Finding the Jimjilbang.

September 5, 2011. Written on the train from Seoul to Pusan, South Korea (Yes for a certain reason I was on the same train again!)

Finding the Jimjilbang.

I arrived in Seoul from Pusan around 12 O’clock midnight, so it was too late to check in at a guesthouse in the city. I had heard before though, that you can stay at spa houses for a very cheap price in South Korea, just like in Japan. In fact, I have stayed in such a place when I went to Seoul on a transit a few years ago. Around Seoul station, I searched for a spa house like this. There were many houses that had a sign on them that stands for “bathing house” in Japan. Also, in Pusan, I had seen many places like this. However, everytime I went into one of those places, I found out that they were no more than cheap motels. Later, a Japanese at the guesthouse told me that these are love hotels in South Korea. I decided to go into an internetcafe, and search for the Korean word for spa-house or bathing house. I could ofcourse find this without problem. It was called a “jimjilbang”. 

On my way out, I asked the clerk of the internet cafe “Jimjilbang?”. The clerk understood me, and explained me very friendly, but completely in Korean how I had to get there. I could do nothing but just walk into the direction that he had pointed out. While walking, I tried asking another young man.

“Jimjilbang?” I said, afraid to say anything in English because he might then not understand me anymore.
The guy however, spoke to me in near fluent English.

“Oh, you are looking for the spa-house? It’s right there. Go straight, and then left”

I felt sorry for haven spoken to him assuming that he didn’t speak a word of English. But then again, that is not my fault, but the fault of all the other people of his country that don’t speak any English at all.

Before entering the spa house, I went into a convenience store. I hadn’t eaten anything for a while. I bought a Korean lunchbox, a Korean sushi-roll and some Korean ice-tea, and had my dinner while sitting on the edge of the street.

I could stay at the jimjilbang for 12,000  a night (which is around 1000 yen, or 10 euro). 

The clerk was very unfriendly, and explained me what I had to do in a very annoyed way. I had a nice bath, brushed my teeths and then went to the sleeping room. All sorts of Korean people were sleeping on their matrasses there. Some where still awake, playing a card-game or playing a game of Go on the computer. There was a cafetaria inside as well, so I could have had my dinner there instead of eating on the street. I felt very tired, and fell down on my matrass. It was a very hard and uncomfortable matrass, but I was too tired to care.