April 20 ++ Korea

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April 20 cont.
So I got if the bus in Chuncheon and I decided to try and ask the info both for a cheap place to stay. The woman had to call another info both so I could speak to that woman in the phone. It was a bit funny but it worked out well. She told me the cheapest hotel was 30000 wan which is about 25 usd or so. I didn't want to pay that so the woman thought for a minute and spoke to the Korean at the both I was at. Then she handed me back the phone and the woman said I could stay in a public bath house for 8000 a night. "Sold." She said I'd have to sleep in a room with Koreans. I didn't mind it was about 20 bucks cheaper plus she said if I get there before 8pm it's only 6000 like 4 bucks. Awesome. . So they gave me directions and off I went. Thing was it was pouring really hard outside. I had my rain coat but it was just miserable. I walked way past it with out knowing. I asked one guy and be had to ask a little kid and he just pointed me back. I stopped on a convenient store and she just pointed back as well. I tried asking in a shoe store but she waived me off and went in the back what a bitch. So I'm cold and wet and can't find this place. Then a car flies by hitting a huge puddle and spraying the hell out if me. F an A. I was miserable. I stood in the middle of the street just looking around thankfully a college age kid stopped. I showed him where I was going he called someone then walked me to it finally a nice guy.
So I got there I paid my 6000 won got a shirt and shorts and went and changed and then looked around. There was the sauna area which has 4 hot tubs with different water temps, a cold pool and 4 steam/sauna rooms as well. This was just in the guys floor. Then on the common floor there was a tv with jade floors to lie on. Apparently jade is good for your health. There were 4 other hot stone rooms where you lie down on the stones to relax and sweat all were different temps, there also was a cold room. The stones varied as well one was quartz one was a river type stone and another was stones like marbles. It was awesome. Then to top it all off it had an exercise room that I took advantage of a computer and game area and even what looked like mechanical horses. I forgot to mention of course there is massage areas a restaurant and a barber. I may never leave. The woman at the info both said it's not a hotel so I can't come and go as I please, once I'm in, i'm there till I leave. Which us Ok with me. The only down fall is we sleep on the floor which isn't to soft, it's not the worst but it's not great. The worst thing is these guys snore like freight trains or mac trucks pulling the Jake brake. It's terrible I moved locations 3 or so times throughout the night. There are 2 old guys here one works here and another is just a visitor but they are cool trying to talk to me and show me things in my LPG book.

April 21
So I had full intentions to try and go bungee jumping today but it's still cloudy and drizzly out. I don't think they will let me jump in this weather plus I'm still in the sauna which I don't want to leave. What walk around town a little while with my mega heavy pack on and get rained on. No thanks I'll just go relax some more it's been a long 4 moths I think I deserve it. Haha.
Well I did decide to finally venture out. I went to the info center and had them call to see if the bungee jump place was open but due to the weather they weren't. The girls were nice enough to let me leave my bag there so I could walk around a bit and get some food. I had their local Dakgalbi which was stir fry chicken and veggies with a peppery sauce served with the standard lettuce wraps it was pretty good. After lunch I walk through the shopping are but it was cold and wet out, so I hot a coffee and found an Internet to kill some time.
I then headed back to warm up and do some work out in my oasis. Haha. I hit up the steam rooms and hot tubs before I didn't my work out. It was nice. Dad we so need a hot tub at the beach I'll pay for it and take care of it. Well I'm gonna eat my food and relax some more. Rough life. Haha

