In the spirit of photoJOURNALism

Ok, so if you have delicate eyes, just skip ahead to the next post about food, ok?

Being a pretty cushy American, I have to admit I was a little obsessed with toilets when I traveled to Africa. On my pilgrimage through Rome in 2000, I documented my feet to tell the story. This time, it was documenting bathrooms (but not while they're in use!) Oh, and I didn't catch every john, just enough to give you a feel for the variety.


Paris had interesting bathrooms in the airport. There was sort of a mural on the front of the doors. And to make it a serene experience (I guess...), there were bird/wildlife sounds playing over the speakers in the bathroom.


I was excited to see a "toilet" sign when I was in the airport in Niamey. There was not a shred of toilet paper in the joint, but I came with my own! And flushing toilets in that country is different. There is a nob you pull UP for it to flush.


So, when we arrived at the hostel in Konni, there were no flushable toilets to be found. Just the good, trusty old latrines. But these were quite different from the latrines I experienced as a Girl Scout. Try no seat! Um ... interesting. It's amazing how quickly you learn to adjust to these differences!


Imagine my joy to find indoor plumbing at our hotel in Agadez, especially after the latrines! The shower was right next to the toilet and didn't have a curtain, but I didn't care! I was in luxury! (Did you notice the PINK toilet paper on the far left?)


After the cushy hotel, it was back to latrines in Jeanel's village. I didn't whine too much because she informed me her villagers have to hoof it to the bush to take care of business, so I felt quite like a queen with the cement latrine right next to her house!

The wooden stool is for bucket baths. You warm water, put it in a bucket, and then lather up with soap/shampoo while you sit on the stool. THEN you use a cup to rinse off. An interesting experience...and a first for me.


This is the cover for Jeanel's latrine. I'm sorry if it seem a bit graphic to anyone, but I really thought she was clever, using the lid of the largest pot to cover up the hole. Now, the lid is unusable now, but I imagine it's a worthwhile sacrifice.