Swimming

A few of my neighbors go swimming so I was invited to join them one day. They belong to this fitness center, which is no longer extending membership to new customers so it is quite exclusive. The swimming area is partioned by male and females. Upon entering the women's quarters there is a sauna, hot tub and pool, which is the size of a pool in one's backyard. Whereas, the men's pool is olympic sized. There were about a dozen women, half of them were lounging in the chaise chairs. Everyone was dressed in a one piece suit and wearing a swimming cap. I thankfully packed a pair of swimming shorts to wear with my 2-piece and was able to rent a cap from the front desk. Even so I still felt out of place. I swam laps for awhile, but most of the women were hanging out chatting in the pool. There was a small kiddy pool connected to our pool, but no kids were there. It was an interesting experience. The irony is the pool is alongside Chowpatty beach, a popular beach in Mumbai. However, you will not find Indians swimming/sunbathing at the majority of beaches in India. Instead there are food stalls in the sand and people hanging out in their 'street' clothes.