My girlfriend is in town visiting. She went snowboarding yesterday and when she got back at night, we decided to go to the 24 hour spa at midnight. I got a Korean scrub & she got a massage. Stayed there til about 3:30 in the morning and had we been better prepared, we would have just stayed there overnight! Next time.
A k-scrub, if you don’t know, is when they take this magical scrub and literally scrub off the first layer of your skin and get rid of all dead skin cells. You do this butt naked and get scrubbed from head to toe. It was heavenly!
So heavenly that it inspired me to get a plastic stool, bucket and my very own magical scrub from the Korean market today. I will now take all showers sitting down and rinse with a bucket, Asian style. lol. Not only goes it conserve water, there aren’t too many things that feel better than having warm water poured on you in cold weather.
The magical scrub I speak of. This is not your typical loofah or bath cloth.
Nor is it usually as gay as that looks.
Korean bath houses (at least in America) are gender specific. Each gender congregates in their own section. All premises in the spa are FULLY NUDE except for the lobby. Nudity is not an option. You’re naked in the jacuzzi, you’re naked in the steam room, you’re naked during your massage or scrub. Not a place for the shy. Or small. ;)
It’s awkward at first, especially if you’re going with friends, but you get used to it after a while and become much closer to your friends- if you know what I mean.
Here in Los Angeles, I go to Wilshire Spa. It’s $20 to use the amenities only or $50 for a 40 minute scrub + unlimited use of their spa. Not to shabby. There’s a rest room where people literally sleep over night, which I plan on doing some time in the near future.
I absolutely LOVE being able to go to the spa any time of day or night but I wish it were co-ed. Wouldn’t it just be an awesome place to go with your significant other and spend the day? Not that I don’t love the conversations with my girls but it’s a great atmosphere to really get to know someone.
I plan on doing a k-spa trip once a month. Maybe even by myself sometimes. It is so peaceful and relaxing. Most importantly (for me anyway) no cell phone or internet reception. Peace and quiet, all to yourself. =)
Sounds wonderful. I really enjoyed the public baths when I was in Japan.
. According to the seller, the handbook was published by Doubleday, Page & Company, New York. “This is known as the original edition, and is the first printing of that edition,” says the seller.
