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Great Wall.....no $h!t.
While visiting the Great Wall near Badaling, nature
called. Thankfully, though we were high up on the Wall, there was a
facility. Upon entering, I noticed there were only urinals. No problem;
that's all I needed but stenciled on the walls, in Chinese of course, were
instructions. Beneath the Chinese instructions was the literal English
translation "NO $H!TT!NG"
India
Indian Shipping Corp ferry from Port Balir
Andaman Islands bound for
Calcutta
. Day 3. The immodium is loosing effect; I have to go.
Its late and I descend into the bowels! of the ship and enter the
iron sarcophagus that is the cubicle and almost slip, due to the listing
of the vessel, into the target. I have to brace myself against the walls
and raise my sandaled feet as fat away from the soaking floor and the
misfired 'guests' and then.... ahhh
Bangkok
,
China
Had
to go badly while in a Chinese noodle shop in
Bangkok
. I made my request to my
girlfriend, who asked the waitress, and I was shown to the
"bathroom" - this consisted of four free-standing walls without
a ceiling (a stall) - right smack in the middle of the kitchen!!
The door barely closed, had large gaps, and would
not latch. The toilet was of
course the low oriental style (what we called a bomb-sight sh*tter).
Squatting and teetering to hold the door closed with one hand,
holding my pants out of the way with the other, listening to the jabber
and clatter of the kitchen, I was able to get done.
But there was no paper - only the typical water
and a bowl. I decided to
sacrifice one good ol' George Washington to finish the job.
As I made my way back to the table the bustling cooks and little
waitresses in the kitchen never even batted an eye.
What an experience!!,
Indonesia
I
was in
Bandung
,
Indonesia
about 6 years ago with my girlfriend.
We ate in a type of restaurant called "kuring" that
served fresh seafood. Normally,
this kind of restaurant has a big pond with many fish in it.
When you order fish, they will catch the fish directly from the
pond, cook it and serve it for you.
Before we ate, my stomach started to crawl so I
ran to the restroom. First,
the restroom's smell was very inhuman. The floor was wet, not only with
water but with urine too. I
just found a big hole in the corner. Because of my stomach, I forced
myself "to do my business" and held my breath.
While I was squatting, I noticed that the
restroom was in the middle of the pond and "my product" fell
directly to the pond. Amazingly, most of the fish already knew that my
waste would drop from that hole. And
they ate their food - literally IS my waste and other people's waste -.
And yes, they are the same fish with the ones that would be served on your
table !
Came back from the restroom, I could not eat my
lunch, which was a steam fish from the pond.
My experience was so horrified, it took me more than a year to eat
fish again.
Malaysia
At one point in my life, the girls and I decided to explore our own
country, Malaysia. So off we went, into a rickety bus stuffed with people,
bags and groceries.
Somewhere up north, I woke up from my sleep and thought, I HAVE TO GO.
NOW. So I asked the driver to
stop, I had a tummy ache. Let's just say I wasn't so popular then as
everyone wanted to each their destination soonest. But I had to go.
I scuttled down, just knowing that this was a major explosion, no thanks
to the junk I had for breakfast and crossed the road to the nearest house
in the jungle. No one was in the house. So I thought, bugger it, there
must be an outhouse behind the place. Ran, found it to find an open air
loo with turds on the ground and a pipe nearby. Oh my God! Not even a
hole! I screamed, gagged and found a small spot to do what I had to do. To
add to my grief, as I cleansed myself with the water, and not looking at
the poo on the ground, the neighbourhood 'watchdog' - a bloody GOOSE
waddled in and pecked my backside. It hurt! I ran out, pulling up my
shorts and knickers, ran to the bus with the damned goose after me, and
the whole bus and my friends dying of laughter.
Moral of the story: next time I travel, it'll be during the fasting
month.
Philippines
I lived in the Philippines from 1962-69 and have many stories.
The main toilet in those days in the barrios of Occidental Mindoro was
behind the bamboo. One of our Filipino friends had built a cement
toilet which had the traditional hole in the floor, a small hole in the
side wall for ventilation, and of course, a bucket of water with a coconut
shell for washing. No toilet paper. One evening I went in with
a flashlight and startled all the frogs who had come in through the
ventilation hole.
We always said that you could tell where a Peace Corp volunteer had
lived because they would build cement toilets from a form. Often you
would see a dozen or so still in a field where the concrete forms had been
poured. All lined up ready to be placed in bathrooms yet to be
built.
