Be Careful Where You Swim

December 9, 2012

 

This was a pleasant day to go for another swim at the river.

As usual there were many people doing laundry and bathing.

 

It’s a little bit disturbing watching mom combing and picking lice out of the kids’ hair. I execute a quick exit from downstream of that. It’s also disturbing the people leave the empty laundry soap plastic sachets. My habit is to find a discarded plastic bag, they’re always around, and pick up all the plastic trash along the river bank and along the road on the way home. I’m always hoping when people see me doing this they will maybe be more conscientious about their littering.

This woman was drying fish in the sun laid out on the rocks. They’re very small and I don’t think they’re from the river, maybe caught in the sea and brought here to dry as she’s doing her other domestic chores.

 

Sometimes the river is cleaner than others. Clarity while snorkeling differs on different days. When I think about all the people who might be using the river upstream for various things like laundry, bathing, cleaning fish and butchered chicken as well as the caribou that laze around in it I’m thinking the farther I go upriver for swimming the better. The only thing is every time I’ve gone exploring there has been no end to human habitation. Trails go off in every direction, well worn from motorcycle use. There are many people live in the jungle in nipa huts with no running water or electricity.