Answering the Call of Nature in Mongolian Nature

In the Mongolian countryside, running water is pretty much nonexistent.  Most families get buckets of water from a nearby stream or from a well (if there's no stream or if/when it's frozen over in winter).  No running water = no flushing toilets.  The alternative:  the "long drop" (pit) toilet.

Since the tour lasted longer than our individual capacities to "hold it", using the long drop toilets was inevitable.  Over the days, they became a shared source of grossed-out-ness, humor, and resignation amongst our group.  We couldn't avoid them....so we had to use them.  And so, of course, we had to talk about them.

There were some humorous sayings/thoughts from these unforgettable locations:

"I hope that yak doesn't try to come in here."

"Bob, can you shoo the goats away so they don't come in here?"

"Mom, I rested my arm on a goat while I finished up."

"The trick is to get there early in the morning."

"I think this is the prettiest view I've ever had from a toilet."

"Perhaps I've hit the limit of cultural learning?"

"MOM, A GOAT FELL IN THE TOILET!"

"How are they going to get that baby goat out?"  (Answer:  the husband of the family came with a lasso, hooked the baby goat, and pulled him up and out.  Ewwwww......)

"This pit toilet is a 4 out of 5 stars.  Nice view, no door, good ventilation."

The long drop toilets (and their various sensory inputs) will be forever ingrained in our memories of our Mongolian countryside tour!