Seoul,
Korea
In a popular downtown seafood restaurant, a female friend and I
went to the rest room together. When we opened the door, it was an L
shaped room where the men went to the right and the women to the
left. No walls between. My friend tried to tell some men to
wait, but they did not understand English. I used the toilet, but
she did not. We have laughed about that restroom for years.
Sun
Yat Sen Memorial, China
About 18 years ago, just as China was opening up to visitors we
took a trip to the Sun Yat Sen Memorial and Museum. Anticipating
many tourists, a new toilet had been built with clean cement floors,
traditional holes in floor but with feet carefully painted so you would
know where to squat. It was on the side of a hill with a beautiful
valley below and large vegetable gardens. My daughter and I were so
glad to find a clean toilet. But when we came out and looked down
the hill there was a man with a basket carrying deposits from the toilets
to the vegetable gardens. My daughter was horrified.
China
I was in Western China heading
towards Tibet, relieving ourselves on the side of the road (I was the only
woman), we made a stop for lunch and I asked where I could use a
washroom?, a woman escorts me to a shack hanging over a cliff, I go
inside, it's dim and stinks, I see a hole, there are obstacles around
the hole, piles to be exact!, I realize that to get to the hole safely I
would have to make some moves involved in the game Twister. I am in
there a minute, maybe less and think to myself that I can not do it
and gasp for clean air. I go back to the group, they want to know
how it was, I reply "I will risk a bladder infection"
Baron
Beach (near Jogjakarta) Java, Indonesia
It took us a while to get used to lack of toilet paper in Asia, and even
longer to get used to squat toilets, especially the ones with green slime
running down the walls. But after our beach experience, ANY toilet was
welcome.
After a refreshing swim in the plastic bag infested ocean , we made our
way to the "kamar kecil". Upon entering the rickety little
wooden structure , we looked around in vain for the toilet. Not even a
squat one this time. We eventually realised that you do your business on
the concrete floor, and use the bucket of water to wash it out the drain
hole at the back. The ducks sitting just outside the drain hole waiting
for tasty morsels added to the "primitive" touch. Needless to
say, lack of toilet paper, so often complained of by tourists, is just not
an issue any more!!
China
We were ending a two-week tour of China with a dinner at a
fine restaurant in Beijing. All of the women on the tour had become
deeply appreciative of western facilities and no one would ever squat
above a seat and leave it wet. There were a number of Chinese
enjoying a special evening. The ladies room was wonderfully western
and as a result crowded. A Chinese girl came out of a stall looking
upset. I noticed but didn't wonder about it until I sat down and
realized she had tried to stand on the seat. After I dried off I had
to laugh. The look on her face must have been very similar to the
looks the Chinese saw on ours-culture shock!
"The
Holy Toilet of Tibet"
Traveling through China you will want to have a strong stomach when
nature calls. It is the same in Tibet. If you would like a loo stop with a
difference, The "Potala" is the place for you. Home of the
exiled Dali Lama, one loo in particular off the main courtyard is a room
with a view. Sitting way up
looking over the mountains and the city of Lahsa you can hear the Tibetan
pilgrims chanting while you pee, this would have to be one of the oldest
and most Holy of loos. It is a must!
Malaysia
I am amazed to see that your World Search area is a Malaysia
- free zone!! After numerous trips to that lovely land over several
years I have a couple of stories to tell.
On my first trip, I was young and innocent and when I
encountered the white minaretted Kuala Lumpur railway station, I felt sure
that a really special loo experience was to be had. Imagine my
surprise when I had to pay 10 sen to enter a small, noisome, room
containing a hole in the ground and a large hose. I asked my loved
one what the hose was for and he suggested that I use my
imagination. I am still a little unclear about that.
Still in state of shock (but glad for good bladder control)
we journeyed to the Cameron Highlands. On the way, we stopped at a
place called Tapah Road. I cannot recommend it, in case you were
wondering. Anyway, we dined (??) at the Jambalaya Restaurant.
I sent my loved one round the back to reconnoitre the bog for me and he
came back giving me the thumbs up. Light of heart, I slipped
off to the Ladies. I'm not sure where he went, but the place I
went boasted a Western-style receptacle that contained the donations
of many, many others. It had clearly not been flushed in a long
time. I think I held on for
days after that one.
