Swimming to Cyprus

Limmasol, Cyprus - It's 6:45 a.m. and the sun is just up over the horizon on the Mediterranean. Stripping off my shoes, t-shirt, and baseball cap, I ease in to the cool sea and begin to swim. The water is colder and saltier than expected, but definitely preferred to the chlorine in the gym. The buoyancy of the salt water and the gently rolling waves make progress easy and within seconds I'm warm and comfortable. After 15 minutes, though, the cold and current have combined for a nice morning workout. I paddle back to the beach, dry off, and pad back to the hotel room for a hot shower. Great fun. Not as racy as the time I swam in Lake Meade under a full moon but definitely more exotic.