Join the cockroaches(dots) and other pit latrine games!

Today's update will be very short (hurrah I hear you cry!), and other than a picture of the VSO group  will concentrate on pit latrines, a subject close to everyone's heart I'm sure.

For those who are unaware, I don't have running water, and I use a semi permanent hole in the ground for my ablutions. Now this is an all mod cons hole in that it is shaped like a bicycle seat and the surround is concrete.

During the day you are blissfully unaware of what happens below you, but at night the more sensible tend to use a torch top use the facilities, this is not an entirely positive thing.
Plus is you can see your feet (no accidental slips and putting your foot in the hole), the toilet roll and handy bucket for washing your hands afterwards. The negative is you can see these things, and the many and varied residents of the latrine area who are particularly active at night.

Ants share this area but I see more of them during the day, and they are generally small and leave me alone, mosquitoes also share the area but so far have left me alone.

There are a couple of small spiders who help keep flies and mosquitoes away but don't cause any incidents themselves. There are some toads and lizards who do the same, but they are nervous of company and tend to hide when I visit.

Lastly is the main resident of the pit itself, the cockroach, I've never met them before the Gambia (from memory at least), yet here they seem to thrive. In my house I only have one regular roach, he (or she) likes to wander over my rubbish bag at night, which is a little noisy, and fruitless for the roach as the only thing in this bag is plastic wrappers (all food waste goes into the latrine).

In the latrine they tend to wander around doing whatever cockroaches do, some 6 -18" below my nether parts, this has a slightly disconcerting effect while using the facilities, but I expect I will get used to them.


In other news I received from Sarah one of the other VSO's this nice picture of our group so for your viewing pleasure here is the entire VSO The Gambia new volunteer group with a few of the staff too!