Jimjilbang saved my life when I was almost freezing in Incheon Airport

You probably had read that I once practically lived (slept-over) in Changi or another airport in Southeast Asia for days, this is different! As I went to South Korea like many times back forward to bring an open trip group, but I never stayed overnight in Incheon.

This year, our bwamtrip got a privilege to have 2 batches in spring Korea backpacker group 2017. The first batch left Incheon on the 2nd of April and the second batch came after it on the 3rd of April. As I remembered how stupid I was because the second batch was boarding in 3 but practically arrived Incheon at 4 for the overnight flight. I did not notice about it because I was thinking that they would be arriving on the 3rd of April in the morning, so I decided to stay awake working my ass off whole night in the airport, but then a conversation with someone popped up the light in my head.

I was like “OH MY GOD! What I  am doing now at the airport when they would arrive the day after tomorrow!” And I laughed like crazy thinking how stupid I was. Really unbelievable!

As it was getting night and the airport was getting cold, they probably turned low the heater. I packed my stuff, closed the lid of my laptop without, even off it out. I walked straight to the sauna in Airport thinking it would still be open in the middle of the night.

“We apologize, we have a lot of customers, so we couldn’t accept more,” the staff of Spa On Air told me about the situation when I asked her if there any slot left.

And the unexpected journey in Incheon was starting. I was tried looking for a place, a warm place, but it seemed every place was so cold. I checked some places I could go at that hour, that was the time I realized it was 10.15 pm and I was like, “This time I’m Screw up!” Like, where would a place that still open to accepting a reservation when it was almost in the middle of the night except the hotel. Then, I tried to sleep everywhere in the Airport, but the coldness was starting to get into my bones.

Time showed 10.45 and the weather was freezing me up. I grabbed my bag and running to the KTX station. As I tried to pass the entry machine, I realize another thing messed up, I lost my T-money. “Get your sense back, gosh!” I yelled at myself, realizing how stupid I was for everything happened that day.

I ran to the T-money machine and bought the new one. After reloading money on it, I ran back and passed the entry machine. It was the last train to the city, Thank God I reached the train right in time.

45 minuted in the KTX made me think where I should go as time was getting late and I did not have any internet connection with me. I arrived Seoul station when it passed midnight. I covered my head with the hoodie and walked out of the station. Right in front of the station, I noticed there was a place that I knew surely still open and I could go there.

Sauna, or known as Jimjilbang in Korean, is a Korean sauna, where you could find in some places in Seoul. There is one jimjilbang that I could definitely find without wifi as I went there a couple times.

I turned myself and walked to the back of Seoul Station. It was dark as the station was getting ready to close and all shops have been closed. I walked fast confidently.

Tips: if you are in a place where it is not your hometown/country, be confident is a must.

Heaven in Oxygen Room of Siloam Sauna

Siloam sauna is located only 500 m from Seoul station. Once I was behind the station, I could see the sign of Siloam sauna shining big above its building. I crossed the street and went inside of it. Guess I was right, It is open 24 hours. I paid, got the sauna clothes, put my shoes in the lockers, received my locker key and was ready to explore the sauna. Oh wait, I was not to explore, I was there to sleep LOL.

The sauna was so warm, it was really different with the airport. I walked around looking for a perfect place to sleep. Yet, as I was getting ready to sleep, I felt that it was getting hot LOL (it was a sauna, should be like that gosh!). That was when I noticed this sign “Oxygen room” I never looked that room before when I was there. I went inside of it and it felt so nice. It was not too cold, but not too hot. I grabbed an empty space. Each space has a separated wood. It was soooo nice, I even felt it was my house.

It did not take me too long to sleep. As I was starting to sleep, I thank God for everything good and bad that happened to me that day. It took a long way from Incheon Airport to Siloam sauna. Yet it was all paid for a nice night with a nice dream. Never felt better than this.