The Bog, John, Dunny, Jazz, Crapper, Potty, Can, Sh!tter, Lavatory, Loo, Water Closet (WC). There are many more, in English, but obviously every other language has its own variants too.
Of all the facilities every person, and traveller, will have to make use of, in some form or another, is the humble toilet. Sometimes there just isn’t one and you still have to go, such as in the middle of the desert on a group safari tour without so much as a rock or bush in sight to hide behind, or you are on a mountain trek, or worse case scenario, in the middle of a major European city and you don’t have cash on you to pay the toilet mafia to use the ‘public’ facilities. If you’ve ever been to Europe, or you live there, you will know what I’m talking about.
But for the most part, any seasoned traveller will develop this sixth sense of when is, or is not a good time to go. This all depends on the availablity of facilities, or the cleanliness thereof. What most often inspires me to use a particular throne is the novelty, design, or location. Even if I don’t have to go urgently at that time, I’ll install myself anyway just to enjoy the view. I guess it’s the one thing women will never quite understand…the reason men sit so long. Maybe it’s the one place we get our best thinking done.
The Humble Toilet, A Place of Great Thinking
Over the years, many people have contributed to the design of the camode as we know it today. One person who made a significant contribution, along with his name, was none other than Thomas Crapper who invented the floating ball cock, the thing that automatically fills the cistern with water. His name was emblazoned across the cast iron tank which, back in the day, was higher up the wall, pretty much at face level. Apparently, American service men stationed in England during WW 1 coined the phrase “‘I’m going to the crapper”. Born in Thorne, Yorkshire, UK in 1836 Crapper founded Thomas Crapper and Co, the company that owned the worlds first bathroom showroom in King’s Road, London until 1966.
Now the more I travel, and the more the earth is populated, the more I appreciate the need to dispose of ourselves properly. It is possible that a lot of people might never give any consideration to where their crap goes after they flush, but they should. Maybe the origin of the water used to flush said crap is another important consideration, unless you are using a filthy pit latrine like many people in various locations around the world. Perhaps the next time you assume the position, you can give a thought to the millions of people who don’t have the use of a suitable facility.
What’s the purpose of this article? I’m not entirely sure, but seeing as there is so much crap on the internet anyway, I thought I’d keep up the trend. Pun intended.
PS: I should also add that every one of these fine specimens featured in this article was personally used by yours truly.
Feel free to list other names for the toilet, in your language, or tell of your most memorable experience on one.
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I loooove this post! Hahaha
Not all articles need to have a serious purpose, I guess. This one is really interesting. LOL! My kids are older now, but when they were young we had to prepare them for the possibility of ‘different’ toilet types. It was always an adventure to see what a toilet looked like and try to figure out how it flushed…IF it flushed. Just love the animal urinals.
For a decade, when we were designing toilets (and toilet systems), this was a never-ending source of derision and mirth among my friends and colleagues. Now almost two decades hence, you restored those memories.
I suddenly feel very disatisfied with my toilet arrangements
You should do something about that 😉
Hahahaha! Interesting. I have a different experience from Warsaw. The Hard Rock Cafe there has named their bogs ‘Guns & Roses’. Guns for Gents and Roses for Ladies. Here’s a view from ‘Guns’ –
These are just brilliant! Had me entertained for a long time 🙂 love the Namibia ones the most!
Great post! The last one is the best one 😀 I don’t think I could see myself using some of these!
OMG… this was… how should I put it… nice!!! Amazing compilation… the Namibia one was hilarious… 🙂
Cheers!
Awesome post, I never thought to archive the toilets of my travels. Only one I do have a photo of is my very first squat at the Belgrade train station. My favorite is the hippo urinals at Rainbow Lodge…I was there in 2014 and I totally snuck into the men’s room when no one was in it to take a peek at them!
Hahahaha – perfect. This is definitely something different!!
This post is awesome! My favorite is the Yuri Camp but the Rainbow Lodge would be a hit with my boys.