Keep up the good work.
Indonesia
Small article with photo of young
men cleaning toilet bowls:
"Toilets get a second
chance"
Indonesian vendors clean toilet bowls at a second hand
toilet and silk market in Jakarta yesterday. Indonesia's economic
crisis in early 1998 forced the vendors to change their product lines to
used toilets which are sold
for one-third or the price of new ones.
(Second hand Toilet and Silk
Market - an interesting concept) (Sad that the
situation had to occur.)
The
"loos" of Japan
My
husband and I were on a visit to see our son in Japan.
On arrival at Fukuoka airport I popped into the loo, which was a
squatter. "Which way
round does one perform?" was my first thought.
As it happened my son told me later,
I was backwards!!!
But
the Japanese have some interesting toilets.
When visiting Nagasaki I checked out the toilet in our hotel room.
Heated seat - yes, I had come upon these before - but I had never
checked out the controls at the side though.
Press 1 for a waterspout one way:
press 2 for a waterspout another way:
press 3 and you get a warm air dry!
Amazing!
On
visiting a restaurant in Nagasaki one passed right through the
"gents" to get to the ladies loo!
Fortunately there were not any inhabitants when we were there.
The toilet in our son's apartment was yet another delight.
The tank was small and triangular with an indented top and small
hose coming up from the tank below. When
you flushed, (one way for one "deposit" the other way for
something else) water would cascade into the indented top, which had a
hole in the bottom, and you could washed your hands as well as flushing.
A very novel idea.
Vietnam
(NUIDAT)
I served with the Australian Forces in
Vietnam (1970). Back in base (NUIDAT) the toilets were often a series of
seats built over a pit in the ground. As one sat to do one's business it
was often very distracting to have swarms of blowflies flit against one's
posterior.
To keep the flies under control, petrol
(gasoline) was sometimes poured into the pit and set alight.
In one unfortunate incident, a soldier went
to relieve himself. He sat down, read the paper and dropped the lighted
stub of a cigarette between his legs. The explosion that followed lifted
him off the toilet seat.
He was sent back home, not with wounds from
enemy action, but with 3rd degree burns to his buttocks.
Orders
were circulated following that incident, forbidding the use of petrol as a
fly control measure
Bathroom
bane in Kota Tinggi, Malaysia
Imagine the scene. Hot,
sweaty, smelly to the point of distraction - and still you have to do what
you have to do after a breakfast of strong, local coffee and prata ( kind
of pancake) dunked in very spicy curry.
So, I opened the
corrugated iron door and began my squat - which is the only way in
Malaysian holes in the ground. I
never finished it! I sneezed as I squatted, put my back out, and got stuck
in the squat position! My rescuer had to climb over the corrugated iron
door to unlock it and let me out! Of course, pulling up my
underwear on the way!
I have now learnt how to
hold in even the most gut-wrenching of needs till a hotel can be found!
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India
I
was in the Peace Corps in
India
in the 1960's, and certainly found my share of toileting adventures.
I went back a year ago, met some old friends and had a great time.
India
had changed a lot in 30 years! I
found myself puzzled that so many of the (middleclass) people in the areas
I visited (
Punjab
and Rajasthan) had installed western toilets in their homes. Is this due to travel and movies (i.e. western culture visibility)
or some other process? I
didn't feel comfortable asking about this, but am doing so now. Generally, India was a pretty easy place to find a tolerable
toilet, squat or sit, but be sure to carry your own toilet paper
(available in most stores)
Upon arriving at the atoll, I learned that there were no outhouses,
latrine holes, etc. because they would contaminate the ground water. We
went out to "the point," where the ocean current passed by the
island and back out to sea, waded in, and went. It isn't a bad system, as
long as you pay attention to anyone up-current
India
While
traveling in
India
with a group of graduate students, I quickly became accustomed to the variety of "situations" one could find ones-self in when nature
called. During a long drive, our bus driver released us on a roadside next
to a sugar cane field. It quickly became clear that this was a well-used
rest stop, but it at least provided some privacy and a few unused spots.
We were thrilled.
The next morning, I awoke with the skin on my backside burning so much I
could hardly dress. Upon examination, I saw dozens of tiny
"slash" marks criss-crossing the skin on my bottom.
