You know, on reading that, maybe I should have said "ABOUT" the toilet.
Toilets are important to the traveller. Many travelers use them daily. And a careless traveler who neglects the common sense things uses one or more toilets several times an hour. Many of the locals also use them. But travelers always seem to talk about them more.
I heard one exchange the other day.
"I can't wait to get back to a clean toilet."
"Yeah," somebody else replied, "and one where can just throw the toilet paper in instead of using that little trash can. "
"I want one that flushes instead of just falls in a hole."
And finally: "I want one you can sit on."
Fact is, we care a lot.
I don't have any pictures (on the phone) of the most common toilet I have seen in the outback, but it is basically a six inch wide by eighteen inch gap in the planking of a wooden platform suspended over a hole from three to fifteen or so food deep.
Many of them had great views.
Using these toilets for #1 is no big deal, but, really most guys just walk a few feet away from the bus or whatever and skip the whole toilet thing.
Using a squat toilet for #2, though takes preparation. First off, you have to check that you have toilet pepper. Then you tie your shoelaces so the laces are not flopping. You make sure all your pants pockets are closed, zipped, etc, your camera case latched, and nothing loose hanging anywhere. If you are wearing long pants, pull them up so nothing is dragging. Check that the money belt around your waist is closed and secure.
Check around if you are my age. Look for something clean to grab and lean on. Getting up from a full squat can be awkward.
If it is nighttime, be sure you have your headlamp ready.
Finally, all secure, maneuver into position and squat. Check that all clothing is out of the way and..., well execute. Then move away from the hole and pull up your drawers.
Then leave. Quickly.
The first time I saw a squat toilet, in the Naples train station forty years ago, I thought they were just cheap ways to make a toilet. Subsequently, I have seen tiled, gold inlaid, porcelain, and all sorts of classy squat toilets. Here is a nice one on the boat I am on now. It has plumbing to rinse it, a little faucet to get water to wash the "area" (this explains two things. First, why you do not use toilet paper with a proper squat toilet, and second, why in two thirds of the world you don't eat or shake hands with the left hand. ).
By the way, once you work out the program, squat toilets are often better than sit downs--especially when nobody is cleaning the sit down. In the ideal squat, nothing touches anything except the soles of your shoes.
They also have sit down toilets on the boat, and nice urinals. However, all the porcelain facilities have these laminated pictures of woman's eyes and some Korean text. Noboby I have asked yet tells me what it says. I think "Be careful and Considerate."
Here is the actual detail
if you can read Korean.
Weird to be looking at.
The train toilets were all sit downs, and although utilitarian and plain, were kept relatively clean. Every car has a "providinsta" (spelling unknown), a lady who acts as conductor, cleaner, alarm clock, security, and all that. She keeps the toilet well stocked and fairly clean. The bummer, though, is that she locks them up from half an hour before a station stop to half an hour after. And some stops are half an hour long.
But the amazing thing is that the trains in Russia just dump straight to the ground. I thought that ended years ago.
I have lots more to say about toilets. I am a traveller. But boat is getting ready to leave and I have to upload before we go to sea and I lose cell coverage.
