Taco Bell, San Pedro

This picture commemorates Cartaginés´ fabulous 2-0 victory over Brujas 24.02.2007. After watching the game at honorable stadium Fello Meza, a chicken burrito was consumed at the pride of Costa Rican cuisine; Taco Bell.

Here we met midfielder Armando Alonso (# 13), born 21/3/1984, 1.80 tall, weight: 73 kg, one assist against Brujas. He signed my Cartago flag and let himself be portrayed with me and el Panda, who is also a Cartago fanatic, as is every decent person in this universe.

Cartaginés last won the national championship in 1940.

Apparently, promises had been made to La Virgencita, national patron, beforehand that in case of victory, she would receive visits and massive gratitude at la Basilica de la virgen de los angeles, built in her honour. The first basilica was constructed in the 1680s, and then destroyed by earthquakes and reconstructed several times since then. The one attracting ca. one million pilgrims on august 2 every year these days was finished in 1930.

Anyway, the people of Cartago forgot their promise to La Virgencita, and noone turned up to thank her except some drunk farmers and their horses, turning la Basilica into a rodeo. Of course, one should not expect a 305-years old virgin to be anything but extremely bitter and unforgiving, and the virgin´s answer to these atrocities was to cast a spell on the football-club. And that´s why Cartago hasn´t won a championship since 1940.

Alternatives to a WC

Sometimes, a WC is yet to be constructed within a safe distance from where oneself is located.

If this is combined with one or more beers, an alternative to a WC is needed.

IWCRP hereby brings you

1. The children´s favourite


2. The biggest toilet in the world

San Mateo and Playa Cocles, Puerto Viejo

Costa Rica, Feb. 2007

Burger King, San José

This is where you can throw up after eating the horrible shit they serve at Burger King.

Perhaps unrelated to the subject, rivalling burgerimperium McDonald´s was founded by the brothers Dick and Mac McDonald in 1940. Unfortunately, they did not name the Big Mac after the other brother. Silly joke? Yes, indeed.

San José, Feb. 2007

Hipermás, Tres Rios

Two pictures from Hipermás in Tres Rios, Costa Rica. Thanks to MJ for valuable research.

An interesting feature about this WC, although not captured on these pictures, is that an employee was standing outside, investigating which of her co-workers had given her the name "nariz de bombillo" - "lightbulb-nose". According to my source, this was a very appropriate name for this particular woman.

Tres Rios, Feb. 2007

Buenos Aires - Mendoza - Santiago

The 20-hour bus trip from Buenos Aires to Santiago de Chile via Mendoza is one of breath-taking scenery.

Most of the trip nothing is to be seen but the endless Argentinian pampa and its countless cows, but once you get to Mendoza, vineyards pop up everywhere and everything makes sense; cow + wine = a good meal. Or a drunken cow. Or a bad wine.

Passing the majestic Andes mountain range, at one point one can see Aconcagua, which with its 6.962 meters is the highest mountain in the Americas, the highest in the Southern Hemisphere, and the highest peak outside of Asia.

The first picture is from the Buenos Aires-Mendoza bus, the second from the Mendoza-Santiago bus.

2006.

Bidet Sano

Beware, impulsive consumers! This shop is a magnet, and I think I can guarantee you that you won´t leave untill you´ve bought at least one new WC.

Slogans like "does not use electricity" and "for every use" reel you in, and when you read such arguments as "exclusive" and "clean, fresh - economic - useful - safe", all that is left is to scream from the top of your longues:

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, I´LL TAKE´EM ALL!

Santiago, 2006

Market in Santiago

Small, yet functional. This lovely little urinal was the best thing about Santiago.

Valparaiso

Two postcards from picturesque Chilean town Valparaiso

Santiago bus station

Santiago de Chile is officially the worst place I´ve ever been to. Horrendous food, unpleasant people and not a decent bar anywhere. This picture was taken at the bus station shortly after I got the message that all buses out of the country were cancelled the next four days, and seconds before desperately trying to drown myself .

Santiago, 2006

Aushaus

This is the exterior of a traditional building without a WC. However, there is a hole inside which one can dispose one´s disposals in. Every once in a while these disposals have accumulated to such an extent that they must be removed using an appropiate tool. Afterwards, they should be buried nearby.

The snow seen on the picture is also an excellent substitute for a WC.

Remember, though: Watch out where the huskies go, and don´t you eat that yellow snow.