Despite my best "balancing" act, I had somehow managed to
come in contact with the leaves on the pants, which were like razor
blades. I didn't feel anything
at the time. So if you're
traveling to
India,
take care, and BEWARE
Tibet
, 1993
Back in 1993, we trekked across
Tibet
on our own with a horse named Sadhu. Starting from
Lhasa
, over the next couple of weeks we made it to Tingri. Leaving Sadhu to
graze in the village, we, and a couple of wayward cyclists who'd come from
Chengdu, rented some yaks and their herders, bound for a little three day
diversion to Everest Base Camp.
That's a story in itself. Anyway, after spending the
2nd night in Rongbuk Monastery, a couple of us made the final ascent to
base camp where we found the world's highest toilet. Don't ask me why, but
the Chinese in their infinite wisdom had built an enormous concrete bunker
of a toilet--right there in the shadow of Everest.
Of course,
the views were splendid. However, there was NO toilet paper and that was
the exact moment that weeks of tsampa and homemade beer took effect. (Or
perhaps it was the altitude?)
Although we usually carry our own toilet paper,
I'd left mine back with the gear in the Monastery. But, unfortunately,
some things just can't wait.
There's nothing more humbling than being reduced
to recycling used t-paper. Yet a relief to discover that some people are
so generous in their own usage.
Perhaps there's some zen lesson here?
What IS the sound of one tissue flapping?
Ningbo
China
During
a recent business trip, our group was treated to a fantastic dinner at a
local upscale seafood restaurant. This was a very high end restaurant and
we were eating with the owner, local governor, and other business leaders.
During the meal, one of my business associates, who was seated next to me,
got up and left for the restroom. Upon his return he told me that I NEEDED
to go to the restroom. So, I took his directive and wondered down the
hallways until I came upon the bathroom. There was a very nice washroom
with an attendant who would direct you to the right for men or to the left
for women. Inside the bathroom were about 4 or 5 urinals and right above
them at eye level were 9" color TV's built into the wall which was
all done in marble. I thought
that this must be what my friend wanted me to see. This was very fancy!
upon leaving the restroom and entering back into the washroom, the
attended motioned toward the sink. So I walked up to the sink, bent over
to get some soap and started to wash my hands. All of a sudden, someone
started hitting me in the back! I was so startled that I spun around to
see the attendant backing up a couple of steps. He must have seen the
confused surprised look in my eyes. It took a couple of seconds but then
it registered that he was giving me a massage as I washed my hands. So I
turned around and proceeded to finish washing my hands as he returned to
beating on my back and shoulders. This started to feel pretty good and I
was not sure of how long I should wash my hands. Glancing around, I saw a
hand air dryer on the wall. So I gradually turned and walked over to it.
The whole time the attendant moved with me and continued the message. Upon
my arrival back to the dining table, I turned to another one of my
business associates and said, " You NEED to go to the bathroom!
Makati
,Manila
I
spent two months working in
Makati
,
Manila
in 1997. In the building I
worked in no toilet paper was kept in the toilets - staff were issued with
a roll of toilet paper to take to the toilet with them when they went - so
therefore everybody knew where you were going.
On the toilet door was a sign saying "Ensure
you flush so that IT goes away".
We were constantly plagued with the water supply
to the toilets being shut off. I
had a very bad dose of stomach cramps and after using the toilet I
realized there was no water with which to flush the toilet. I had to close the lid and leave a piece of paper on the closed lid
stating the lid should not be lifted up until the water has resumed and
the toilet can be flushed.
The local Irish bar we frequented also suffered
from this intermittent water shortage. They got around it by having a very large rubbish bin full of water
with a bucket. After using the
toilet you filled the bucket with water from the rubbish bin and threw it
down the toilet - in a sort of flushing motion.
You learnt very quickly - never leave your hotel
without your own supply of toilet paper.
There are wonderful toilet facilities in the
expensive hotels - complete with attendants. It was a bit un-nerving when having yet another stomach cramp, you
suffer from stage fright knowing the attendant is sitting there listing to
your every splash!!
But the most stomach wrenching thing was patrons
using the provided bucket to dispose of their toilet paper (etc) rather
than flushing it down the toilet. Extremely
vile - especially if it had not been emptied for a while. Apart from smelling, it was somewhere you HAD to avert your eyes
from in order to not be sick at the sight of its contents.
A
memorable "sweet sixteen" for an American overseas.
