In some places overseas if you ask for a “bathroom” or “washroom” you will get a most perplexed look. Do you need to Bathe or Wash? … What you are looking for is far more specific… call it what it is… “a toilet”… not a pretty word, but easily understood. Many people’s “toilet traumas” begin there – by having to bluntly utter the word.

While in your home city you may be able to hold off using the “mall’s facilities” till you get back to the comfort of your own home, but If you are in India or China you cant hold it forerver... You have to go somewhere.

Intrepid travellers will notice this is actually a luxury toilet… for one reason… Can you spot it?...

Toilet Paper provided! A rare commodity to find for free.

Plumbing is amazing in some places. Impossible in others ;-). This was in a bathroom in Delhi and still one of my favorite absurd photos from traveling.

Shocking?
Did you know that the entirety of Machu Picchu (the Inca trail) has flush toilets now? That comes as a quite a surprise to many.

I took this photo last week while in NYC and get a great kick out of washrooms like this. This was quite clean actually but made a tribute to so many trashy toilets that are in NYC.

The best bathroom (best by being worst) has sadly just closed down and is being MOVED to Las Vegas! Yes that is right… the notorious bathroom at CBGB (and OMFUG) is being moved to the Vegas strip for tourists to check out. CBGB’s was a dingy club that spawned some of the most important music artists of the 80’s like Talking Heads, The Ramones, Blondie and many more. Amazing place. The bathroom had stickers and graffiti everywhere, the "throne" was on a pedestal hard to stand on, and there were no dividers to the 3 urinals. People would have to bump into each other to use the facilities.. and no dividers = no shame.

At the other end of the scale is this place that I saw last week while in New York. In the heart of Times Square, Charmin (the toilet paper manufacturer… oh sorry… “bathroom tissue”…) has taken a shop and instllaed 20 toilets for free public use to “give back to New Yorkers" due to a shortage of washrooms in the vicinity. The line was about 100 deep and the people (me included) were excited to be in this air freshner filled space complete with dance floor, stuffed bears to take your photo with and music playing a cheesy Charmin song.

This place was spotless! It opened 4 days before we saw it and it already has 3562 visitors. ( including 8 from Ecuador, 1 from Bolivia and 35 from Washington State (I didn’t see Canada stats!), If you going you have to check it out. The music alone is entertaining and the pumped in pretty smells are amusing too.

Happy travels and say hi to Mr. Whipple for me.

Safe Travels from William Jans

WHERE THE HECK WAS THIS?
The bathooms in Times Square and will be open till December 31, 2006. Worth visiting whether you need to go or not :-)... the other bathrooms are likely not going to me on your "must see list."