Day 3: Down the Chute

Ahh Café Arab: the site of some pretty awesome mint tea and the first reliable Internet connection I’ve had in weeks – a veritable bastion of civilization! And yet, also the location of a new life encounter: the Turkish toilet.

Now, it’s not that I wasn’t prepared for this. I’d been warned for months that it would happen, by my Rabat recon team of Rebecca, Monica, and Hilary, among others. Yet, when I walked into the room labeled “toilettes” to discover nothing more than a hole in the ground and some foot rests, I was still a bit shocked. And slightly unaware of how to proceed.

So, I crouched down, leaned my back against the wall, tried not to touch too much or visualize the germs squirming all over the stone walls around me. Though a little uncomfortable, everything was going well until I found myself in total darkness. Apparently, the lights are on a timer. Which just seems cruel.

Thankfully, my arms were long enough to reach the button and restart the cycle without abandoning the position. I finished up my business and did as much “flushing” as I could with the bucket of water nearby. I can only pray there are no secret, obvious steps to all of this that I missed out on.

I left the room, washed thoroughly, and came back up to share with all of you. Overall, not too scarring of an experience. However, I’ll be sure to carry around some extra toilet paper from now on….