Korean Adventure

So, yesterday, to celebrate my birthday, I stepped outta my comfort zone and treated myself to a body scrub and an oil massage at a Korean spa in Koreatown.

Century Day & Night Spa was my choice.

I had read several reviews on Yelp, but, as usual, Yelp reviews ALWAYS have reviewers who present polar opposite critiques.  So, I simply chose Century because I've passed it up a million times when I frequently used to drive to Baldwin Hills.

Once inside, the front desk lady was very pleasant, took my driver's license, then gave me my locker key.

I walked into the locker room area, found my locker, then disrobed.  Completely!  I wrapped a towel around me, then headed out for the steam rooms and sauna pools.

Side note: some of the spa guests were much more at ease in the environment than I was, since it was my first time.  Meaning: they walked around HOLDING their towel, instead of WEARING it!

Listen, I'm not a big fan of really hot water.  Not at all.  So, the first sauna pool I entered heated me up in no time flat.  I was sweatin' in that sucka.  So, I got out and hopped into a cooler one.  That one eventually made me sweat, so I walked over to the ice cold pool.  Well, that was toooooooooooooo damn cold!  I couldn't even summon the courage to get into that pool past my knees!

After thirty minutes or so, I was called by David, my masseuse, to begin the two procedures I had purchased.  The body scrub wasn't near as bad as Conan O'Brien pretends in the video below.  I liked it.  Especially when David poured the warm water over me.  He scrubbed thoroughly, that's for dang sure.

I was instructed to shower after the scrubbing so I could be ready for the oil massage.  When I came back into the room, David told me to lie on my back.  He placed cucumbers over my eyes, then proceeded to rub oil infused with cucumber all over me!  Well, not all over, 'cause genitals are not touched.  And yes, spa guests lie on the massage tables completely nude.  With THREE guests per room, mind you!

Body scrub done.  Oil massage done.  Then it was off to check out the various steam rooms.  Lawd, let the record state, CAM Jr wants NO part of really hot steam rooms.  Truth be told, I entered the Korean Mist steam room and thought I'd die from heatstroke!  That room was so damn hot.  Next door to it was the Eucalyptus room, and good googly moogly, that mother was even HOTTER!  No, sir!  I wanted nothing to do with either room.

I wound up coming across the Marble room and another steam room that suited me just fine.  So, if/when I return, I'll bypass all the other steam rooms except those two.

I'll admit that I saw several guys who made it pretty obvious they were in search of something other than a cleansing spa experience.  I kept my eyes closed while in the steam rooms, so I didn't have any hassles.  But I noticed what I noticed.  I'll leave it at that.

All in all, I highly recommend checking out a Korean spa at least once.  There's something to be said for communal bathing.  I didn't mind yesterday's experience one bit.

In fact, now that I think about it, I can guarantee I'll return!!!!!