For your feet or your bum?

Remember that Crocodile Dundee scene when Mick can’t figure out what a bidet is?    After first trying his boot in the basin and a puzzled look he realized what it was and yelled out the window  to Sue “ it’s for washin’ yer bum!” .   Well here in the Middle East it’s a bit different and the bidet looking item in your bathroom is actually a foot basin.   The foot basin is here for a cleansing ritual known as ablution,  as Muslims are required to wash their feet before praying to Allah five times a day.   It looks almost identical to a bidet and when I was here for my first trip to Dubai  earlier in the year I discovered in a very awkward way that it was not a bidet .  Needless to say water sprayed everywhere it was not supposed to and I had my first instruction on the difference between the two.

As we travel through different countries the  “bathroom  rules” change.  Here in the Middle East everything is separated similar to the States but even more so.   Separate  male and female entrances to pools, separate steam  and sauna areas and some gyms have “female only” hours.   In Europe quite often there is a single restroom everyone shares or a larger area with somewhat divided male and female sections to use the loo, but everyone shares communal wash up areas.  The one thing I can’t get used to is the squat toilet option, however when  a girl has to go, she has to go.  In Amsterdam my option was hold it or use the squat toilet.   Basically you walk in the stall and there is a large hole in the ground with a recessed drain surrounding 2 islands shaped like feet that you stand on and just like the name--  you squat.
Growing up in the 1980’s in Ohio this position was commonly known as “jungle peeing” however at least you had a car bumper to hold on to and I was a lot more flexible at  16 than I am in my 40's. 

So my friends, enjoy your toilets and if someday you come across a bidet in your travels test it before you use it. 

Cheers & Good Travel

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