I'm on a boat!!!!

This weekend was filled with fun and first times!

A friend of mine got tickets for a "booze-cruise". It was in Seoul, so I got to see the city at night, in all its neon glory. Saturday about 15 expats from the Ansan area gathered to make the very crowded and long subway trip to Hangyang.

The cruise was from 6-9pm and was just what you would think of when you hear "booze cruise". There was over 500 foreigners on the boat, and all sorts of drinks. You could even bring your own booze on the ship if you were so inclined! Me and Jess stopped off the boat when we were docked to use the bathroom, and as we were boarding the ship two girls were leaving and asked if we wanted their beer tickets! It was saweeet!  We actually got to have some different types of beer, aside from just Cass and Hite, so it was really refreshing.

We went up and down the river a few times, before finally docking. It was great to see the city of Seoul lit up across the river like that. There were 2 lived bands on board (which was great since I haven't heard live music since I've been here!) and Mexican food! Hmmmm.. spicy tacos and cheese fries... delicious!

A few of us decide to continue the night at Hongkik in Seoul. And yes, for the first time I drank booze from a bag (though come to think of it I have drank boxed wine before- I know, gross- and that's in a bag, but I digress).

We also may have fondled a Charlie Brown statue we saw outside his cafe (after we used their bathroom of course).

Because we were so far away from home, I had my first experience with a jimjibahng. These are public saunas all over Korea. Some are free (we had to pay 6 dowla) and the men and women are separated. You go into an area where there are all sorts of different hot tubs, steam rooms and pools. And yes, you go into the pools or saunas naked. Yup. Naked.

 After we were finished with a quick hot tub, there is a giant sleeping area where there were hundreds of people sleeping on mats. Don't worry, they give you clothes to wear- you can't sleep naked!  It sounds a bit weird, but it worked in a pinch for a place to stay, and it was actually fun! It reminded me of a girlguide sleep over or something!

Needless to say, I did need a nap after we made our journey home that morning. Though many Koreans would disagree with me, sleeping on a mat is just not quite as satisfying as bed.... but realy, a nap is a small price to pay for a pretty fantastic weekend!