The morning mantra: “Money? Tick. Keys? Tick. iPhone? Tick. Toilet paper? Tick.”
Really? Really. (You just can’t be sure the restrooms you will be using as you move around Majuro will have the necessary ‘soft and absorbent’ stuff at your fingertips.)
And why do all bathrooms have large red Folger coffee cans (or buckets, or old bleach bottles, etc)? For filling with water from the sink so you can dump it into the bowl because:
- The flushing mechanism doesn’t work;
- The cistern is empty; or
- The toilet works/has water, but not to a satisfactory degree.
So, for your reading pleasure today, here’s a brief rundown of where to go and where not to go.
Prime locations: Tide Table/RRE Hotel, the Marshall Islands Resort, the Toeak Bar and Grill, Won Hai Shien, the Jenrok Track & Field (you may need to ask the security guys to unlock the door).
Okay locations: Payless Supermarket (at the back on the right); K&K Island Pride Supermarket (behind the deli seating area); Dar Cafe; Flame Tree; Jitak En; Laura Beach Park; Majuro airport
Only if desperate locations: Hmmm. Ask around… I’d rather not publish and be in error.
Don’t even think about it location: Ditto above.
Toilet Talk: In general, it is impolite to speak about toilets or needing to go to the toilet in front of Marshallese. So, instead of announcing to the room your need and asking for the location of the nearest facility, it’s best to ask someone of your own gender in a quiet voice.
Bathroom Banter: Note that a large number of households lack a toilet, with the main substitute being the lagoon or the ocean. Outer islands without bathroom facilities have areas designated for male and female.
