“Take them off, then go into the showers” seemed to murmur the Korean lady in her native language, who was folding the towels stacking them one by one inside the drawers for other faithful advocates of the sport to use, at the entrance of the basement spa. It was the first time in my life that I felt embarrassed for wearing clothes, but hey, that’s what life is for; experience never imagined moments that would be automatically uploaded to your brain’s hard disk so you can plug it in every now and then to amuse your thoughts and tickle your neurons.

Last day in Seoul and it was raining so what could be better than a visit to a Korean Spa for some pampering…After a little bit of research, as I do on all my trips, I came across this cool spa called the ‘Siloam Sauna’ where you just wander around wearing nothing but your bracelet with a locker key hanging from it. Sounds comfy and adventurous of course! Reviews were pretty confusing; either in favor or against it which had me thinking for a while but had to figure out what it would be like, especially to mingle with the locals. The truth is that people sometimes don’t spend much time to read information thoroughly on websites. Usually all you need to know is there, unless you live in Greece where everything you read is misleading…just kidding lol. Koreans might be a bit distant but their services are excellent and they will help you out when asked to do so. The people know how to deliver.

I finally reached the premises after a short walk from the subway station, exit 1, taking the Seoullo overpass to get right across the street behind the Lotte Mart. Piece of cake, plus there are some interesting tree species planted in large concrete pots along the way to browse. Typical Korean perfectionism. It was August 15, the National Liberation Day of Korea, so a lot was going on the streets. Peaceful demonstrations and events here and there across the city. I remember myself gazing at the people who were dressed for the big day. Men wearing ties bearing both the South Korean and the American flag, pins -I got one too, and both flags waving on almost every hand as an acknowledgement of their freedom towards Americans. A few minutes later I was there, paying my way to spa paradise. Not many people speak English in here, barely any I would say, but it’s fun nonetheless. Had no trouble asking for the basic entrance fee which is about 14 Korean Yen and then into the main area where you trade your shoe locker key for clothing and two small towels which are provided to you by the staff. First you must take off your shoes or no key lol. After you’ve done that you should take off all your clothes as Adam and Eve in Paradise. I thought that I should put on the shirt and shorts I was given so basically what I did was go downstairs to the shower rooms wearing them. That was fun. I was laughing except for the ladies who were looking at me puzzled. Should ‘ve guessed though since every single one of them was naked there. What was I thinking? Maybe I hadn’t conceded to the fact that I had to strip off of my clothes and walk barefoot wearing nothing but a smile and a bracelet to reach the showers. Showering before you enter the spa room is obligatory. You can either use a bar of soap which you can find at every shower or purchase one at the entrance or even bring your own from home or hotel room.

I wasn’t exactly sure what I was doing but tried to look around for help by mimicking others. Good way to start when you feel confused. Worked for me at least. So I headed to the shower and started to wash my whole body with soap, trying to feel comfortable wearing nothing. I think I only felt awkward until the moment I entered the shower rooms. Then everything went smoothly. No one really cares that you’re naked. It’s normal; that’s why you’re there. After that, I used a towel to rub my wet hair and continued to the other rooms. Basically here you can use all tubs and saunas as much as you like for five hours. There are various options for your spa treatment such as a cold bath or mugwort bath and other medical hot baths for you to indulge in. It took a few moments to acquaint myself to this new experience which I must say I found entertaining and interesting. I don’t know why I was the only foreigner in the room that day but Korean ladies seemed comfortable with that; some even tried to guide me or help me out and even just smile at me as a welcoming gesture. After all we all look alike naked. Not a big deal really. I also watched how they were acting in the room. They seem to put a lot of effort and time for their personal care. They brushed their teeth carefully and exfoliated their bodies ruthlessly. They combed their hair and used body oils helping each other as if in a ritual. I didn’t have much time left so I spent two hours in there, trying all kinds of baths and relaxing in the sauna room with the other ladies who were chatting and laughing. Couldn’t understand a word of what they were saying but still it was interesting and amusing. Time passed quickly and I had to return to my Airbnb to pack my stuff and get ready to leave. A revitalizing session at the Korean spa was coming to an end leaving me with new experiences and thoughts. Living like a local on my journeys is what makes them unique and helps me absorb all the new information much more easily. I would definitely do this again. Wonder what’s next. I still haven’t figured that out.