Chewy
How does that poem go? Water water everywhere, but not a drop to drink? That’s what I think of when I go to different places around the world and see just fantastically beautiful places with great waterfronts. Except in my case, it isn’t drinking the water that I wish I could do, but instead to swim in it. Drink it? Come on – I’m not stupid.
People like to settle near water because it gives them something to drink, strong defence against invaders back in the day and for transportation purposes. By modern accounts, only like 1.5 of those things matter any more and all requite a heavy investment of technology to make that at all possible. There are a few locations though that are just so pretty you’d like to dive on in and bask in the ambience, and if it weren’t for a few things like ‘rules’ and ‘health concerns’, I’m sure it would be a fantastic time.
Here are my places I’d love to swim in… if I could.
Venice
Who wouldn’t want to dive right into the Grand Canal, swim underneath Rialto and then emerge at St. Marco’s? Anyone with half a brain and can imagine what a city built on the water must have done to its water over the centuries – that’s who. Even still, anyone who has been to Venice in the height of summer and endured it’s ridiculous heat has to agree with me about how much of a tease being surrounded by all that water is. Thank the maker for A/C.
Bangkok
Okay take whatever I said about Venice and multiply it by like a billion because that’s likely how bad Bangkok is. Also built on a series of canals that wrap around the city, Bangkok is also a tropical destination, meaning all those sweet hot weather microbes and parasites have it pretty sweet in this crowded, vibrant city. I’m not even sure it’s actually water… so be sure to keep your mouth closed if you boat over it and don’t even think of hopping in.
Twelve Apostles, Australia
This one isn’t so much because of the lack of hygienic conditions (it’s probably the cleanest of all the locations on this list) but more so that it’s probably just frowned upon – maybe even illegal, I don’t know. The Twelve Apostles on Australia’s Great Ocean Road are beautiful to say the least but they’re also protected for their safety and for yours. Wonder why? Well, take a gander at the number of heaping rock piles on the beach and then count how many ‘apostles’ there are still standing. Maybe being next to them when they fall, at any time, wouldn’t be a great idea, regardless of how great a picture it would make.
Thames River
Did you know there is also a Thames river in the Canadian city of London? Did you also know that when I put this body of water on the list, I was referring to the British one but the Canadian one should also be avoided? Well, it should. In the case of the British one though, it would be sweet to hop in and swim that famous river, under Tower Bridge and London Bridge, emerging right at the Houses of Parliament.. were it not for how gross it likely is. I bet even in the days of the Romans it still wouldn’t have been a great for a dip.
