Vietnam & Cambodia: Toilet Talk

    Funny thing about Asians, they really like their squat, or scout, toilets. [Call them toilets. Restroom , Bathroom, Washroom are simply foreign terms that need translating. WC sometimes works but only if spelled.]  Without discussing their ergonomic (or is that anatomic?) merits, they tend to pose dilemmas for Westerners, especially when first encountered.  What is the best way to do this? And what is that hose for?  The basket?  Time for a toilet talk - a public service to all who may travel through these parts at some point in their life. 

upscale toilet

    If  you are a female, travel in roomy skirts, it will make your life easier. Place your feet on the ribbed track on either side of the porcelain. Make sure your business end is near the depressed area/plumbing toward the back. Notice there is no toilet paper here. If you brought your own, put it in the trash bin or basket in the corner, don't flush it. However, for that fresher feeling, use the water hose (at low pressure, I recommend) for an efficient clean.  Think of it as a mobile bidet.  This toilet is pretty upmarket.  See that red handle on the left side? Turn that to flush the toilet.  Slick.  Usually there is a cistern or a bucket of water so you can manually flush by scooping  water from the bucket into the toilet.

Angkor Wat - #1 in restrooms!

    There is bad news and good news in the restroom department in Cambodia.  First,  public restrooms are a rarity and, of those, few are free. The good news is that Western pedestal toilets are more common than scout toilets.  Important to note, and your guidebooks will tell you as much, that the public restrooms in the Angkor Wat  area are not only free but are downright spectacular in comparison to anywhere else including  budget hotels.  This restroom was photographed several times by tourists while I was in it. Plan your temples, plan your pitstops!

Ferry privy

boardwalk dunny

   Just few snapshots of what you might encounter on the road. Ferries take care of their customers by separating their customers from the water with a pedestal toilet. Pity the engine is exposed on the inside, one female had half her skirt sucked  into the engine by accident.  The now useless bit of fabric was retrieved and the engine restarted.  The cafe in the floating village had an outdoor dunny: a hole cut into the boardwalk and blocked off by a few sheets of corrugated metal.  Whatever are those fish waiting for?

     The picture on the left, a favorite of mine and Kev's, is pretty self-explanatory. And still people don't catch on.  People who have never seen or used a pedestal toilet just can't get the hang of the idea.  Footprints, footprints everywhere.
     One last thing: bring your own toilet paper from home. Take out the core and put it in a small plastic bag. You'll thank me later.