In 1985, I was visiting the Pyramids in Giza with a group of about 20. Mid-day, in the sweltering sun, I knew a call from nature was imminent…I had just climbed out of Cheops and was “doing the dance” (if you know what I mean). I was beyond desperate and asked our Egyptian leader where the facilities were. He pointed to a shack next to some sort of broken down building right in the desert.
I went in and will NEVER forget what I saw: the only toilet there was a standard toilet, complete with seat. However, there was a 6-inch layer of black oozing slime around the base, and the seat literally had greenish brown algae growing on it. The inside of the bowl was black from stagnant organic matter, and some sort of rusty pipe was sticking out of the bowl. The stench reminded me of an elephant stall, and the dirt floors were filthier than just dirt. I had my camera with me, took a photo of the toilet (which later won a small photography contest – I have the photo in my picture album today) and knew I would die of bowel obstruction before I would use this toilet. I left, in tears, and eventually made it to a slightly better facility.
–Sharon in Charlottesville
