Mid size city with a beach

[Dave Hounddriver]

2 hours ago, -A- said:

The reason I'm looking for beaches is I love to swim in the ocean plus snorkel

When I first arrived I liked it too.  Did not take too many "floaters", pampers, and "feminine napkins" floating by as I swam and dead dogs washed up on the beach to dampen my enthusiasm.  That is all I can think of now when I immerse myself in the local ocean water.  I still go in the local swim pools though, even though the majority of filipinas I have met will get a guilty look on their face when I ask "Did you pee in the pool"

[-A-]

1 hour ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

When I first arrived I liked it too.  Did not take too many "floaters", pampers, and "feminine napkins" floating by as I swam and dead dogs washed up on the beach to dampen my enthusiasm.  That is all I can think of now when I immerse myself in the local ocean water.  I still go in the local swim pools though, even though the majority of filipinas I have met will get a guilty look on their face when I ask "Did you pee in the pool"

hmm I might have to rethink ocean swimming. I compete in ocean swim events here in Australia so I could limit my ocean swims in PI to actual events. There's a series called Swim Junkie, maybe a handful of races but they're all in pretty remote locations so I suspect the water there is a lot cleaner.

[Dave Hounddriver]

9 minutes ago, -A- said:

in pretty remote locations so I suspect the water there is a lot cleaner.

Perhaps .  . probably even.  However, the Philippine culture has long used the ocean as their toilet.  Old habits are hard to break but hopefully they will get there.  My concern is that the cultural changes will reach the remote areas last.

Picture this:  A half dozen years ago I lived on a small island in the Philippines, a semi remote area, and most of the locals who lived on the shoreline did not have toilets.  They would just take a walk into the ocean and squat.  Probably too much info but it is what it is.  As they are fond of saying:  "Its a big ocean"