Getting Naked & Feeling Blue!

I’m not blue because of the getting naked part, that part was actually quite relaxing.  I’m blue because I have no pictures to show you today : (  Not because I didn’t take any – according to the number of my last imports on iPhoto, I should have 68 photos.  The problem is they don’t show up for some reason.  I just get a black triangle with an exclamation mark.  AND, I’ve gotten into (what I realize now is) a bad habit of checking the box to delete the pictures off my camera once I have imported them.  B may have a solution for this, but I’m going with the assumption that they are lost forever and that makes me kind of sad.  On top of that I’m in the middle of packing which often stresses me out!  For filming, I had to have 11 different outfits, so my suitcase is stuffed to the gills and I still have Cambodia wear to try to shove in there.  I’m not used to not travelling light!

I got up this morning and headed to the harbor CH suggested I go to yesterday.  Took the train about half an hour.  I was picturing the sea and boats and the smell of the ocean, but it ended up being different than what I expected.  It was pretty much this gigantic fish market.  I was there at about 8:30, so everyone was just setting up.  It was nice because I may have been the only customer there (who knows, the place was so big maybe there were hundreds of us there.)  It was really quite interesting.  Pictures would describe it a bit better, but alas I have none of those!

In the afternoon I went to a “jimjilbang” or a Korean bathhouse.  I had gone a few times before with one of my Korean friends (the first time I went with her is another story, but you’ll have to ask me about that!)  It was one of the things I really missed about Korea when I moved back to Canada.  It does take a bit of getting used to as we westerners aren’t as comfortable strolling around in the buck as Koreans are.  It was also different because I didn’t have anyone with me this time to tell me what to do, and it had been awhile.  Basically, you strip down, head to the “scrub” area where you scrub your skin raw and wash every nook and cranny on your body.  From here you shower and then you’re free to enter whatever hot pool, cold pool, outdoor pool, or sauna you want.  How do I know this?  I basically waited until someone else arrived at the same time as me, then watched them to see what they were doing (while trying to not seem like a stalker who was eyeing them!)  CH told me Koreans stay here “hanging out” for 4-5 hours.  He dropped me off at 1 and came back for me at 5:30.  Though it is quite relaxing, I couldn’t see myself being there for that long.  I lasted 2.5 hours, but that was pushing it.  My whole body was one big prune by then.  Of course I don’t have pictures from that experience, so I guess that’s a few pictures that I didn’t lose!

Off to Cambodia tomorrow.  My flight doesn’t leave until 7:00 PM, so I may just put off this packing until tomorrow.  Hopefully the wifi works ok there, so I can continue keeping you updated.  I’m expecting that Cambodia is going to be a very different experience.  I’m going to really miss Korea.  Hopefully I make it back here sooner than in another 15 years.  Maybe I might even bring B along for the ride next time!