Wetlook World Forum

4 or 5 were Turkish, of whom 1 actually went fully into the water, clothed;

2 were tourists who bravely wore a T-shirt into the water over her swimsuit... but less than 1 was under 40.

50 were topless.

What brainiac-ess first thought that going topless in a Muslim country was a good idea? On the flip side, it's amazing to think that Turkey is more permissive this way than the US is!

Meanwhile, there were a number of little girls playing at the beach topless or nude, and what do I see online now that I'm back? An ad promoting sun safety beginning in childhood...

So that's the beach scene. Things are better off the tourist track. 1) next to the port, under the old wall, is a rocky but calm area where the locals like to swim. I took a camera to get some pictures of the old architecture, used it as an excuse to wade out in my shoes, jeans and long-sleeved shirt. But the fully-clothed female swimmers were either too young or too old, so no pictures of that.

2) Alanya has a river running out of the mountains nearby, Dim Çay (Tea River, I think), which has been colonized by a long string of restaurants. Gotta be careful getting the right Dolmush to get to one, but it's a unique wet experience once you're there-- there are tables right in the water! Come eat, and swim afterwards. Saw a fully clothed water fight, swam fully clothed myself (even my dry g/f planned ahead so she wouldn't have to wear a swimsuit all day-- white T and shorts over black underwear, not too bad).

We also took a trip to Pamukkale. Here are some thermal pools, $11 per entry, where you can sunburn yourself to blackness for all they care: A sign saying "no lotions, oils or creams!" and the guard/ticket taker won't allow shirts in the water. Much better is the (free!) wading area nearby. Of course, it's sad to see what the heavy use over the centuries has done to the natural wonder, but here the only rule is NO SHOES on the rough stone. Some wetlook among the locals here. Oh, and all the hotels have their own pool.

Finally, we stopped at a cold lake laden with magnesium soda. Not a non-local swimmer to be seen.

So is Turkey a good place for wetlook? I guess I'd say, not really. The best chances, I thought, for getting wet spontaneously, are in hot sticky evenings walking along the shore and getting hit by the odd surprising wave, and if you're lucky, maybe she'll decide well, she's wet, she might as well get in the water.