You guys are hysterical! And you’re so right. The toilet is the common denominator. Great post!
The only think I thought through this whole article is “OMG, another couple who takes pictures of potties.” And now I think that we’ll have to go on an epic road trip with your two someday.
An interesting post indeed.
Awesome! One thing I learned to love in Asia is the bumgun they use to clean themselves after using the toilet. We were trying to install it in our apartment, but it always anded up dripping a flooding the bathroom. A bottle can fix that 😉 I don´t understand why some people think it is disgusting, though, I´ve seen a sign in a toilet in one hostel saying “If you stumbled and fell and got shit smeared on your face, would you wash it with water or clean it with a piece of paper!” – that sums it up for me 😀 With you permission, I´ll share this on my page 😉
Please, spread the word and share away! 🙂
As far as I’m concerned, the point to this article is that toilets are an important part of humanity – the Queen of England has to crap as well you know – and so it is the responsibility of travel bloggers to discuss how this vital function is utilised around the whole of our beautiful world.
Thanks for a great read! 🙂
What? Her Majesty also has to take a dump? 😉
What I have learned while travelling is to appreciate the decent facilities we have in the first world. What some people have been forced to use has opened my eyes, open holes, directly into rivers etc.
Funny! I do love the ones with mountain views! I do appreciate a nice clean bathroom when I’m home. The adventure is worth dealing with the unique toilets though!
Oh my gosh! Those are “interesting” to say the least. I had to share with my husband and the last one looks like his idea of camping here in the states. 😉 I preferred the colorful hippo heads.
Amazing! This reminds me of one washroom in Laos – on top of the mountain and no wall in front of you – just the view of the mountainous countryside!
What a hillarious post!
Such a variety of something that EVERYBODY needs everyday.
I’ve got quite a few interesing places in my photo albums as well – I guess, I need to try to put them together as well one day 😀
You should put them into an article…like this one, if you write about crap, people seem to love it 😉
I’m having a hard time thinking about something that will top this one 🙂
Ah to be from the same county as Thomas Crapper, that’s got to be something to be proud of right? 🙂 Great post though, I always thought it was interesting when I was travelling to see the different kinds of toilets everywhere – although I’ve never seen any like the ones in this post 🙂
You should be proud to be from the same country as the man who saved the world from its own….crap 😉 with an efficient way to get rid of it 🙂
Haha.
We found a pit with a view on top of Kearsarge North in New Hampshire. It was pretty amusing to look at. Definitely prefer the composting ones at the AMC huts instead
This is awesome. Reminds me if my visit to Terminal 21 mall in Bangkok. Where every floor have different style of toilets. Its fun. I actually did visit them all haahha
Haha! What a funny post. Isn’t it interesting how complicated humans made a simple natural part of our body? Hey if you gotta go, might as well have a nice view doing it right?
I like that Place of Great Thinking. It is one I would like to install in my garden! 🙂
I don’t know where to begin if I had to start sharing all the great ideas I’ve had while taking a seat…
hahah great post! Great for a laugh – and also glad I don’t have to use some of these!
Sometimes, when you have to go, you have to go;-)
Without a doubt, my most scenic bowel movement was while on the Karakorum Highway in Xinjiang, China.
It was more a hole in the ground with a thin layer of ice and snow surrounding it, but it’s hard to beat grunting out a fresh biscuit while gazing up at snow-capped mountains.
ha:-)…I should have added, as hard as it is to choose, that my favourite was that old half car. You have never seen such open expansive space like in Namibia. The hole under that car was about 5 meters deep…there was at least a 3 second free fall…
I had to read the title twice, what an unusual idea for a post, loved every bit of it. Fun!! Keep it up.
