Toilets from around the World

Going to the restroom, whether we like to admit it or not, is something everyone around the world does. Until I moved to South America I had always assumed that a toilet was a toilet was a toilet, however I quickly learned this was not the case. The first public toilet I used was quite the experience. I didn’t speak any Spanish at the time so I didn’t know what anyone was saying to me. I walked past some people who I thought were just selling toilet paper (which didn’t make any sense at the time) and into the washroom and was thoroughly confused. There was no toilet seat for starters, and there was no toilet paper! It was after that I learned that public toilets were not free, hence the people selling the toilet paper, and an extra supply of toilet paper was well worth the space it took up in my bag. Once arriving at my host families home and having discovered a fairly normal looking toilet with a seat on it, I learned that in South America (and many other countries) you don’t put the used toilet paper in the actual toilet, but rather in the bin beside the toilet, also a bit of an adjustment to make.

This led me to further investigate toilets in other countries. Since having embarked on this mission to discover how the rest of the world does their thing, I have learned that there are a wide variety (and I mean a very wide variety) of facilities. I have seen photos of everything from glass urinals shaped like flowers, to ones with heated seats, with an automatic air freshener and armrests, to ones set up like an actual throne, to a small hole in a cement slab (good aim required please). And for the environmentally aware and sustainable folks out there, composting toilets are becoming more and more popular these days. The technology has advanced to the point where you’d hardly even notice the difference, minus the water in the toilet bowl of course.

So in the end, I have realized that before heading off on an adventure in a foreign place, it is probably wise to investigate the style of facilities to be expected so you won’t be caught off guard in an unusual situation. Also remember to keep small change and spare toilet paper in your bag, and if you see a small bin beside the toilet, it’s meant for the toilet paper. And in case anyone was curious, the most expensive toilet I used in South America was at the bus station in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Also, a new date to note in your calendar is November 19th – world toilet day! This day is dedicated to the celebration of the wonderful toilet (any and all styles of course) while bringing awareness to the global sanitation crisis affecting 40% of the world’s population.

Enjoy!
Meghan G