Toilets / Los Baños

Going to the toilet, as any well-seasoned traveller can tell you, can be an adventure. In Colombia (or at least, in Bogotá... who knows what delights the countryside holds?) the standard is actually quite good. They have 'real' toilets, not holes in the ground (Sicily, I'm looking at you). Toilet paper is often provided, running water and soap always are. They are almost always kept immaculate. I have yet to find one that charges. You know what I'm going to say next though, don't you?

However...

The toilet paper is communal, ie: there is only one roll holder, and that is outside all of the cubicles. Don't forget to take some before you enter! In the unlucky toilets where they don't even provide that, people use napkins from cafes. Always grab a handful with your coffee por si las moscas. In addition, toilet paper is not to be flushed down the toilet, but instead put in a bin to the side. Can someone please tell me why?





Once inside, look before you leap sit - very few toilets have seats. Thankfully everything inside the cubicle is at a reasonable height. The walls, on the other hand, frequently stop at my shoulders.

While the sinks don't even reach knee-level! I'm not even standing up straight in this photo and I still can't reach the taps. 

(No, this is not the children's/disabled sink - it's the only one there is.)

This photo also doubles as the standard facebook profile picture for teens, although more pouting is usually involved. 

As for the men, well, I'm sorry guys but you're going to have to find out by yourselves...