Unforgettable calls ...

... of nature.

The island of Mount Putuo in China was a pilgrimage destination for Buddhist far and wide. I was there as a tourist a couple of years ago, looking as bemused as you please, at the throng of worshipers huffing and puffing into and out of the temples. It was a hot day so I drank more water than I should. At the most inopportune moment, I had to go.  My niece accompanied me to the nearest public toilet on the island.

Holy-Mama-Climb-Up-A-Tree! It was the horror of all horrors.

The toilet  was built at the edge of a low cliff barricaded by a low cement embankment. It was a communal latrine surrounded by four crude concrete walls and a roof. A single large window allowed some light into the interior. There wasn't a single tap inside and forget about the flush system. My niece stood guard at the entrance while I reluctantly entered. Three cubicles made of low concrete walls stood in a row. These were open cubicles. No doors, get it? And to spice things up a little, remember that single large window? It was located right in front of the cubicles so that one could whistle and watch the world go by as she goes.

That was one heck of an experience. I still get nightmares from it.