Colombian Bathrooms

My previous experience in Colombia (back to the 1980s) has been with bathrooms of varying degrees of completeness. Some didn't have toilet seats or toilet lids, just the ceramic base. Public bathrooms sometimes did not have toilet paper available. Water flow varied as did availability of paper towels and hand soap.

I am happy to report that things have improved in the 21st century. Or perhaps I am visiting establishments with higher bathroom standards. This month (Dec. 2012) I encountered the best public bathroom I have ever walked into (in Colombia or the USA). It had fresh flowers! And all the other amenities. And was squeaky-clean spotless.

Public Restroom with Fresh Flowers! And spotless!

Even public restrooms in restaurants in Popayán are improving. This one, though small, contains all the amenities.

Hand soap! Toilet paper! Toilet lid! Progress!

Colombian rest rooms in private homes have a variety of setups for showers/baths. Some have hot water, some don't. In some parts of the country hot water showers are not even necessary. In the hot coastal areas you want a cold water shower to cool off... three times a day! Popayán has a temperate climate (70s during the day and 50s at night, all year round), so hot water showers are welcome.

On-demand hot water in Popayán

This on-demand hot water shower head heats the water at the point of leaving the shower head. There is no hot or cold water faucet, just one knob. If you increase the volume of water flowing through you get a cold shower. If you slow down the flow, you get a warmer shower. This indirectly encourages water conservation!

A 50 litre (13 gallons) Haceb water tank with manual on-off switch.

This rural set up is a 50 litre (13 gallon) water tank. The water here trickles out of a small diameter tube, but there is a separate knob for hot and cold water. The tank is switched on just before taking a shower and switched off when finished. Per capita water consumption in Colombia ranges from 270 to 400 cubic meters annually. USA per capita water consumption ranges from 1,000 to 5,000. (Source: http://chartsbin.com/view/1455)

Most places have showers. In some rural areas there is no  built-in bathtub, but it is possible to take a bath with a bath tub, i.e., a tub in a bath.

A tub in a bath, a bath tub.

Assuming you are small enough to fit all or part of yourself in the tub, fill it with hot water, fresh herbs, bath salts, etc. ... go crazy!