Recently, Sara and I have been busy with work and haven’t had any time to tend to our travel blog. That is about to change, however, because we have also been busy planning our next epic journey and plan to share all of the details.

We have always loved to travel, but something happened to us on our Egypt trip. We came to the conclusion that travel is really something that is more important to us than we had realized. Some people want to have a nice house, or a nice car, or an “I’m more significant than you are” job. For a while, those things seemed consequential as well, but not any longer. Travel is the goal. Sara can list her entire ‘Bucket List’ in three words: See the world.

This year has been quite hectic for us. Our business really picked up and we have had a few short trips, which we will try to write a bit about in the near future. But we had no time for the blog. We did have time to plan an adventure, though, and it is a good one. We brainstormed to try to come up with something that was even better than the Egypt trip. We talked about Australia, South America, even Antarctica, but ruled them all out for one reason or another. Finally, Sara came up with one that was epic, but doable: the Trans-Siberian Railway, with several stops along the way including camping in Mongolia.

We will be taking a 36-day trip, starting in Shanghai, China, working our way up to Beijing, across Mongolia, Siberia and Russia to Moscow and then St. Petersburg. We will be bringing another couple along with us and hope to have just as many adventures both on and off the train as we did in Egypt.

Please join us in the coming months while we provide planning tips, gear reviews, frugality techniques and, of course, stories from the road.

If you are new to the blog, here are some of our favorite posts that you might like:

Day 2, Sara Passes Out…Cold (Egypt)

My Trip to the Onsen or How to Take a Bath with a Bunch of Other Guys (Japan)

Day 12, The Bomb Scare at the Israeli Border (Egypt)

Just a warning, this post may make you uncomfortable, or even offended.  If you are one who gets squeamish easily, or who does not like talk of bathrooms, or things resulting from visits to bathrooms, please do not read any further.  However, when you travel, the bathroom situation is something to consider, so you might find our companion post, How To Use a Squat Toilet, educational instead.

If you have traveled to other parts of the world, you might have noticed that there are a variety of toilet options which might be presented to you.  I first experienced the squat toilet when I traveled to South America in the mid-90′s, but I was with the Navy and I was used to roughing it a bit.  When Sara first took me to Taiwan and Hong Kong in 2002, she had a very frank discussion with me about the fact that I would be faced with this type of bathroom fixture more often than not.  I told her that I could handle it, and for guys, it’s mostly not an issue…until it is.

Throughout our travels, Sara and I have come across some interesting bathrooms, some of which we still talk about.  Most recently, on our trip to Japan, at the Narita Airport, just outside of customs, we found one that could have been right out of Star Wars.  It opened like an elevator, with buttons and a sliding door.  Then, the actual toilet had at least a dozen buttons for different options for flushing and bidet.  I regret not getting a picture, but I was just so intimidated by the whole experience, not only from the numerous choices presented to me, but also the fact that everything was in Japanese.  I was afraid that I was going to hose myself down by accident (I did that on a train in Egypt by hitting the bidet pedal instead of the flush pedal on the toilet).  It turns out there were options for a small flush or a big flush, seat warmer, and front and back bidet, both hard and soft.  It seems the Japanese are easily embarrassed by the sound of themselves in the bathroom, so there was even a button that turns on artificial running water to mask other sounds which might emanate from the bathroom.  I think there might have been even more.

There is a bathroom in China that Sara still refers to as ‘A River Runs Through It’.  Let me explain.  We had just visited a very historic site, in Suzhou on the outskirts of Shanghai, and while inside, I had visited the Men’s Room.  It was one of the nicer bathrooms I had been to in China, very polished, white and gleaming, and I remarked on this fact to Sara after I exited.  Sara did not have to go at the time, but as we were leaving the park, she decided she did need to go.  We noticed a sign just outside the gate pointing to a restroom, so she just decided to go there.  Unfortunately, it was not the same experience.  Having grown up in Taiwan, Sara is used to the squat toilet and actually prefers it in public places as it is more sanitary.  This squat toilet, however, consisted of a series of six stalls, just like in the U.S., but at the back, instead of a toilet, or even a hole for that matter, was a trench which extended from one end of the bathroom to the other, passing through each stall.  Water constantly flowed down the trench from one end of the room to the other.  I guess it is not so bad if you are in Stall #1, but if you get unlucky enough to end up in Stall #6, well, let’s just say that you probably won’t be reading the Sunday paper while you go about your business.

