In the 70's when I was traveling through Europe and North Africa, I encountered the worst scenario possible. The bathroom down the hall in my Algiers hotel had the 2 footprints and the hole, and that I could deal with, being young and fit. But apparently no one else in the hotel was capable of aiming and there were actually piles of **** around the hole and on the footprints themselves.

AAAAaaaaccccchkk~~~<BR><BR>re: why I was put off in the first place..the bathroom was right by the bar,I was fully dressed for the outdoors, boots,pants,coat,etc..feeling awkward,unsure,and by the way-this one had one of those lights that went on and off at will-so I was afraid I would just get everything down and the light would go off and someone would be able to come in and there I would be, deer in the headlights,squatting! So it seemed the best thing to me to just hold it!

Now you know why they say, there's nothing like a good s---.

Ahhh JohnG, but I really, really want to go to China & Nepal (I really want your recommendations on the Great Wall - you describe it so beautifully). I guess I'll just have to learn how to use it like the locals. : (

Had to use one of those hole in floor facilities at Hadrian's Villa outside of Rome. Didn't care for it. When I was at Ephesus, while I was using the facilities, a RAT ran right over my head on the structure over the toilets. What fond memories!

I have a real pet peeve: Women who pronounce they NEVER sit on a public toilet seat yet leave the seat down and urinate all over it. If you can't stand and center it, then at least keep the seat up and clean up after yourself. It's a bit much to have to enter a toilet stall and have to mop up after them. And worse, when you've hurried and not checked it out, to sit down on a wet seat. I just go ballistic over this and had to vent.

Elvira & Kavey, I'm with you! After spending 3 months in India and Nepal, to find a hole with 2 footprint markers on the ground is often a luxury indeed!<BR><BR>Now, imagine my surprise when upon entering a western type toilet in a hotel lobby in India, there were footprint marks......on the toilet seat! <BR><BR>And, I recall my looooong train trip from Cairo to Abu Simbel, and there was just a hole cut out of the floor of the train! I had to hold on to the metal bars quite dearly as the train throttled quite vigorously and I feared throttling myself right through the hole out the bottom of the train! LOL! Oh, dear, good thing I can laugh about it now!<BR><BR>On some level I guess I am still a bit of a woos, and carry my own TP on my Asian trips; not always a big fan of using the spigot placed just a few inches above the ground.....

You don't have to go far to find the footprints on a seat! We were in a multiplex theater in NJ!! and all was shiney and new and the toilet had dirty foot prints on it...<BR>Leslie, nice that you were able to vent here-not many places left where you can complain about this subject

Leslie<BR><BR>I know just what you mean, I tend not to touch the seat but I HATE when I go into a loo only to find pee on the seat.<BR><BR>I always rant in my head about whether these women would leave pee on the seat in their own home?<BR><BR>Gross...<BR><BR>And it's not like it takes more than a few seconds to check once youre done and clean the seat after you. <BR><BR>Sheesh!<BR><BR>Vent away, you have my ear anyway!<BR><BR>Maybe I should mention this on the Africa forum... I am assuming people realise that the camps haven't built toilets in the middle of the wilderness and that if you need the loo on a drive you use a bush. Doesn't matter how posh a place you stay at, (we stayed at Mombo for example) the wilderness is the wildneress.<BR><BR>Speaking of gross toilet behaviour, as someone was above. My mum was a doctor and one of her duties involved offering once or twice a month clinics at local schools.<BR><BR>At one school they had a student, they didnt know who, (age arounr 5-11) who would leave their turds carefully and neatly wrapped up in toilet paper, on the floor behind the toilet...<BR><BR>How weird is that??

kavey-there are adults that do things similar to that-some sort of mental wierdness~<BR>someone I know owns a shop that is very busy, they have both mens and womens toilets.He says that without fail,at the end of the day,the mens room is relatively neat and the womens room is disgusting..people have various reasoning for this,one being that at home women have to be the ones to clean everyone elses mess so when they go out they let someone else do it...I for one would be ashamed..but ..it takes all kinds Is it raining in the UK? It is very dreary here,the dog doesnt want to wake up of course he likes to listen when I read him some of the funnier posts~

eeeeeeeeeeuuuuuuw<BR><BR>c i dont know. i am stuck in a windowless office!<BR><BR>probably grey, cold, dreary...

Paris is right around the corner, flowers will be blooming,the sky will be really blue~

Sure, Paris is right around the corner...if you're in London. NOT if you're in Seattle (sigh)!

It is also around the corner if you are about to go there~

Ok, here's help for squatters: after you're *finished*, raise your fanny first, then stand up. Less dependence on the thigh muscles and it really works! <BR><BR>Buona fortuna, ya'll!

My first encounter with the "squat" "plumbing" was in the Vatican City on our first trip to Rome some years ago. All white porcelain and quite clean, I managed beautifully, but talk about a tourist. I was so fascinated I took a snapshot!<BR><BR>C, my first encounter with the lights on/lights off in the bathroom was in Sorrento. Fortunately I was able to easily get to the switch and reactivate the light, but I must admit it gave me a start!<BR><BR>Kay, I saw no rats in Ephesus but remember having to pay several drachma to a man on entering, who in turn handed me a piece of a paper napkin (if I remember right, it was yellow).<BR><BR>Found the foot print type in France at a rest stop on the toll road on our drive from Paris to Lyon. When I stepped on the "feet" a flow of water was activated. Thought that was pretty nifty.<BR><BR>None of the above really flustered or bothered me--just got on with my business and left. It just seemed like part of the trip and all the differences which make travel such fun. Guess my mom did an excellent job with toilet training--no underlying trauma!<BR><BR>j

Haha,j-guess your mom did do well with you<BR>I , on the other hand, felt as if I were being trained all over again~<BR>Maximes,in Paris,has a lovely ladies room, that the light is on the outside,I was unsure if it would stay on, opened the door and the cleaning lady was right outside,gave us both a start,me popping out to check the switch..then back in...good thing my bladder is not over active!

C<BR><BR>Yes indeed, it sure is round the corner, Dina I think C may have been aiming that comment at me, since I am shortly to return to Paris <BR><BR>Kavey

I travelled in Italy with my mom and sisters last Mar and encountered what we referred to thereafter as 'squatters'. There were degrees of squatters, some, full, some partial, and yes, we agreed, there are some strong thighs in Europe! We followed the same rule, when you find a traditional seat, you USE it no matter what your current state of need. My younger sister, who I might add, does not often wear pantyhose, mastered the techniques. I lack both the motor skills, directional capabilities and balance. And John, remember, most women cannot write their name in the snow whithout using a stencil...Good luck!

LOL, a stencil~this is the best thread! so many side topics covered, such pleasant comraderie~funny, what topics band women together