Potty Talk
Even with all the planning and researching in the world, something that can throw travelers off very quickly is walking in to a foreign bathroom.
Shining a little light on the unexpected adventures bathrooms can present so your brain isn’t swirling (ha, get it?) when you walk in to one of these
sit-u-ations.
Let’s talk Toilets
While many parts of the world do use the Western toilet, some use squatters, out houses, seatless toilets, or a hole; whether it be in the ground, in a bench, in a chair, or anywhere else one can create a hole over which to hover or sit.
To the surprise to many, there are also vast parts of the world that do not flush toilet paper (yes, that includes poo and period paper). This is often also declared “nasty” or “gross” by travelers learning of, or experiencing, this for the first time, but it is very common in many parts of the world.
I have heard several people question what one does with the toilet paper after using it – like there can be no possible way to dispose of tissue other than flushing it. The best response I have seen to this question is “you don’t have to put it in your purse and carry it out with you” (gold star to that response). The actual response: toss it in the bin.
Sure, if this is brand new to you, it may seem gross, but regardless of how gross it may seem, it is NOT okay to flush TP when instructed not to. There is a reason objects cannot be flushed and those reasons outweigh any visitor thinking it is gross.
One can also avoid this entirely at accommodations if they offer a bidet. See below (*general*) instructions on how to properly use a bidet.
1. Pull your clothing down or away – you don’t want to get it wet!
2. Take a seat. Face toward the controls and jets, or away from it. Note: How you sit will depend on the type of bidet. The important thing is to be comfortable and have access to the controls (water pressure and temperature).
3. Turn on the water or fill the basin with water (depending on the type of bidet).
4. Use the water (and soap) to clean your private parts.
5. Dry off using a cloth towel or toilet paper. In Italy, there’s usually a small towel rack or ring next to the bidet. Each person should have their own small towel. Toilet paper can be used but can be tricky because it can rip or stick to your skin.
Travel or handheld bidets are also available for those not wanting to throw poo paper away in public restrooms, or if there is not a bidet at your accommodations.
Yes, in public restrooms, there is a collective trash can or bin of used toilet paper. No, it usually does not stink (though sometimes it does). Most have covers, many do not.
While the idea originally threw me off a bit, I have come to appreciate a squatter toilet, and luckily have had plenty of practice as someone who hikes and has had a few nights where I could not make it home from the bar without having to pop a squat.
An additional benefit to being open to a squatter is that often public bathrooms have both western and squatter toilet options and if there is a line, many women will wait for the wester toilet – I am going to squat anyway, so get out of my way as I skip the line.
Somewhere in between the Western Toilet and a squatter is the seatless toilet, which are also common in many public restrooms around the world. I have seen a lot of theories as to the reason for seatless toilets, including; being more hygienic, easier to clean, avoiding having to change broken seats frequently, etc. Whatever the reason, they exist, and you may come across one. We have already covered that I am a professional squatter, so that is usually my universal approach, but if that is not the best option for you, you can always just sit on the rim of the toilet.
Double threat: seatless and don’t flush the TP
*I have found that countries with the best street food also tend to have seatless toilets, so I can attest that sitting on the rim is entirely possible. *
I am also here to stand in solidarity with anyone who has stood in a bathroom and questioned your ability to survive in this world because you CANNOT figure out how to flush the toilet. I have looked high, low, and everywhere in between trying to figure out where the toilet flusher is, all while questioning if I should ne able to live independently, let alone cross oceans.
Some flushers are on the side of the toilet, some on top, some on the wall, some a cord hanging from the ceiling, some a foot pedal, some… I just walked out and mumbled an apology for my inadequacy to the next person whenever they came along.
A final note, and bit of advice on toilets while traveling:
🌟Carry coins. There are public toilets almost everywhere, but they will often cost you your pocket change (anywhere from .10-.20 to $1€ depending on location). This can apply to anything from using the toilet in a fishermen’s village in Mexico to a bus station bathroom in Colombia, to a restaurant toilet in Italy (if you are not eating there), to a public WC, so be sure to have small change or you may be out of luck.
🌟Use bathrooms whenever available. Any time there is a free/clean/accessible bathroom available, use it! It may be a while before you come across another one that fits this criteria.
🌟Carry tissues! While there are usually plenty of bathrooms available, there is not always toilet paper. It is always a good idea to have some on hand.
Scrub-a-dub-dub… where is the tub?
This one is an interesting one because there is such a range surrounding this topic depending on location, region, norms, etc. In many places, daily bathing is abnormal. This can be for a multitude of reasons: limited water, limited hot water, climate, simply deemed unnecessary, or deemed unhealthy. While often visitors and tourists have the option to bathe at will, they may be surprised to find limited water availability or limited hot water (or none at all).
Showers can also be VERY small, and bathtubs can be tough to come by in many regions of the world. In other regions, a bathtub may be more readily available than a shower.
Ironically, and as the travel world will have it, I started writing this while on my way to Türkiye and had my own shower moment shortly upon arrival.
When I checked in to my Airbnb, I realized I overlooked the pictures of the bathroom. The apartment is modern and updated, spacious and overall great, but the bathroom… is not only quite small, but is a wet room.
For those of you unfamiliar with a wet room, it is essentially a bathroom with a sink, a toilet, and a shower head (no walls or curtain). The first time I encountered a wet room was on an island in Panama, and it was great! The bathroom was huge and the whole open corner was the shower. The next time was in Portugal in a hotel room, but there was a shower curtain for about 1/3 of it (reason why was unclear), but this wet room was unexpected and much smaller than any I have used before. With a little adjusting, finagling, a lot of squeegeeing and a healthy amount of laughter, I’m making it work! Is it weird to me, of course! Is it 100% manageable? Absolutely.
Tiny Turkish wet room
…. Okay, that is a slight lie.
There was an instance where I was on toilet, reached for the toilet paper and accidentally hit the shower handle, simultaneously scaring the shit out of, and soaking myself. Lesson learned to keep the handle pointing inward.
One of the perks to a wet room, however, is space. Something that is very much lacking in showers in many parts of the world, especially in the parts of Europe I have visited. Granted, I am big, so things are generally small to me, but Euro-showers tend to be in Euro-bathrooms that run on the quaint side (unlike me).
Just like scaring the shit out of myself (metaphorically, but would have been fine literally) accidentally turning on the shower while sitting on the toilet, sometimes you just need to laugh about these things and make it work. Like when my friend and I got an Airbnb in Porto, and I took one look at the tiny corner shower and said “Your boobs and butt are NOT going to fit in there”.
She did, there is a video of it, but you have to pay to see it on an entirely different platform, but …. I digress.
The solution she came up with: I will just get in, turn on the shower and you can squirt body was over the top! Like the car wash!
While we did not need to resort to this (leaving the door open a bit and just wiping up the floor after worked out just fine) we had many solid laughs over the tiny shower and not-tiny-ladies using it.
Overall, bathrooms are bathrooms and all serve the same functions, but may come with some unexpected nuances or things you are not accustomed to when visiting somewhere new. Be prepared to be a little flexible (and balance) and open minded about common potty practices that may not be common for you, and you will be just fine.
Thank you for coming to my toilet talk