Sara is really a trooper when it comes to bathrooms, but she met her match in Egypt.  We were on the bus ride from Dahab to Taba and the bus driver had pulled in to a rest area because the toilet on the bus was not operational.  Sara went in to take care of business and there was a man standing outside of the restroom collecting money to enter.  It is common practice to have to pay to use the public restrooms in Egypt, so Sara handed him a one pound note (about 20 cents U.S.).  She walked in to the Ladies Room and was greeted by a toilet overflowing.  Not overflowing with water, mind you, but overflowing with, well, poop.  Flies were all over and I would imagine the stink was unbearable.  Sara calmly turned around and walked out.  She plucked the pound note out of the attendant’s hand as she casually walked back to the bus, boarded and held it until the next stop.

I just read in this month’s National Geographic that in Cambodia, the authorities post signs to show how to properly use a sit-down toilet.  It seems the natives were climbing up on the seats and squatting, resulting in footprints on the seat for the next guest.

The point of all of this is that the unwary American can be caught off guard when overseas and needing to take care of business.  If you have ever camped in the woods (not a campground), then you should have no problem.  However, if you have never had to squat to go to the bathroom, you might check out our instructional post, How To Use a Squat Toilet.  Just keep an open mind and always carry a spare roll of toilet paper.

If you travel overseas enough, you will eventually run into a squat toilet.  “What is a squat toilet?” you ask.  They come in many varieties, but essentially, it is any toilet which requires you to squat instead of sit in order to conduct your business.  From my experience, they are very popular in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and South America.  Don’t be afraid, though, once you get the hang of them, they are not that bad, and actually offer a much more sanitary experience that a lot of public sit-down toilets.  I know that as a guy, I have gone into many bathrooms, even here in the U.S., looked at the toilet and thought, “Man, I’m glad I don’t have to sit on that!”  Women, however are not as fortunate, so they might especially appreciate the squatter.  Sara, raised in Taiwan, much prefers the squat toilet to the sit-down variety in a public situation.

So, what is the best strategy for using this toilet?  If you have ever camped in the woods (without a bathroom nearby), you probably have your own technique.  However, if you are new to the game, here is where to begin.  First, bring your own toilet paper.  Most squat toilets do not have any because most of the locals do not use it.  Yes, that’s right, the left hand was created for something after all (sorry to all of you lefties out there).  Check local customs, but in many countries it is very offensive to offer to shake hands with your left hand for this very reason.

Once you enter the stall, you will notice an oval bowl built in to the floor.  You will want to position your feet on either side of the bowl, drop your drawers and squat, being careful not to let your pants hit the ground, but making sure they are out of firing range.  Try to position yourself over the bowl as much as possible for accuracy.  I have found that maintaining this position can be difficult unless you relax.  Rest the backs of your thighs on your calves so you are not straining too much.  Then, let nature take its course.

You might notice a small trash can inside the stall.  If it is present, this is the receptacle for the toilet paper.  The plumbing in many countries cannot handle toilet paper and you will clog the pipes if you flush it.  I was in South America and managed to clog up our hotel toilet.  I wasn’t confident in my Spanish, so I asked my roommate, Gary, to see if the maid could help.  She fixed the problem, but became a bit irritated the following day when I did it again.  “Otre vez (again!?),” she said as she shook her head.

Speaking of flushing, sometimes you might find that there is no way to flush.  Look for a hose or a bucket of water with a ladle to accomplish the same thing.  You might also just have a trench with constantly flowing water.  Whatever you encounter, just go with it.  Remember, it is all part of the adventure.

