Sahl Hasheesh - First Swim

View of the Sea from under the Pier at Sahl Hasheesh

Well, as you may recall, the doctor had advised me not to swim because of my frozen shoulder, which was expected to take up to two years to get better. However, I had decided to behave like an ostrich and now I even had the sand available in which to bury my head. There was no way that I was going through all this life-upheaval not to be able to swim!

I had imagined myself going straight down to the beach as soon as I arrived, but actually there was quite a lot to do with cleaning and unpacking, so it was fairly late in the afternoon on my first full day that I finally made it to the water.

Since I’m not on holiday, I was fairly relaxed about when I went, because hopefully I have most of my life left now to swim as often as I like. Although I appreciate that the water may be a bit cold come January-March (I am a wimp, I’m sure for many people it’s fine!), it’s still going to be more swimming time than maybe the 15 days a year that I got to swim in Lake Zurich.

The sea looked magnificent in its varying hues of blue and I felt it calling me– it was impossible for me just to look at it and not to try to swim. The temperature was still very hot, maybe 33 degrees, so perhaps because of that contrast, the first impression of the water when I stepped in apprehensively was that it was cold. However, I progressed fairly quickly to waist-level, and then pushed myself forward to swim, praying that it would all be OK. I made sure I was still able to stand if all failed.

The water was divine – a beautiful temperature once you were in, which is precisely why I wanted to come at this time of the year, when the sun warms you with a pleasant heat and the water has not yet cooled down after the hotter season just passed. But on my first stroke, pain went through my arm and I could barely move it. This was so different from just a month ago, where I was having trouble, but swimming remained perfectly manageable.

I stood up, feeling incredibly frustrated, as now that I’d been submerged in the water, I just wanted more. I couldn’t believe that I could have got so much worse within the last month. Determined, I tried again, but again the pain went through my arm. I looked at the inviting water, that one moment of swimming just teased me. I couldn’t forsake this!

I tried a third time and swam through the pain – it wasn’t the sharp pain I get when I over-stretch or when I somehow manage to twist my arm into a bad position, but it was still a hefty twinge with each stroke. Amazingly, after ten seconds or so, the pain just disappeared and it just felt awkward – it felt as if I had a mechanical arm attached to my body that had a limited capacity to move rather than a proper arm. It was quite a bizarre sensation and I could suddenly understand the term “frozen” shoulder.

At first, it was quite an effort to swim as I had to use my right arm more than usual and my legs in particular had to do most of the work, but at least I was swimming! I rested a few times and my arm gradually eased in and was able to stretch further and further. Eventually I was able to swim probably the equivalent of eighteen 50-metre lengths.

Even though I was swimming only at waist-deep level, I still spotted some occasional fish on my way – I’m not too sure of their names, but I think they were zebra fish and black angel fish (if the people discussing were correct!). In the distance I saw a shoal of fish glimmer like raindrops as they jumped out of the sea. It was magical.

I am still convinced that this is good exercise for me. It was very rewarding on so many levels. Afterwards, as I walked back to the flat, I felt so relaxed and uplifted. It made me understand why I wanted to come here to live.