On my sixteenth birthday (seriously) my family headed out to an
atoll off of the
island
of
Bougainville
in
Papua New Guinea
. We joined around 150 other people on a small cargo ship (designed to
carry around 20 passengers and crew with a deck full of cargo) for the
two-day trip. The ship’s two toilets (in the American sense) were
completely blocked up within hours of our departure. The small stalls had
low thresholds and the bottom of the stalls quickly filled up as people
squatted over the thresholds to relieve them selves. Men urinated over the
side of the ship.
Not
being anatomically equipped to do the latter, and without the stomach for
the former, I chose not to go at all. For two days. Really.
South
Pacific
My daughter and I just completed a year trip going around the world
starting in the South Pacific. Well,
we didn't get to visit all of the countries we had originally planned on
because we got caught in the fascination of the Asian culture, so this is
where we spent most of our time. One
of our many "bathroom" stories, (by the way, not many baths in
the rooms) is that we found ourselves actually preferring the squat
toilets, they seem to be a much more sanitary means, that is if they were
ever cleaned! On a few
occasions when we did encounter a western toilet, we were questioning why
we could see shoe prints on the toilet seat. Our conclusion was that the Asians were probably in awe over our
stupidity, and asking; "Why would westerners put the toilets up so
high to stand on with the fear of falling in?"
India
and Nepal
In recent travel through India and Nepal
on a Buddhist Pilgrimage with a group of 30 Americans nothing made me more
excited than to hear, "There are toilets where we are going
today!" I was eager to give the sugarcane and lentil fields a
rest and enjoy the comforts of a toilet. But in Gorkapur, India my
hopes were dashed inside of a health clinic which I incorrectly assumed
would have a clean user-friendly toilet. The ceramic hole in the
ground was covered in remnants of the previous users, smelling equally as
lovely, with the added bonus of a centipede crawling in the bowl.
Despite the socially accepted practice of going out on the street, I felt
my options were very limited and with dashed hopes I accepted my reality.
China
Last autumn
we took a trip to China. By and large the hotels have western style
toilets, but many restaurants only have the squat or pit type toilets. At
one restaurant where our tour stopped, the facilities were gender
segregated and of the pit type but the washing facilities were coed. While
washing my hands one woman came out the "ladies room" and
exclaimed: When I get back home the first thing I'm going to do is kiss my
toilet bowl!
Another
One On Chinese Toilets
The
toilets in China must be the worst ones in the world. And as Lonely Planet
wisely states - unless you stay in the country less than three days or
don’t eat you’ll have to use them. What often makes them so smelly and
disgusting is the fact that the vast majority of users don’t flush the
toilet after them (if it is a flushing toilet). They leave their products
for display to visitors to come after them. So you actually have to flush
before you squat down to business.
However, most of the public toilets
have no flushing device at all. Instead, they’re more like several holes
in a row with no walls between them. These are also great places to
socialize as you can freely talk to your "neighbours".
Travelling in rural China you all go through a lot of toilet
conversations and you all certainly forget what privacy means. Have fun!
Even More About
China
Ya'an, Sichuan Province, ongoing.
One
of the best aspects of the craze for modernization which is sweeping China
at the moment is that it will eventually claim the toilets at Ya'an's bus
station, which are quite possibly the worst in the country. I passed
through (so to speak) in 1995, to find no doors on either the building or
individual stalls (and plenty of spectators), no flush, and about forty
years of waste evenly distributed around the place. Nothing had changed in
1999 when I next visited, and I suspect that any opportunities to clean up
in the interim had been avoided. Doubtless it will all be of immense
interest to forthcoming archeologists.
BUT... the worst toilets in the world are in Wajir, northern Kenya. I'm
not going to go into that one, however, so you'll just have to take my
word for it.
Philippines
and China
I
had often wondered why the seats on western style pots were broken or
non-existent in these two countries (and I assume others in the area).
When there is a western style pot without a seat it is hard to know
whether to squat or sit. This
was quite a dilemma with my preference going to the floor level squat
pots, for all the effort. I
was finally enlightened with the news that many easterners still prefer to
squat when they encounter a western
style pot. Ah, this explains occasional feet marks or dirt on the seat
that shouldn't transfer from the backside. It also explains when the seat is missing due to design
insufficiencies for such a use. After
living in Asia it is interesting to note that the specific muscles used
are strengthened to a point where squatting is easy. The olfactory part takes a bit longer to adjust and I'm still
debating if it does. I've
only had two years to find out.
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