On a side note, if you have ever been to Vegas and walked down the Strip, you will inevitably be handed paper advertisements for local entertainment.  Most people just throw them away.  In Asia, from time to time, you will be handed advertisements that are really packs of tissues.  If you see someone handing them out, don’t avoid them, grab as many as they’ll give you.  They make excellent emergency toilet paper and are easy to carry around in your pocket.

I found a video that is quite informative and entertaining if you would like visual details on what to expect from the whole squat toilet experience.  We also have a companion post on some of the more memorable bathrooms that Sara and I have encountered over the years.  The main thing to remember is that the whole point of travel is to see and experience new things.  It’s all about your attitude.

If you travel to Tokyo to visit a friend and need to pick a spot to meet, you should know that the most popular meeting place in the city is a small statue of a dog in front of the Shibuya train station.  Almost every Japanese citizen knows the famous story of the dog, but most Americans do not.

In the 1920′s, Hachiko, an Akita, walked with his master every day to the Shibuya train station to see him off.  Then, every evening,the dog would return to the station to await his master’s arrival home from work.  This was a pattern that repeated every day until he was 18 months old.  One day his master, a professor at the local university, had a stroke and died at work.  The dog waited for him, but he never came home.  Undaunted, Hachiko returned the following afternoon at the time of the evening train, only to go away disappointed.

Hachiko never gave up.  He returned to the station for the evening train every night without fail.  When people began to notice him regularly, they began to feed him.  His story became known throughout Japan when a newspaper article about him was published in 1933, after he had been returning every night for seven years.  He finally passed away and re-joined his master after ten years of never giving up.  A statue was erected of him at the station, but was torn down when the metal was needed for the war effort in World War II.  Another was commissioned after the war and has stood in his waiting spot ever since.

Sara first told me this story years ago and I have thought of it often.  Even though it was pouring down rain, we made the trek across the city to see the statue.  So if you are ever meeting someone in Tokyo, meet at Shibuya and wait with Hachiko, he will be there.

Sara and I have returned from our latest trip:  Tokyo and Taipei.  While I have been to Taipei a few times in the past, this was my first visit to Tokyo.  I must say that I absolutely loved it.  The people were friendly, the city was safe and clean and the food was incredible.  We also got to experience a true Japanese tradition:  the onsen (hot springs).

Before I tell you about our adventure in Japan, I should talk a bit about my previous time at an onsen, as it was eventful.  My first experience was in Taiwan in 2004, where we had traveled by train to a hot spring resort in Chih-pen, Taitung.  Sara and I were accompanied by her parents and sister and were all staying in the same room at the Royal Chih-pen Hotel, sleeping on the floor on Japanese style tatami mats.

Sara had instructed me on the proper etiquette and on what to expect, so once we arrived, I did what I was told and changed into a robe with nothing underneath.  This is where my problems started.  For those of you who have never been to Taiwan, you should know that most Taiwanese are fairly short.  I am 6′ 2″.  I don’t think the resort has many foreign visitors, because their robes are designed for 5 foot tall people.  Consequently, my robe came to mid-thigh.  I felt like a Go-Go dancer from the sixties.

I am generally not one who is comfortable naked around others.  In the gym, you won’t find me shaving at the sink buck-naked like some guys.  I get in, change, and get out.  So, when it came to walking around the hotel room with all of Sara’s family present and my butt cheeks nearly popping out of the bottom of my robe (I was terrified to drop anything and have to bend to pick it up), I was less than happy.

Then came the announcement that we would be eating in the room, again, Japanese style:   on the floor.  We would all sit around a low table.  I sighed and then contorted my body this way and that, while clenching my fists around the robe in strategic locations to keep the good stuff hidden.  I finally got settled on the floor and comfortable, when, Michael, Sara’s father, emerged from the bathroom in his robe…with his pajama bottoms on underneath!  Oh ha, ha.  Pick on the white guy.  Everybody had a good laugh at me as I carefully struggled to my feet to find my pajamas. Read the rest of this entry »