Seoul Day I: Siloam Spa, Vatos, and Tunamelts

The tour bus returned us to Seoul Station and I parted ways with Anne, Renee, and Wolf for the day. I was staying the night with a very good friend from college, however I wasn't going to meet up with her for another 3 hours. So I went in search for that jjimjilbang once again and this time I found it!

Failure makes success that much sweeter!

From the outside decor, I knew this would be awesome.

Siloam Spa is five floors of bliss and I highly recommend going for anyone visiting Seoul and seeking a place to chill out. I have been to a few different jjimjilbangs now and though Siloam is not particularly grand or luxurious, it is so far my favorite. It is just a lovely atmosphere with many unique accommodations!

1st Floor

On the first floor are the locker rooms and pools. These are gender segregated and yes, there are naked ajumas everywhere scrubbing each other. No one is shy. The bathing area is complete with shower stalls, sit-down scrubbing stations, as well as a waterfall shower, jacuzzis, and even an ice water pool. Additionally, there are three heated medicinal baths to choose from: a wormwood bath (for menstrual pains), a charcoal bath (for improved circulation and extracting impurities), and a jade bath (to induce peace and tranquility). My favorite part of the first floor is the mist sauna, where there is a bowl of salt to give yourself a skin scrub with. After a rinse and a bath, you don uniform pajama-like garments that everyone wears on all of the other floors.  

2nd Floor

The next floor up is the Resting Room, where they had big screen televisions and heated floors to relax on. Also on this floor is a snack bar and restaurant, serving all the Korean staple dishes.

3rd Floor

The third floor was the Entertainment Room.  This room is lined with massage chairs and more televisions. On this floor there are small rooms for ping pong, arcade games, checkers, karaoke, and workout equipment. There are even shelves of Korean comic books to borrow. Entertaining indeed!

4th Floor

This floor contained the Fomentation Rooms. Apparently, fomentation is the "therapeutic application of warmth and moisture". Much more than a sauna, these rooms claim to offer therapeutic properties as well. For example, one room is filled with Elvan jade, a mineral that helps discharge waste and ease arthritis. Another room was covered from floor to ceiling in wood charcoal, which is said to have purifying and oxygenating properties. There are maybe close to a dozen of these rooms on this floor, which people lay and even nap in. I certainly felt amazing after spending time on this floor.

The Heated Salt Room

The Elvan Jade Room

The Ice Room

5th Floor

I've read that most jjimjilbangs only offer a floor space, blanket, and wooden block pillow for overnight sleeping. Siloam offers sleep rooms with over 300 individual beds. The sleep rooms are divided by gender and they even have a separate room for snorers. It was really comfy considering the dorm like accommodations!

The cherry on top: All of this is available for 10,000 won or about 9 USD. The cost is a bit more if you are staying the night.  But for its price, Siloam Spa as an absolute wonderland.

After feeling completely rejuvenated,  I made my way to Itaewon to meet my dear dear friend, Jessica. She has been living and working in Korea for a couple of years now. Along with our other halves, we used to call ourselves the Tunamelts because of one fateful day where we all unknowingly ordered the same dinner together and decided we were meant for each other.

Jessica took me to Vatos, a Korean Mexican fusion restaurant where one of her friends was celebrating her birthday. I was really excited to eat Mexican food again.  It's probably the food I miss most from California. The ambiance totally reminded me of places in Oakland and San Francisco as well.

Inside Vatos

Reunited with one of my tunamelt besties!

Though on the pricier side, the food was delicious and worth it!

Mango margaritas and...

Kimchi Carnitas Fries... NOMNOMNOM

After dinner we went out to a dance club called Monkey Beach, where they serve drinks from plastic buckets. We danced until our feet hurt and then took a cab home. I couldn't believe that earlier this day I was staring into North Korea. Life, you are too funny.

Directions to Siloam Spa

From Seoul Station (not the subway, the actual train station), exit via the main doors where the escalators for the AREX are located (opposite end from the Metro exits). Go down the steps to the taxi rank and turn right.  Walk straight for 3-4 minutes, you should pass a Lotte Mart on your right. Shortly after that there is a big intersection with a fly-over and under that there is a pedestrian crossing. Use this to cross the road.  At that point, you should be in front of a kimbap shop with an orange sign.  Bear left and just around the bend is a small but steep hill heading to the entrance of Siloam. Here is a link to the map. 

Directions to Vatos

From Itaewon Station, take Exit 1.  Walk straight for about 300 meters.  On your right there will be a ramp.  Walk up the ramp and Vatos is there.