking a hot water shower and spending time in the sauna to soaking in the heated pool and then having a big bottle of cool sikhye, a Korean rice-punch drink, made me feel on top of the world. I must say it was heaven to me. Staying overnight in a jjimjilbang was undoubtedly one of the best experiences I have ever had and I highly recommend it should you ever find yourself in Korea.