April 22
So last night I tried sleeping down on the jade floors but I think they were heated so I moved into the cold room but that eventually got to cold. Haha so I spent the night moving back and forth. At least there weren't as many dudes snoring. When I got up I decided to take a last dip in the tubs and I witnessed something no one should. Describing this and picturing it will be painful. So there I was sitting in one of the hot tubs trying not to look around to much. I admit I admire the human body male or female as long as it's taken care of and in peak form like a sculpture. (the bodybuilder in me). Let's say these guys are in less than average form and supporting the 70s fro if you know what I mean. So anyway I was sitting minding my own business when something managed to catch my eye. It was an old dude in one if the steam rooms running in place. Ok no big deal however he was in front if the door stomping to the beat in his head arms swinging like he was actually climbing a mountain or something. I let out a little chuckle and should have turned away but I couldn't. There he was in his birthday suit just happy as can be and stomping along in front if the full GLASS door. Amazing. Haha
I finally left my oasis and went to Inje to hit their 63 meter bungee. After some serious help from the info both I found the XGame company. Did my jump with 3 dudes that spoke no english. It was a weird jump the body harness was strapped on my back rather than my front like normal and they wouldn't let me run off. But it was decent a decent jump 60 meters I think the coffee I chugged before hand added to the excitement of me almost hurling haha. The one jump master was super nice though he brought me back to the bus stop and helped me get the ticket to Seoul and even waited until the bus came and I got on. Really nice guy. Well I'm just on the bus now to Seoul hopefully find another spa to stay at here.

So I made it to Seoul and found some lockers in the train station so I managed to stash most of my stuff. I decided to try and find a Korean flag(my new souvenir idea) I headed to a store they call the dmz which was small but had some old army surplus no flag but I found one of a street vendor. On my way back I got on the subway wrong twice not because I didn't know because it's poorly signed. It's in English but just dumb layout and information. Anyway I make it to my new spa for the night. Man this one is serious 5 floors with different rooms and things some of the hot tubs even have weird stuff in them like special mud or salts. I'll have to write down all the rooms later it's amazing. I had the bimbamp for dinner the mountain veggies it was good but the seaweed soup tasted like Champ or what I would have expected his old bath water to taste like. He had a true dog smell. I don't know. Anyway off to bed.

April 23
So I finally had a good sleep. This sauna had a room full of bunk beds and a snoring room. We still have a few snorers but not as bad as last time. Anyway today was my DMZ tour here in south Korea. We first went to Panmunjom where we were met by soldiers who checked our bus and passports. From here we went to a briefing room where we signed waivers and got a nice history lesson. From there we went to the peace hall and then lead to the meeting room that sits on the boarder. It was crazy there were guards there for our protection and they had to secure and lock the other side of the room that leads to north Korea. There is a white chain fence dividing the 2 and between the buildings there is a concert slab like a small sidewalk. I got to step into north Korea but only in the building. It's pretty high security and tensions. They stand face to face 24/7 with the enemy. After the meeting room we drove by the sight of the axe murder accident. Where ROK and USA soldiers were attempting to cut down a tree that obstructed their view into the north. But the north attacked with axes killing 3 people. Then we drove by the bridge of no return where POWs were release allowed to cross the bridge into the country of their choice but never allowed to return. Then we stopped at a look out point where we could see north Korean's propaganda town made up of mostly facades and nothing more. South Korea had the largest flag pole in the world standing at 100 meters however north Korea had soon built one 160 meters with a 33 meter flag weighing 600 lbs. There is also a village in the DNZ that's protected 24/7. You must be born there or marry someone that lives there to live there. They are tax free and not really under control if the ROK but they do take care of them. Apparently they make around 85 k usd a year. Their crops and rice have the novelty of being categorized as DMZ crops. The MDL, military demarcation line, replaced the old 38 parallel.
We just went through the third tunnel north Korea claimed it was a coal mine but there is no coal in the area so that didn't hold water. They were trying to tunnel a way to attack Seoul The tunnel its self is 2 meters by 2 meters so it's much bigger than the other tunnels I have been it. It lead to a three stage bunker area at the DML line we only got to see the first one which was locked and full if razor wire.

The guide told me at the end that I was lucky because I guess my shirt wasn't nice enough and you're not allowed to wear sandals, guess my 4 buck crocks count as sandals. I asked one of the army guys about the sandal thing he said it's incase they have to evacuate us you can't run in sandals. I'm pretty sure I could out run anyone on that tour bus sandals or barefoot but whatever I got the idea.
When we got back to Seoul I decided to check out the electronic market apparently it's the biggest in Asia but I think the ones in Hong Kong were cooler. Well one more night in my sauna then off to Beijing tomorrow. 1 week left.

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