Jungmun Beach and hot-baths

We finished the day beachcombing on Jungmun Beach. We had the entire beach to ourselves! It was awesome! The beach boasts white/khaki sand and is sidelined on other side by giant black lava rock boulders--very much like many of the beaches on Hawaii's Big Island. I was like a kid in a candy store--as I found several pieces of blue, green, emerald coloured polished glass. Quite opposite of my experience on Washington State's beaches. Only found one small abalone shell.

HOT BATHS, Japanese-style

After our trek along the beach, we headed to the hotel's gorgeous blue-tiled swimming pool which boasts an incredible view of the coastline--for a few laps.

After the swim, trkee & trkr ventured to the men's bath house and rnrB & I ventured over to the women's bath house. Having either lived in or visited Asia off and on since 1997--this was the first experience I have personally had in a Sento style bath house! It was exhilarating! I can see that this could become an addiction if I lived in Asia full-time!

It was expected that you scrub your entire body in the showers along one side of the wall. Once 'clean', you moved over to the various 'dunking' tubs. The first tub was really cold (I presume this was set up for the visitors of the dry sauna to dunk in alternating between trips to the dry sauna). Then the middle tub was heated to 39* Celsius. The far tub was heated to 43* Celsius. I dipped my toe into the cold tub--but it was too cold for me--brought back memories of freezing cold swimming pools at 0530 for morning swim practices. Then I tested the 39* pool and instantly slid into the blue tiled square shaped tub that could possibly hold 5 women outstretched, 8 women sitting upright. The jets were rushing and it was the perfect ending for a long day of hiking and stairclimbing. Then, after relaxing in that tub for a while I tested the 43* tub and it felt like it was cooking my foot. So, we returned to the 39* tub and relaxed until it was time to turn in for the evening. What an experience!!! The only thing missing was the $250 Swedish massage!