Thanks! You don’t see many blog posts out there about toilets. It seems the more unusual the topic, the more attention it gets 🙂
Hi Sabine & Sean
What a fun and great post. I remember two of the Namibian toilets 😉
lol
Thanks for sharing. Having a good laugh on a ordinary Tuesdaymorning on the Island is wonderful. You made my day 🙂
Cheers,
Reni
I think we are on to something with the latest subject matter for our blog. Keeping it lighthearted and fun. Seems like everyone does indeed enjoy some good old toilet humour 😉
Ha, great post. Just goes to show you how much we have complicated what is a natural thing! I did “go” recently up at the top of the UFO bridge in Bratislava with a panoramic view of the city!
Complicated? Absolutely! and this whole privacy thing…if it has a nice view, I just leave the door open, if it even has a door 🙂
Haha this is interesting and funny … but what a view to do your business lol
What a fun—and funny—post. Love the photos.
haha, too funny! Love it! We have a picture hanging in our bathroom from Alaska. It is not a photo of the bathroom, but instead the view we had from our ‘outdoor relieving station’. Noone knows what the photo is about, but it makes us smile every time we look at it. haha
There’s nothing better than doing something natural in a natural place with a view!
I am taking and using that Crapper anecdote! I still have vivid memories of the stench of a toilet we used during my childhood holiday to Cairo. 40 degree celsius heat in the afternoon, no cleaning and a lot of foot traffic, I’m sure you can imagine…
Unfortunately, I can imagine…those ones in the Namib desert might have a good view, but they don’t have such a good smell…;-)
HAHAA nice post!! thanks for making me laugh
‘dude,where’s my car’ is my favorite
I love what you did here! It’s a great insight to see different toilets around the world – and we either learn to appreciate ours or prefer theirs. I actually do enjoy the squat toilet in Asia! I’m not sure if that’s weird, but I actually like it haha. I also saw the Japanese toilet! Have you seen that one yet?
Interesting toilets that you’ve seen! 🙂
I have seen a Japanese toilet, but haven’t had the opportunity to use one, yet. I am always on the lookout for fun and interesting ways of doing what we all have to do on a daily basis.
Great post! I love the hippos. So colorful for what it is. People really have a sense of humor.
This is hilarious! It is amazing how different things can be from one spot to another, and what it is the common way for us being soooo different to others. The beauty of travel is when you need to head that toilette and you find one shocking you…I’ve laugh forever when was my first time in an Asian toilette as I always wanted to check how would be…and after several months I got used to them and even liked that way, lol 😛
Haha, these are great!!! Traveling with kids, sometimes the woods is a better option when there’s not much time!
Hahaha nice recopilation of toilets man, or thrones as we say in Venezuela
Haha, cool collection! Found a great eco friendly toilet in the Netherlands too lately 🙂 And in the tent of nations 😀
This made me laugh! Not sure how I feel about the one in Rainbow Lodge though 😉
Haaaa great post! Not a bad view after you go to the loo 😛
That tissue paper hanging ! Omg outdoor toilets. This was definitely an interesting read.
That wasn’t actually an outdoor toilet, it was just…outdoors…take the spade and pick a spot 🙂
haha this made me laugh! The loo’s at the Top of the Shard in London have a pretty impressive view too!
Simone
Well I never! That’s where the term ‘crapper’ comes from! My favourite toilet by far is definitely the hippo one: yikes!
Hahahah some of these are downright ridiculous. But after seeing some of the toilets I did in the outback (Australia), I’ll believe anything!
More to come in my next series!
You had me laughing so much as I read this post!! What a great theme. It also reminded me of my late father who loved photography and travel and would also take many photos of the local sanitary facilities no matter where he traveled. He especially loved many signs that would indicate “men” and women.
I like to make people laugh, glad you did!
HAHA I love this post. So different from what I’m used to reading. And very interesting toilets indeed. Asia has some pretty interesting toilet situations too.
Thought I would do something a little different. I just wish I had a photo of every interesting toilet used over the years. Think I might make a point of taking more pics of T’s as we travel and devote a whole section of the blog just to that 🙂