Venabygdsfjellet, 2005

Kvarteret, Bergen

Kvarteret has relatively affordable beer, and therefore needs multiple WCs with great capacity. Semi-transparent walls help detecting persons who use the little room for other purposes than the two or three it is meant for. Very clever.

Bergen, 2005

Legal, Bergen

Legal, across the street from Garage, is a nice place to have a beer and then piss the filtered liquid into this lovely WC.

Somewhere in Bergen

I can´t remember the name of this place, but they had frequent and long happy hours, so I saw a lot of the depicted furniture. The happy hours may also be the reason for my forgetfulness.

Garage, Bergen

Garage is perhaps Bergen´s most famous bar, and has a nice set of urinals. One might even say inspiring. This is a historical picture; the first one in the IWCRP records

University of Bergen

Faculty of Humanities, 2005.

Dadaism gone baroque.

Wallalabo

Wallalabo has a romantic, candle-lit WC for those special moments. They also charge €3 for a tiny cup of coffee, and for that they must hang, all of them, including lost tourist Jean-Paul (from Nimes) who was asking for the way to the pope-thing.

Avignon, 2005

The Red Lion

The Red Lion, Avignon, was popular amongst the english soldiers during the Hundred Years´ War (1337-1453), says bouncer Jean-Paul and chuckles a little at the fact that the war lasted longer than 100 years. The Red Lion´s historical importance, however, resides primaily in that at one stage during the black plague, this toilet was the only refuge for the last colony of the black rat (rattus rattus) and the flea transmitting the bacterium Yersinia Pestis. From there, after gaining strength, it spread all over Europe, killing more than half of the people. This, says Jean-Paul, is slightly controversial amongst historians, but seems to be confirmed by the writing underneath the seat.

McDonald´s

McDonald´s, ladies´room (thanks to MJ for valuable resarch).

Montpellier, 2005

Le Victor Hugo

WC-cleaner Jean-Paul informs the International WC Research Project that it was here, at the WC of Le Victor Hugo in Nimes, that Victor Hugo came up with the idea that would later evolve into his masterpiece "les Miserables".

Nimes, 2005

Le Pie

Le Pie, located at the foot of a tower in Avignon, was frequently visited by the popes due to its cold cidre and clean toilets, says bartender Jean-Paul and twirls his mustage.

Avignon, 2005

Le Napoleon

The very innovatively named Le Napoleon gives the guest the choice between "classical" or "futuristic" in case of #1. For #2, "classical" is mandatory, according to the owner, Jean-Paul, who also says that he hopes this freedom of choice will attract tourists and give him unlimited power.

Nimes, 2005

Le Milady

Restaurant Le Milady in Nimes serves the most horrible food in the world, but offers the guests nice, pink toilet paper. It probably tastes better than the chicken, too.

Nimes, 2005

Jean Aures

Jean Aures

Nimes, 2005.

Irish pub, Montpellier

I forgot the name of this Irish pub in Montpellier.

Comptoir des halles, Chez Philippe et Katia

Comptoir des halles, Chez Philippe et Katia

Nimes, 2005

Café Le But Bar

Despite the name, this is not a gay bar nor a strip club.

Classical french WC; source of confusion, objections and horror stories amongst tourists.

Nimes, 2005

Café du Theatre, Montpellier

Café du Theatre; WC for intellectuals.

Montpellier, 2005

Montpellier Airport

An airport WC in Montpellier, France.

Oct. 2005

5 esquinas, Turrialba

Bar 5 Esquinas, Turrialba, Costa Rica.

Feb. 2007

Bahamas

Bar Bahamas, Barrio California, San José, Costa Rica.

Two beautiful images from one of my favourite bars in San José. Bahamas offers cheap beer, a pooltable and Fussball. A very large place with very few people in it.

The yellow on the picture is not mine.

Feb. 2007

La Cebra

Bar La Cebra, San José, Costa Rica.

Karaoke, disco dancing and a lovely WC designed by famous architect Juan Carlos Perez Perez. Notice the saw sticking out of the wall above the precious soap dispenser.

Feb. 2007

Hotel Arenal, Santa Cruz, Bolivia

Travelling from Buenos Aires to Panama with Lloyd Aereo Boliviano gave us the opportunity to stay one night in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, since Lloyd couldn´t find the plane anywhere and had to put us in a hotel for the night.

An interesting fact about Hotel Arenal is that they did not have any beer in the hotel bar.

The next day we arrived in Panama, only 39 hours after schedule. Praise the Lloyd!