Entebbe, Uganda Toilet

 

Exhibit A, an African toilet.  Were this my first experience with an African toilet, I might unwittingly find them akin to the average Midwestern American toilet.  However, this is not the case.  Subtle, yet critical, differences exist.  

As a brief preamble, I must state that I feel very comfortable with toilets.  Pretty much everything about them suits me fine; in fact, I might even call myself an amateur connoisseur of these prized porcelain creations.  In Ethiopia, I encountered guts of a toilet, aka their precious insides, that I could not figure out.  Given that I had but mere minutes to submerse my hands into its raised tank, there simply was not enough time to evaluate its flushing mechanisms.  Unfortunately, I failed to photographically document this momentous occasion in my life.  Thus, I start this blog with a toilet from Entebbe, Uganda instead.  

The most obvious feature any toilet-using American would notice, is the raised tank.  I would presume that with the lowered water pressure, the height adds a gravitational advantage.  Perhaps not.  With said low water pressure the handle must be pumped repeatedly with a firm hand in order to attain the desired flush.  Again, the flush only works if the tank has engorged itself fully with water, anything less than full, and you will find yourself with a failed flush.  

One should note that this bathroom stall, a feature of a delicious beach-side restaurant, had floor-to-ceiling walls and was sealed with a hardwood door for maximum privacy.  So secure was the privacy in fact that the sister stall was occupied by a copulating couple that was practicing safe sex. Also present is a roll of toilet paper; a pleasant and unexpected surprise.