Sit or Squat: Website helps you find a public toilet anywhere using your cell phone

by Jamie Rhein on

One of my fondest memories of the U.S. when I lived in a dusty village in The Gambia without indoor plumbing was the smell of my grandparents’ bathroom. I remembered it as smelling clean and fresh, like Charmin. Oh, how I missed it. (Actually, it might have been White Cloud, come to think of it.)

But, regardless, that’s not the reason to sing Charmin praises today. Today, it’s about public toilets. Charmin has a website SitorSquat.com that helps travelers locate a public toilet anywhere in the world. If you have a public toilet you know about that isn’t included, you can add it. The beauty of this system is you can access it with your phone.

When you type in a location, up comes a map with markers showing where the toilets are. For example, when I typed in Venice, Italy I found one toilet. Copenhagen, Denmark has three. Columbus, Ohio is a real toilet mecca. There are so many public toilets, the markers cover each other up in certain places.

Banjul, The Gambia doesn’t have any public toilet markers as of yet. Here’s a tip, for The Gambia that I have found works in other places as well. If you’re in a touristy area, duck into a hotel and look like you belong. There’s bound to be a toilet, just don’t ask where it is.

By the way, I used my computer to access the system. I’m a dinosaur when it comes to technology. My cell phone doesn’t even flip. I don’t even know how to play the games. But, if you go to the website you can get what you need to use your phone.

For a better description to how this service works, check out Tom Barlow’s post on Wallet Pop. He’s the guy who clued me in on Charmin’s endeavor and has the latest gismos.

Gadling + BootsnAll – Picks of the Week (3.13.09)

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Welcome back to Gadling’s weekly “Picks of the Week” from our friends over at travel site, BootsnAll. Every Friday we’ll be bringing you some of our favorite stories this week from the site. Take a look below and click on through if you find something that catches your interest:

  • Weird Philippines – the Philippines is already an “out there” destination for many travelers, so it goes without saying that those who visit are privileged with some amazing sights and strange local customs. Marseille Markham tells us about her Top 5 Weirdest Philipines sights. Remember that Filipino prison where they dance to Thriller? You can go see it LIVE. Get me a ticket to Cebu immediately…
  • Spanish Lessons in Central America – my first experience abroad was staying with a family in Costa Rica during High School. It was an amazing introduction to the culture and also a great way to wok on my Spanish. Rebecca Brych give us the lowdown on how to study Spanish in Central America for anyone who might be inerested. It’s very comprehensive guide of everything from finding a school to picking classes to figuring out where to stay.
  • High in the Sky – I always associate mountains with travel. But for many people, mountains mean they’re home. Julie Blakley takes a look at the Highest Cities in the World in her latest post. Let me tell you, I’m out of breath just looking the elevations for some of these places. Think Cusco is high? How about La Rinconada, Peru at over 16,000 feet!
  • Feisty Female Travelers – you might know Christine Amanpour, the Chief International Correspondent of CNN, as one woman that’s really set the bar high for solo female travelers, including trips to Iraq, Somalia and Afghanistan. This week Lucy Corne takes a look at six of history’s most famous and well-known female travelers, a tribute to all they’ve done to set a “traveling example” for women everywhere.
  • Gondola Gallery – you pretty much know if you visit Venice, one of Italy’s most famous cities, you’re going to see some gondolas. The iconic boats are pretty much the town’s unofficial symbol at this point. BootsnAll’s Italy blog features some of their favorite gondola photography in this week’s feature.

Hope you enjoyed this week’s Gadling and BootsnAll “Picks of the Week.” We’ll be back next Friday with another week’s worth of great content. Stay tuned.

What do backpackers do in Venice? Check it out

by Jeffrey White on

It won’t be too much longer till college lets out for the year and scores of students will don backpacks, buy Eurail passes and head to Europe. Get some buddies together for a summer road trip and there’s bound to be some goofing off.

It seems like Venice attracts more than its fair share of goofballs. Giving the city’s architecture and museums a mist, a favorite past time for backpackers in Venice appears to be finding creative ways to get wet.

Last year, we brought you this video of guys doing just that. And here’s another one.

In the video below, a group of guys have hatched a pretty daring bet to pass a summer’s day. OK, so the guy recording the video whines a little too much about his camera’s battery and memory, but the actual jump is pretty damn funny.

Venice: brought to you by Coca-Cola

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Venice has always been a huge tourist draw. This city of majestic canals, picturesque medieval architecture and serenading gondoliers has long attracted visitors from near and far for its historic beauty and aesthetic charms. In fact Venice hosted nearly 20 million visitors in 2008, an increase of more than 30%.

Yet all is not well in this visitor-friendly Italian tourism magnet – in addition to severe flooding problems this past December, the city is threatened by crumbling architecture and severe budget deficits which make restoration difficult. In order to provide funding for much-needed restoration, the city recently signed a $2.7 million dollar deal that made Coca-Cola an official city sponsor. The deal reportedly includes over 60 Coke vending machines spread across historic city, including the venerable St. Mark’s Square.

What’s the big deal, you might say? It’s just a couple vending machines. And yes, in the grand scheme of things, there are worse problems than having to sponsor a monument or a city – it will ensure Venice is around for future generations. But still, for a a unique one-of-a-kind city like Venice, renowned the world over for its beauty and charm, the dire circumstances that forced this situation are troubling. It cheapens the city’s cultural heritage and suggests that such landmarks are nothing more than objects, waiting to be bought and sold. Not to mention the vending machines add a new eyesore to a city known for beautiful preservation of its historic buildings.

Still for the cash-poor Italian government, this may be one of the only options for Venice’s continued sustainability. Expect to see more of this sort of sponsorship deal in the future…

Gadling take FIVE: Week of Dec. 6-12

by Jamie Rhein on

Humor is a great travel tool, particularly if you’ve had a bit of bad luck like I did when I was pickpocketed this week in Copenhagen–or if the tide is high and the streets have flooded, such as what has happened in Venice. In Venice’s situation, as Jeffery points out, there’s hope in boots.

Or, perhaps that travel companion you thought you were in love with has turned out to be a bust. Brenda has a few tips to prevent that from happening. But just in case you are stuck with Ms. or Mr. Dreadful, a laugh can help.

Whether you’ve had some bad luck, or you just want a reason to smile, here are some of the stories this week that have a humorous edge.

  • Scott’s post on learning British accents in 7 minutes may help you speak like a Brit, or not. The guy in the video does present various sayings you may not have considered before.
  • Aaron’s post on Steven Colbert’s chat with TSA critic Jeffrey Goldberg provides a humorous look at how airplane security is currently a waste of time.
  • Although air rage is not a funny matter, particularly when it’s happening to you, the behaviors Abha describes in her post on what happens when people do get surly on board have a certain chuckle factor. Plus, reading about how badly other people have behaved makes me feel better about my own tense moments. At least I’m not that bad.
  • The picture alone in Mike’s post on the Babykeeper Basic made me smile. When I read his description of how the contraption also keeps a child from absconding with belongings while you pee, I laughed.
  • Then there’s Annie’s post with the video of a slowed down version of an in-flight safety video. Smoooooookinggggg is noooooooottt allooooowed. Clever.

Here’s hoping there’s fun in your life this weekend.