88th Turkish Maritime and Cabotage Day

Yesterday, 1 July, was the Turkish Maritime and Cabotage Day.  This is celebrated around the Turkish coast.  The event started here in Alanya with a wreath being place at sea.  We then had a parade of boats which now are the local tour boats.  In the past it would have been the local fishing boats.

Other events were a rowing race, swimming race, a parade of jet skis and a display by a jet boot wearer.

The event that really draw the locals was the walking/running of a greased pole placed out to sea by the young men (and some not so young) of Alanya.  The aim was to get to the end and retrieve a flag.  However this year someone got a bit carried away with the grease and no one was able to get even half way until they throw some sand over the grease.  Even with eh sand the going was tough and someone had to crawl along the pole and wipe some of the grease off.  At last one of the boys was able to reach and remove the flag.

The greased pole

Parade of boats

Jet boots

Jet Boots

Jet Boots

Swimming race

Jet skis

Walking the pole

Walking the pole