By Alan Knight
It’s the time of year when many people take their vacation.
Traveling abroad is a great way to learn about other cultures and have experiences
that are incomparable to what you have in the good ole USA. Trekking from one
country or continent to another, you experience the most exotic and diverse
sights, sounds, smells, food, music, dwellings and yes, bathrooms. Almost every well-heeled traveler will have
one or two classic bathroom stories.
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| Courtesy of en.wikipedia.org |
Americans, especially those who have not traveled abroad,
are often completely unprepared for the adventures they experience overseas. You
might be strolling through the streets of Bangkok and encounter a local riding
an elephant to the outdoor market, but the real trauma will come when you go to
use the bathroom in your hotel room (that is, if you have one in your hotel
room). Imagine the look of horror when you open the door and spot a hole in the
floor. Yep, that’s the reality and most Americans take for granted the little
things that make our lives pleasant. Suddenly, they’re not so little anymore.
WHAT,
I HAVE TO SHARE?
Yes, you do. Unless you have an unlimited budget, chances
are you’ll be looking to save some money on your adventure. Since you probably
don’t plan on spending most of your time in your hotel room, this is generally
where you might cut corners.
Be prepared to share. European hoteliers are often a bit
perplexed as to why American travelers are so uncomfortable with shared
bathrooms because it has been the norm for many years. In many hotels overseas,
the toilet and shower will be at the end of the hall. If you get especially
lucky, there might be two. Granted, more and more hotels are adding pre-fab
bathrooms to individual rooms, but you will dole out a heftier sum for that
luxury.
THE
EARLY BIRD CATCHES THE WORM AND THE HOT SHOWER
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| Courtesy of en.wikipedia.org |
Do you relish the thought of those hot beads of water
gushing down on you first thing in the morning? Do you take your sweet time in
the shower as you luxuriate in the hot, soapy water? Well, you can forget about
those days as you trek across many parts of the globe. Hot water is a luxury in
most places overseas, even in swankier accommodations.
In many hotels, hot water is available only once a day and
there won’t be much of it. Most likely it will be first thing in the morning
and the luxury won’t show up again until the next day. It’s not a shabby idea
to ask when the precious hot water is available so you can be the first guest
to queue up. Just run out quickly, so no one knows who just used up all the hot
water. And don’t drop your towel.
HOW AM
I SUPPOSED TO FIT IN THAT?
So you paid the extra expense for a private bathroom. Good
for you. When you walk into the room, you might be in for a bit of a surprise. Hint, it’s not good. Some hotels have
joined the private bathroom revolution, they are notoriously tiny. Shower
curtains optional. Be careful if you drop the teeny, tiny bath soap, you may
hit your noggin on the sink or the toilet. On a positive note, there’s nothing
like a side-splitting bathroom story to tell your friends when you get home.
BUT
HONEY, MY TOWEL IS SCRATCHING ME
This sure isn’t a Fieldcrest towel. No, it is not. The
plush, heavyweight, absorbent, ultra-luxurious towels you cherish at home are
nowhere to be found at your average hotel overseas. The towel you will be using
is most likely thin, waffle-like and totally lacking the ability to retain
moisture. It’s not a bad idea to bring your own because the drying off idea has
just not caught on overseas. Maybe you can go into the towel business?
WHERE’S
THE THRONE?
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| Courtesy of en.wikipedia.org |
It’s that hole in the ground. See? Depending on the
continent you’ve landed on, commodes as you know them may not exist. And you
thought everyone in the world used a toilet. Wrong again. Typically called
Turkish toilets or squatters, they exist in many places across the globe. They
can be porcelain or metal bowls planted firmly in the ground. It may also be a
hole, literally, in the middle of the bathroom. There is no seat on these bad
boys, so you have to learn to squat and aim. Think of how much stronger your
thighs will be by the end of your adventure.
Oh, and one other thing. Good luck finding toilet paper in
these bathrooms. There might be a bucket of water, but that‘s about it. You can
wash your hands in the sink. Please scrub them.
IS
THAT AN AUXILLIARY TOILET?
You happened upon a bathroom with two toilets this time,
not just a hole in the ground. You must
be in Europe. The second toilet is actually a bidet and is considered as
important to Europeans as the shower or toilet. The jets thoroughly clean your
bottom and is considered to be much more sanitary than toilet paper alone.
DO YOU
MISS YOUR BATHROOM YET?
You are on your transcontinental flight home and there are
two things you long for; your bed and your bathroom. Traveling the globe was an
enlightening experience and the exposure to other cultures has enriched your
life immeasurably. The food, the sights, sounds, and people will be etched in
your mind forever. So will the bathrooms.
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| Courtesy of Tubking.com |
Now you realize how good you have it. You come home and
realize your master bathroom is almost the same size as some of the rooms where
you laid your head. You’ve always relished having a luxurious bathroom and made
a point of acquiring a solid surface, ultra-luxurious soaking tub to wash away
the remnants of your stressful work day. The whole bathing ritual has new
meaning now that you have seen the other side. Things don’t get better than
this as you drop your luggage on the bedroom floor, turn on the hot water and
hop right in. Yes, that was a purchase you will never regret.
This article discusses the various types of bathrooms
across the globe and the ultimate differences in contrast to a typical American
bathroom. Many Americans have no idea what to expect when they travel abroad or
may believe the things considered to be typical in the States, may not even
exist in some parts of the world. Now don’t you desire a little more luxury in
your master bathroom?
If you learned anything from this article, please make a comment or pass it along.
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Would you like to receive a free copy of our ebook - Tub King's Ultimate Guide to Cast Iron/Porcelain Tubs, Walk-in Tubs & Safety Suite Showers? Fill in the form below and we will send it to you for free or you can buy it on Amazon.com by clicking on this link.
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