the first time you jump in barton springs, your body almost goes into shock. thoughts of "holy s*** it's f****** cold!" race through your head. you'll see people standing in knee-deep water, trying to get used to it before they immerse themselves further. the only way to get in the water is to jump in. you'll never get used to it, and you'll probably only be able to stay in a few minutes before your teeth chattering becomes a full-body chatter, and you're forced to retreat to grassy hillsides to lay in the sun with the other sunbathers. of course, there are people who come to the pool every day, regardless of the season, to swim. because it is a spring, the water stays a constant 68 degrees year-round.
it's best to go to the pool on a really hot day. even though the water is a shock to your system, it feels good to lay in the sun after you get out. it's almost as if the heat can't fully penetrate your body; you're cooled to the core. while laying out, you can watch the crowds of people passing by, and you can watch the people jump off the diving board. some people can do some pretty amazing jumps that catch a lot of air. how they don't slip on the board and smack their heads is a mystery to me, as the board can get pretty slippery.
a couple of words of advice:
- in austin it is legal for a woman to walk around topless, and it is likely you will see topless women at barton springs. don't be alarmed; they're just breasts. but if you have young children and are concerned about them seeing topless women, you should be aware of this.
- this is a natural pool, so it does not contain chlorine. which means that sometimes the pool smells funky, and there is algae floating around. it (probably) won't kill you.
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