Toilets Of The World Part 4: Waste Disposal

Sadly, the automatic-flush Western-style toilet soon became a rarity as I travelled further into the heart of Asia. In Laos, manual flushing, by means of a bucket or ladle, is the norm. By the time I entered Northern Vietnam the hose had all but disappeared, and with no corresponding improvement in drainage systems the bin or ‘basket’ had reared its ugly head. Not only does having to put one’s used toilet paper in a bin have obvious visual and olfactory disadvantages, it also forces one to change one’s very wiping technique. Whereas one would normally hold the folded square of three-ply loosely, wiping and dropping in one motion, now one must grip it securely, gingerly extract it from below the rim (as it were) and- if the convenience in question is communal and one is feeling particularly considerate to one’s fellow users- fold it again before depositing it in the repulsive receptacle.