Boryeong: Mud Festival

One of the wonderful things about Koreans is that they will tell you just about everything is good for you.  Kimchi is good for your body.  Silkworms make your skin whiter.  Ox blood cures hangovers.  Turning to a Korean friend last week I asked, "Is soju good for you, Jae-Min?"  He said he was sure it was.

 

So, it's no surprise that the Boryeong Mud Festival has become what it is now: Koreans largest festival that attracts people from all over the world lasting two weeks.  The mud is supposedly good for your skin.  With this in mind, I was more than excited to experience magically beautiful mud-skin for myself.  Many different groups in Seoul offer a flat price for transportation (a three hour bus ride from Seoul), two nights in a pension, and sometimes even a meal that's a flat free of around 100,000 won.  We picked one, and were on our way.

While I'm glad I went, overall I wouldn't recommend it: it's definitely not a must while in Korea, and certainly not the reason you should come to Korea in the first place.  It's not a beach of mud--there is a beach, which is wonderful, but the mud is contained to an area filled with organized, wholesome fun that costs 5,000 won and requires a wristband. There are one or two obstacle courses, and an interesting pool for dodgeball, but the mud is it's own special brand and nothing about the experience was particularly "genuine", nevermind Korean. Of course, like anything, most people I talked to enjoyed it thoroughly but remember only tidbits.  Listening to Nickelback can be a blast if you're wasted out of your mind.

 

That being said, some highlights:

1) Gretchen and I were making sure we were thoroughly covered in mud when I turn around and there were five cameras clicking away.  I felt like a celebrity and struck a pose, which brought two more cameras towards us.  In a brilliant marketing move, the Mud Festival holds a picture contests where the best photograph wins a considerable amount of money.  So they are everywhere, snapping pictures.  My friends joined me and Gretchen in the middle of our vogue shoot, and soon there were fifteen people taking pictures.  They only stopped when we ran out of poses and ran away.  In the universe somewhere, there are literally hundreds of pictures of my friends and I looking fabulous.

 

2) We happened to be there for opening night, and the most amazing fireworks show went off above the ocean.  Something about seeing fireworks when you don't expect them makes them that more amazing.

3) Lastly there was Rachel and I, and we started swimming as far out into the ocean as we could, trying to talk to China whilst on a high that can only come from pure happiness.  A few weeks before we were in the Sea of Japan, so being in the Sea of China made us unreasonable, ridiculously happy about life. 

So, I guess in the end I had an amazing time (per usual), and should recommend Mud Festival.  Or, I recommend just grabbing some good friends, bringing some soju, buying some fireworks (or maybe not), and finding a beach somewhere.