Alanya is hot! Hot! Hot!

How to cope with heat 

It sounds weird to say this but July and August in Alanya really can have quite excruciating heat when you're not used to it. As an expat who’s lived here for three years now, I have found some ways in which to make the unbearable...well bearable. Living here is different from holidaying here. I remember my two weeks in August just sitting around the pool or on a sun lounger at the beach and baking myself till I looked like a beetroot! When you live here you know that tomorrow is going to be the same as today and the next day and so until around mid-October when...if we are lucky...we might get some rain. So here are some tips to help you beat the heat. 

Firstly, stop walking around during the mid-day sun. It really is hottest then. But if you do have to be out and about then use a parasol or hat, wear sunglasses that have UV protection and most definitely wear sunscreen that has UVA and UVB protection and a high SPF. 

Drink and eat 

Well, this seems obvious to say but keeping hydrated during hot spells helps us to stay strong and prevents kidney stones. Cool drinks are much better than ice cold drinks and really, they can be anything from diluted fruit juices, sugar free soft drinks and tea. Yes...tea. Science has proven that sipping a hot cup of tea could actually be the best way to keep cool. It seems that drinking a hot drink increases the body’s heat load and the body responds to that by sweating. Sweating helps us to cool down. So, as you live in Turkey and Çay is almost the national drink, then you should go native! Try it with lemon or peppermint. Eating fruit can also keep you hydrated, especially nice is frozen melon but any fruit is beneficial.  

Frequent showers 

Not only to beat the smell! But a tepid shower can cool the body down a treat. Some people swear by going to a Hammam. This is the famous Turkish Baths much loved by the Turks.  So, it involves heating yourself up in a sauna and then going to be scrubbed and washed. The hot air opens the pores and the scrubbing cleans you... I swear you’ll feel like a new person. 

Air conditioning-love it or hate it! 

Most apartments have air conditioning units whether you love them or not. Modern ones do have eco settings and a health mode. This is supposed to produce negative oxygen ions that make the air fresh and kill bacteria. But...the more you rely on air conditioning units the less you acclimatise to the heat. Air-con is also very expensive and ecologically unsound. If you do use air conditioning try to set it at a much higher temperature, say around 24’c so that the difference when you go outside is not so big. 

Dress appropriately 

Where possible natural fibres are best for combatting heat. Wear cotton, linen or jersey with loose not close-fitting clothes. Avoid anything made from polyester, nylon or silk as they are not as breathable and also make you sweat more and will retain body odours...not fun for anyone! When choosing clothes for a hot day, opt for fabrics that are light in colour as dark colours absorb the sun making you feel hotter. Even better where possible wear a swimming costume and sit around the pool making frequent dips in to cool you down.