Blossom Festical Part Two - The Jjimjilbang

After we learned there was enough room in the jjimjilbang, we had to find some supper. Once you enter the jjimjilbang you cannot leave until you are done at the jjimjilbang. Song-Hoon was very tired and decided to just go in and not join us for supper, leaving his young friend who spoke no English alone with Sarah, Amber, and I. Originally, we (Sarah) wanted samgupsal, but not being in Seoul meant that all the restaurants were closed for the night (it was 10:00!). After the samgupsal failure, we decided on easy kimbap, and even this was also difficult. We had seen a few kimbap houses on our adventures in finding a hotel. However, now that we actually tired to find one in which to eat, we could find nothing. We wondered around for a while. The friend, asked a few people that we meet and eventually we found a restaurant that was open that had kimbap that was directly in front of the jjimjilbang.
This restaurant was not a kimbap house, the ubiquitous orange establishments that serve a variety of kimbap, soups, stews, and rice dishes. It was a mom and pop operation. The concrete walls of the restaurant had been painted (a long time ago and poorly) half baby blue and half white. The artwork on the walls included a Mona Lisa puzzle that someone took the time to glue together and frame. There was also a few faded landscapes (not puzzles, too bad) and a calendar from a bank. The restaurant had a funny smell and the windows were frosted completely so you couldn’t see in or out. Clrealy a classy joint. The owners, a couple, were sitting at a table when we entered, which they immediately vacated and offered to us because it was nearest to the heater. They restaurant called Guatemala to mind. This did not bode well.
They only had of about 6 items, including ramyeon, kimbap (only original), bibimbop (not dolset), and kimchi juggae (stew). Sarah and I opted for the 3000 won bibimbop and Amber and the friend ordered kimchi juggae, also about 3000 or 4000 won. The women went back to the kitchen area and soon we heard pots banging and things frying. About 15 minuets later (which is kind of long by Korean standards) the man carried out a huge tray. He placed the tray down on the table. It contained 7 or 8 side dishes including a whole fish of some sort and many delicious varieties of kimchi and greens in sauces. Then we got the food we ordered. Or meal, less than 15,000 won, was amazing, some of the tasty bibimbop I have had. After the meal, the friend paid because he felt guilty about not being able to find us samgupsal. Then we crossed the street and took the elevator to the fourth floor, the jjimjilbang.
A jjimjilbang is sort of a spa with hot tubs, showers, sauna’s, steam rooms, and cold rooms. There is also a large communal room to hang out, sleep, use the Internet, eat ice cream and drink beer. (You can even drink beer in the saunas!) We paid 7000 won each. We were given two hand-sized towels each, keys to our lockers, and a matching set of shorts and a t-shirt. Awesome. I walked into the locker room and immediately encounter my first naked Korean women and then my second, third, forth, fifth, sixth, and 90th. I saw many naked women during our time at the jjimjilbang, naked women of all ages, shapes, and sizes (at least as varied as Korean women get, which isn’t much). I choose not to participate in the nudity. I had no wish to be stared at by hordes of women. Perhaps if I would stand out a little less, I would be more inclined. I quickly pulled on my shorts and t-shirt.
Amber and I headed down to the saunas and communal room, while Sarah choose to get naked. I sat in the coldest sauna room and was soon sweating like cold cup of water in a hot room. We didn’t stay very long. After Sarah was done her shower, we found sleeping mats for the three of us, and with great difficult, found a spot on the floor, amongst sprawled families, spooning couples, and drunken men. Song-Hoon had previously warned us that we should not let drunk men touch our bodies. Good advice I think. Once we claimed our spot we got some ice cream, while we were doing this Song-Hoon told us to go to sleep because we had to get up really early the next morning. He wanted to leave by seven. Thanks Dad.
I found it very difficult to sleep. It was like every man in the room was my dad prior to the sleep machine. Including the man closest to me, who made some other sounds that were possible indications of real good dreams, if you know what I mean. Ewww!
I slept in little spats, constantly waking up. Then, the friend was suddenly shaking me awake. I think he woke me up first because mine was the only name he could remember (Dee). It was 6:00 AM! I woke up the other girls and we carefully tiptoed though the masses of people. There was almost no floor space left on which to walk. As we quietly made our way through the masses of snoring people, Sarah banged her head on the corner of the flat screen TV. It fell off the wall, onto a sleeping couple and smashed on the floor. Obviously they woke up, in some pain. The whole ordeal was loud, waking up everybody in the area. Although most people just stirred and then went back to sleep. The TV was lying the floor, the screen was broken and the couple was hurt, we stood there for a moment trying to decide what to do. It was so scary, we were worried the couple was really hurt and worried that we would have to pay for the TV. I’m just joking. Sarah did hit her head, but the TV didn’t fall. Almost made a really good story though, right?
Back in the locker, changing into real world clothes and washing up, I constantly was having to avoid bumping into naked women. So awkward.
For breakfast, we drove into the down where the cherry blossom festival was actually going to happen. In Korean, breakfast is the same as lunch and dinner, there is no special breakfast food. We went to a restaurant and Song-Hoon ordered a meal for which this part of the country is famous. It was soup that was just broth and some sort of shell fish. It actually wasn’t very delicious. It wasn’t bad, just lacked flavour and kick. However, breakfast also came with no less than 8 side dishes, all of which were pretty much delicious. The restaurant was floor seating only and kind of hole. Apparently, when eating in the country, these are the places to visit.