For Seoulites looking for a nearby place to cool off, the Han riverside pools offer assorted activities and spectacles for family, youth and glamorous bodies who don't mind a tan and a date by the waterside.
There are seven pool areas in different districts dotted along the Han River. On the south bank of the river, there are Yeouido, Jamwon, Jamsil, Gwangnaru; on the north, Ttukseom, Ichon and Mangwon.
Each pool is unique. Jamwon, for example, is known to attract the most people with perfect bodies, often scaring off those without supermodel figures. The Mangwon pool is known to have the best view since it is closest to the river. Yeouido is known for its waterslide and possessing the widest pool area. Ttukseom has water ski and wind surfing facilities.
Children dive into the youth pool at the Yeouido Hangang Park.
On weekends, the average poolside resembles a big rally, with the water teeming with bobbing heads and recumbent bodies taking up every square meter of the cement floor with placemats. To avoid the crowds, it's probably better to visit on a weekday. An average 2,000 to 3,000 people per day visit the pools on weekdays, and 6,000 to 7,000 people daily on weekends. Making your way around the pool requires some gingerly footwork, as there are only narrow trails of space left for people to walk around. The crowded poolside area is easier to deal with, however, because the children, youth and adult pools are separated. Thus, adults can be spared the directionless paddling of children with float tubes around their waists, while children can avoid relentless lap-swimming adults.
The entrance fee is half that of most other swimming pools. It is 4,000 won for adults, 3,000 won for youths and 2,000 won for children.
Another alluring aspect of the Han River swimming pools is the activities that take place besides swimming. "Hunting" - a dating practice in which men approach women they like and engage in harmless flirting - is common around the adult pools, according to a lifeguard at the Yeouido Pool.
"The adult pool area is a good place to find a potential date. I've seen many success cases. The ratio of women to men is 7 to 3, so it is relatively advantageous for men to find a date," said Kim Tae-sung, a 25-year-old lifeguard at the Yeouido pool.
For men, the scenery is easy on the eyes, said Kim, because "ninety percent of the women are wearing bikinis."
"To be honest with you, we don't come to swim; we come because it's easy on our eyes. Frankly speaking, who comes here to actually swim?" said Seo Ji-yong, a 19-year-old high school student who turned up at the pool with four friends. The five teenagers scanned the pool area for some time before finally jumping into the water.
On the flip side, lifeguards warn people to watch our for "the perverts." "One pervert was in the women's shower room with a hidden camera, peeking at the women. We caught him yesterday and kicked him out," said a lifeguard.
There is also the danger of children getting lost. "There are frequent announcements made to find missing children," said Kim. "Parents panic sometimes because the poolside area is so wide, it's hard to find their children," he said.
The wide area and diverse activities available at the pool, however, satisfy a family's wide range of interests. "I come every weekend to the Yeouido pool. I prefer Yeouido to other districts because it has the park right beside the pool and we can go inline skating and cycling. The park offers an assortment of activities for the whole family," said Sohn Gyo-hun, a 40-year-old businessman who was enjoying a smoke by the adult swimming pool while his children were at the children's pool.
Some people just like to sit serenely by the pool in the beach chairs, watching the flurry of activity while deep in thought. "I don't come to swim; I come to sit by the pool, get some sun, jump in the water now and then when there aren't so many people," said Richard Flanagan, a 29-year-old English teacher from Ilsan. The funniest thing about the pool is the number of swimming caps, an unusual sight in the United States, according to Flanagan.
The pools also have a variety of food. Prices range from 1,500 won to 5,000 won for ramyeon noodles and spicy rice cakes to sausages and sweet and sour pork dishes.
Each swimming pool has a parking lot and there are differing parking fees for each district. For more information visit http://hangang.seoul.go.kr
(jkwon@heraldm.com)
By Kwon Ji-young
No comments:
Post a Comment