The top item on my Korea list was to visit a Jjimjilbang public bath , and this was only partly because they are so delightfully named! After showering and popping on our pyjamas, we met in the relaxation room, a large room filled with rows of comfortable reclining seats.
People were sprawled on their chairs, scrolling their phones or watching films on their individual TV screens. It was cool but not quite what we were here for, so we moved on to the main spa area downstairs. This was a huge, light-filled space over two floors, with several ornamental ponds, a cafe, and loungers, cushions and mats for relaxing. First, we practised making our traditional towel hats and then visited the outdoor foot bath area to show off our handiwork, picking up some quilted jackets on our way outside.
Back inside and leading off the main space were the saunas, at least ten of them. Each had a different theme and purported benefits, like the Pyramid room All this sauna hopping was making us hungry, so we picked up some sauna eggs and sikhye a sweet, iced drink made from rice as a snack. Then, we got into the thick of it by walking through the market itself. Thanks only to our sheer laziness in not unpacking our trainers after our walks on Jeju, we were both wearing our walking boots, but this turned out to be a real blessing!
The floor was very wet and there was evidence of someβ¦struggles, shall we say, between the determined traders and the poor fish. We observed a woman wrestling a huge fish in the aisle, saw trays of the unnervingly wiggly penis fish , and stood for a while watching a very determined crab attempt to escape his tank.
On the second floor were the raw fish restaurants, which will prepare your purchases and serve them to you, no cooking needed. Our final stop in Busan was the mountainside Gamcheon Culture Village.
