Potty Break

Most people here do not wear undies--hard to tell if it is because they are so poor, they lack money to buy such luxuries or because it is simply the most expedient system.  Most of our bush camps/hotels do not even have undies on the laundry list in case a man does the washing--culturally inappropriate for him to touch our intimate clothing.  After using several "potty bushes," I can see how no undergarments can expedite the process of "going" in the bush for women.  Men are SO lucky in that department--turn their backs and let 'er rip.  Because we travel in a very humid rain forest, our clothes, plastered to our bodies, stick like glue when trying to remove them for our delicate ladylike maneuvers, and they roll up together when we try to scrunch them back into position.  Then we laugh at the TP situation--damp from the environment and sticking to anything wetter than it is.  Showering at night reveals tiny balled up clumps that wash down the drain.  Now add to the mix looking for snakes, safari ants or other unwanted guests during our break and we have good reasons to jettison our undies.  We briefly considered Depends for future trips, but the issue of disposal cancelled that idea in a hurry. 

Sometimes we are lucky to have an "Eastern" toilet--basically a 5x7 hole in the ground which we straddle, holding up our pant legs and draping other belongings around our necks.  Ready, aim, fire!  Or perhaps a misfire!  At least all of our accommodations have flush toilets.  But we NEVER go there in the middle of the night without a flashlight in case a hoary spider, slithery snake, or scurrying rat decides to compete for the same space.  This trip is definitely not for wimps!