Nude and public: they don't belong together

I have three kids who are totally fine with being nude on any occasion. In fact, it doesn't even have to be an occasion for them to be nude. It is just a normal state of being! It may have something to do with growing up in the Solomon Islands where clothes were really an option (when at home anyway) thanks to the heat and the fact they spent their days just going in and out of the pool. I, however, have never really embraced the public nude thing. In fact I am totally convinced that "nude" and "public" do not belong together except perhaps in a hospital when you are forced to be nude as you have to give birth. No matter how many Korean Baths I visit during this adventure I doubt I will ever change my mind! 

My recent public naked adventure (yes, there have been a few but mostly they have been complete accidents) began innocently enough. After a few months in Seoul and looking at the view of the masses of concrete and grey from outside our window, we decided it was time to get back to nature (pun so not intended) for a mini-break. We picked the destination, Seoraksan National Park, booked the hotel, packed our bags and off we went, anticipating a couple of relaxing days (whatever that may mean when travelling with little ones) in the mountains. 

Close to Seoraksan is the Osaek Mineral Water Springs and several hotels in the area use the Springs as the water source for their public baths. We had decided that a fun, family activity would be an afternoon visit to one such establishment, described by the Lonely Planet as a "mountain chalet-inspired complex...[that] has lovely...bath areas." Note the clear omission of nakedness in this summary. 

At first, all seemed perfectly normal in the hotel's change-room, with women of all ages, including smaller children, taking their clothes off. The kids and I did the same and, as we usually do, proceeded to put on our bathing suits. Things then got a little more interesting. I heard a finger wagging at me (amazing how you can hear this but I swear you can, especially when it is an adjuma doing the wagging) and I caught the eye of the change room monitor. She pointed at my bathing suit and shook her head (along with her finger). My bathing suit is super ugly (plain blue high cut one piece designed with practicality in mind. It is also over six years old and really does not do much to flatter the body attempting to squeeze into it) so my first thought was that perhaps she had taken offence to its blandness but it soon became apparent that the bathing suit was not the problem. As I looked around, I became all too aware that there was a lot taking off going on but no corresponding action of putting on. The naked women were remaining naked. I fearfully unfolded the towel I had been handed. To even call it a towel would be an insult to towels. This piece of towel was more like a child's face washer and it was not going to hide anything even if I tried inconspicuously to hold it across me. Clearly I had a choice: politely decline at this point and walk out with three disappointed kids (who, of course, are totally fine with the naked thing) or embrace my female form in all its glory and enter the baths. I closed my eyes for a moment in resignation for the humiliation that was soon to come. Deep breath in and the naked path we took. 

People, the scene facing my small tribe when we opened the change room doors will never leave me. I had entered some alternate reality where I was taking part in a Cleopatra-esque era movie Korean style. There were more than ten big (think typical Aussie backyard pool big) rectangle baths spread out before us. There were hot baths, hotter baths and even hotter baths to choose from (temperature readings at the top told you what to expect) along with a walking bath, a mud bath, a cold bath and the outside bath (where, as we discovered, there was no where to hide thanks to the water clarity). Along one side of the enormous cavern were rows and rows of mirrored benches where groups of women sat on small stools facing the mirrors and vigorously scrubbed each other using special gloves and brushes. All totally naked. Despite all the activity - women walking from bath to bath, from bath to scrubbing area and back to bath - there was an unbelievable sense of calm that exuded from all. One might even say it was somewhat liberating and strangely comforting all at once. I would like to report that I soon got used to being this naked but I did not. Oh no, not at all.   

In no particular order, this is what was going through my mind as I joined the hundreds of other naked women in the bath: 

• What if an incident should happen here inside the baths to one of the elderly adjumas in the bath with me (and there were quite a few)? CPR would best be performed not naked I assume?  
• What if the baths suddenly caught fire and you were literally caught with your pants down as the fire brigade turned up? For my brother, this would not even be an issue but if you are not my brother I will assume that you would feel a little awkward.  
• What if a major story was breaking right outside the hotel and, with no warning, CNN burst into the baths and, with camera in hand, thrusts a microphone in your face to ask for your reaction? Remember I am naked. Well, as we know, the news waits for no-one: by the time I had clothed myself, CNN would have moved on to someone else to ask for their views and my one shot at journalistic fame would have to be passed up thanks to the need to cover up first.
• Still on the sudden escape theme, being in a state of Korean bath zen with freshly scrubbed skin from your friend/mother/sister/daughter (who have all happily spent a naked afternoon together) would not help me become all Bruce Willis like should the moment eventuate. 
• And finally, what if this was just some cruel joke and the women were actually all completely dressed but, to my eye, I was convinced they were all naked (a reverse Emperor's New Clothes situation)? The shame, the shame.  

Taking all of these possible, maybe not highly likely but possible nevertheless, scenarios is into consideration, I failed miserably to enjoy the public naked Korean Bath experience. My 3 children later, stretch mark ridden body and/or other western no nude inhibitions, had absolutely nothing to do with it at all!

Seoul to Seoul: complete baring of the soul is not required.  

Some pictures of the area below.

Seoraksan National Park

Woljeong-sa Temple, located in Odaesan National Park