Korean Job Discussion Forums

[juliebaas]

The mud festival looks fun. I think it will be a great party for anyone young or old, drunk or sober. A once in a lifetime experience.

Now, to logistics. Trying to plan to go has been a nightmare. I emailed 4 or 5 minbaks for a reservation, no response. Tried calling, no one speaks English, one person even hung up on me. Got my Korean friend to call. Two places said no foreigners, wouldn't take a reservation for us. The last place, Internet something, said yes, but it is 150,000 won for a room, and we have to wire half the money ahead of time.

Soooo, any suggestions for where to stay? Am leaning toward the jimjillbang but am leary of showing up with no reservations and worried about sleeping in the place. Still, if I am going to pay to sleep on the floor, 5,000won beats 150,000 won. Where exactly is the jimjillbang?

Oh, finally, are there lockers at the festival that you can rent to put your stuff in? Thanks.

[swetepete]

The mud jimjilbang is right by the town square thingie on the beach drive, but it's not a sleeper as I remember. A town the size of Gangneum will have a jimjilbang for sure tho, even if boryeong doesn't. Taxis will take you where you need to go, just say 'pisuda jimjilbang kajayo?' or something like that and it'll probably work.

[hugo_danner]

Go to a PC Bang and drink a few beers, sleep for a few hours, pay and leave. That's what Koreans do!

[indytrucks]

[seoulsucker]

I went with no reservations last year and had no problems finding a decent room right off the beach. Slept 6 of us and cost 150. Luxury? Not quite, but air conditioning and a decent shower.

I don't think you'll have a problem finding a room. There are love motels all over the place as well that charge around 60 a night if you're looking for privacy.

[gajackson1]

I've been going on & off, as time permits, over the past 10 years.

I'm going to try to deal with the OP first, and then a general rundown on the rest -

I don't know how well you 2 deal with jetlag; in addition, it will have quite a bit to do with how stress-free your time was right before coming here, and if you have already tried to make the time/sleep adjustment.

It will be hot here, humid, and at the edge of rainy season. The second weekend will be abetter choice in general, but you all are coming the first week.

Aircon is better than a few years ago, but not fantastic (many places that have one will keep the windows/doors open), which will affect your comfort. Also, I would EXPECT they wont put you & your GF in a room by yourselves - it will be a group setting, or divided male-female, probably.

Next big question is how do you feel about festivals in general? It is true that BMF has gotten bigger each year, and more 'Westernized' with all that implies. Over 2 million Koreans expected over those 9 days, and 30k+ foreigners (but a fair chunk of those being Chinese - the Japanese stick out more).

Accommodations are generally overpriced, if they will allow foreigners; booze is cheap; food runs the range. There are competitions, events, a parade (where a couple of years ago, we wound up meeting a cool Brazilian crew, and - through them - met Jenn Hawkins later on that evening). Nightlife is more limited - we are trying to take over a booking club, and do a seoulesque DJ party, but unsure if that will come together this year.

It CAN be a full blown debauch; you can also take/get a bike, rollerblades, kites, swim, do the mud-thing, camp, drum circles, etc. As it's gotten bigger, more groups of people have gone to do 'their thing' - like the scooter clubs and mini-bike riders.

If you want, you can meet some pretty cool Koreans, and catch views of 'real' Korean life - much like you could at Mardi Gras; you just have to get away from the center of Jackson Square, be polite, and get to meet some people.

As for the age thing? Well, like many festivals, I guess it just depends - Guadalupe River Riding, South by Southwest, Carnivale in Rio, Jazz Festival - those are things that don't seem to discriminate against age.

If you all don't want to go the first weekend, when your school is, you could always try for the second weekend. And at the end of the month is Pentaport Rock festival. Flow Festival in Choon-chun is coming up, but there will probably never be another official An-myon do party. Find some decent websites to keep track of what is going on around the peninsula, like Ztravelbugz or SeoulStyle, and you all will meet people and get to wander in whatever direction you want!

Christina & I hope you have a great year. Try to keep the balance between work & play, and travel as you are able!

Regards,

Glen

For anyone who wants, here is the 'official' site for BMF; there is also a live-time webcam cast of the main beach area -

http://www.mudfestival.or.kr/lang/en/index.jsp

[twg]

Holy crap... he lives.

[gajackson1]

Not only do I live, I'm also hoping to be called up for Transformers 2. I think I need more 'bling,' tho -

Sketches look good! Do Orchid from Killer Instinct for me, whatsay???

As for me, Yes, I really am still here. Just stopped with the teaching, and got back to more living. Traveled a lot these past couple of years, and have been getting back into the outdoors (motorcycle, blading, swimming), gym, computers and turntablism. Oh, and I play in the Songtan Pool League on Thursday nights.

Winding things down here slowly; we head out for Costa Rica late spring/early summer of next year, after C finishes up her last contract @ Suwon Uni.

Catch me for a beer & bbq on the rooftop cafe in Sanbon (i.e. - our villa), or at a festival/djing/club event.

Werd!

~G~

[itaewonguy]

[twg]

[Tiger Beer]

This is looking better and better.. thanks for this thread as well!

I hope to make it this year for the first time.

[casper5]

I am wondering, where do people go to get all muddied up at the Boryeong Mud Festival. Is the mud just covering the whole of Daecheon Beach, and, if so, is the beach muddy like that all the time or just during the time of the year of the festival? Will this festival be impacted by the MT Hebei Spirit oil spill that occurred up by Daesan port this year?

[Underwaterbob]

[Bibbitybop]

The mud is actually imported from other nearby areas. During the festival, there is a huge mud pool people waller in like piggies, there are buckets of mud handed out from trucks and other activities that will get you muddy. The beach is just a sandy beach, though I don't know if Taean oil spill affected its quality.

During the non-festival times, there are still mud spas people go to for the mud.

If you go to the mud festival with Adventure Korea, they take you to the mud flats where some of the mud is retrieved. It is a lot of fun. But the hotels A.K. books for the trip suuuuuuuuck, and I won't be going with them again for that reason. You don't even get a yo (Korean mattress) to sleep on, you pretty much sleep on a quilt on a hard floor.

[crusher_of_heads]

I think I will be atending this year. princess, I will see you there.