8/3/2019 SF Chron Seoul Sept2011 Pg3
1/1
San Francisco Chronicle and SFGate.com | Sunday, September 18,
2011 | J5
FROM THE COVER
full monty with a roomfull of strangers, theyneednt be.
Downstairsin the blue-tiled mens
bath, Im effectively in-visible as I ease myselfinto the
109-degree hotpool, fragrant with theherby scent of mugwort,a sign
incongruouslytouting its healing prop-erties for a variety
ofgynecological diseases.
After a few minutes
Im completely steamed,and pad over to the coldpool to plunge
myselfheadlong into the icywater, instantly releasinga huge,
euphoric rush ofendorphins that expandsthrough my body as I
sitimmersed to my neck.
I skip the vigorousministrations of the mas-sage staff in the
KoreanBuff corner, scouringspa-goers raw with nub-
bly green mittens, andopt instead for the saltsauna, scrubbing
myselfshiny and smooth in theheat with big stinging
handfuls of coarse salt.Ninety minutes later, I
emerge into the twilightof the city, as clean and relaxed as
Iveever been.
Dynamic night out
Its late Friday night inHongdae, the bohemianneighborhood
surround-ing central Seouls Hon-gik University, and thestreets are
awash withneon, pounding musicand a carnival atmo-sphere.
Twentyish studentsand expats drift in andout of a dense network
of
bars and clubs, and inthe concrete playgroundat Hongik Park, a
groupof street performerslaunch into a long-jamversion of Bob
MarleysNo Woman, No Cry.
From the rooftop ofdark, funky Bar Da, a
famous artists hangout ashort distance away, I sitand watch the
crowds
pouring through thenighttime streets.
You know, when Ifirst heard the new tour-ism slogan, I
laughed,says my guide Myeong-Hee Jeong, a sixth-gener-ation
Seoulite. Ithought, Dynamic Ko-rea, what is that? Butnow more and
more Ithink that it makes sense you come to Hongdaeat midnight and
you cansee it everywhere, thiskind of energy.
Indeed, from this van-tage, few words wouldseem more apt. I
follow
Jeong back down tostreet level, past crowdsin vinyl tent bars
quaff-ing shots of soju, thelocal rice liquor. Allaround us masses
areflowing into clubs likeNoise Basement, M2 andFF, or eating
barbecuefrom street-side braziers
set in low metal tables.The night wears on in
an alcohol haze into the
small hours peoplestumbling out of karaokeparlors (called
norebang)and snacking from thecountless open-air foodstalls lining
the avenue but even at 4 a.m., thestreets never seem toempty.
Time to crash? Head toanother club? Or maybefind some more
livelysannakjiat one of thestalls? It depends on thetraveler.
Glenn Pihlak had putit best.
Its a city that can bedone in so many ways, aplace that really
hasnt
been mapped out, hesaid. Discovery in Seoulis always a
personalexperience.
Matthew Crompton is afreelance writer. E-mailcomments
[email protected].
Matthew Crompton / Special to The Chronicle
Top: Fishmongers display their wares at Seouls Noryangjin fish
market.
Park Ji-Hwan/ AFP/ Getty Images
Above: One of three Floating Islands sits in the Han River near
thesouthern end of Banpo Bridge.
If you go
GETTING THERE
A number of carriers fly nonstop to Seoul Incheon
International Airport, including Singapore Airlines,
Korean Air, Delta, U.S. Airways and United.
WHAT TO DO
The Hongdae area is named for nearby Hongik Uni-
versity in the Mapo-gu District in northwest Seoul.
Garosugil Street is in the affluent Gangnam District
south of the Han River in central Seoul.
Silloam Sauna: Seoul, 02-3643-9445, www.silloam
sauna.com (click on English).
Coffee Smith: Seoul, 02-3445-3372.
Matthew Crompton / Special to The Chronicle
Bright lights illuminate the entertainment districtof Sinchon,
which abuts the emerging bohemianenclave of Hongdae.
Seoul from page J4
