Bathroom, complete with 'creature' comforts...

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Ok. So I like nature. But I like my creature comforts as well. Here's how to combine the two...

Leaving Bangkok two days ago, we (ie. my 8-person tour group and I) travelled approximately 5 hours by train, then another hour by songteaw (meaning 'two rows'- so basically a pick-up truck with two long benches in the back) to the smaller city of Sukhothai in the north. We were dropped off at our accommodation, which consists of a group of wooden bungalows in what looks like a tropical rainforest setting- it's really quite serene and nice. However, like all rainforests, there also exists a whole bunch of wildlife residing where you least expect it...

After checking out our very simple bungalow, with two single beds covered in mozzie net (as I soon discovered, this is highly necessary around here! Boy can those little buggers bite!), I decided it was time to use the 'bathroom'. The reason I say 'bathroom' is that it isn't exactly what you expect from a bathroom. Ok, let's break down the word shall we? Firstly, 'bath', referring to a washing tub of some description, or, not to take it so literally, a washing facility. Well, so far so good- the bathroom I was standing in had such facilities. However, the second part of the word, 'room', implies an enclosed area, and (dare I say it?) walls of some description. Hmm. This is the part of the word that certainly cannot be applied to the 'bathroom' attached to our bungalow, which had 'walls' consisting of a few wooden slats, with large spaces between them, thus giving perfect visibility both in and out- yikes!

"Ok, that's ok," I say to myself. I guess I was expecting some 'difficult' situations when I signed up for this trip. After taking a few minutes to make sure no-one was walking around outside, I decided that I had no choice but to go for it and use the facilities available to me. However, I did not expect to suddenly be face to face with a frog when I pulled back the plastic shower curtain, which provides the only bit of privacy and cover in this so called 'bathroom'. Yikes again! This green amphibian proceeded to stare at me with unblinking black eyes as I went about my business. Meanwhile, a gecko started climbing the 'wall' behind me, and got about half-way before losing his grip and falling off with a sound like suction cups being pulled off a hard surface- I couldn't help but laugh at him, while at the same time I couldn't wait to get out of there!! I think I like my bathroom at home better...

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