Nightmare in SF

Note: in case you want to read something else this is a cautionary tale about what not to do when visiting a public bathroom:

So, after driving several hours to San Francisco I needed to find a bathroom (toilet). So, innocently I assumed the green sort of oval looking thing as I came out of the parking garage with my wife and god daughter and husband to be the answer to my quest. Sometimes, disasters start innocently like that. So I pushed the button that allowed and electric door to open and pushed another green button inside that would lock me in so no one would bother me since there were thousands outside walking around there in San Francisco as my family waited just outside. HOwever, I had neglected to check for toilet paper or even paper towels because I was sort of taken with the basic technology of a sliding lock rounded electric door. So, after I was finished and reached for TP there was none, then I reached for paper towels and there were none. Then I tried to get water and got 2 ounces. At this point I was pretty distressed to be in fairly nice clothes in a sort of back woods nightmare kind of situation. So, I walked out and told my family that I needed another bathroom quickly. So we walked across the street and downstairs until we found another bathroom. However, I sensed there was something strange about this bathroom because all the men in the bathroom immediately retreated to all four stalls when I arrived. So,  I washed my hands several times and waited for a stall about 5 minutes. I found this a very long wait for a men's room. Finally, after no noise from anywhere one  stall gingerly opened and I walked in. But then I started to hear moaning from the   handicapped extra large stall two over from me and decided I didn't want to listen to strange moaning any longer and got out and washed my hands and realized this was the strangest 2 experiences I have ever had in San Francisco.

These experiences reminded me of 1986 in New Delhi India My wife and I and our then 3 kids ages 10 to 14 were traveling for about 4 months there when my then 14 year old stepson was running with his backpack and slipped into a gutter puddle of old beetlejuice that people spit into gutters at that time all over India.(Beetle nuts at that time were chewed by common folk all over India and then spit into gutters all over the cities.(See note at bottom of page) It was pretty disgusting but the bus we were on was going to take a minimum of 12 to 20 hours to get to Katmandu, Nepal from New Delhi, India on a direct route there with no stops except for bathroom stops then. So, my stepson had to be grungy like this to some degree for about 12 to 15 hours in that situation. It was a very nice bus and only people who were middle class or above road it because direct buses that far are much more expensive (or were at that time) than regular ones. But then it got worse because one of the businessmen riding and shipping on the bus put too much weight on the roof of the bus and broke one of the back leaf springs to the bus. So, we were broken down (literally) in the middle of nowhere and it started to get hot. So, instead of getting heat prostration, we all started getting out of the bus so we wouldn't pass out. Then hundreds and then thousands of people surrounded us who were not educated and who had never seen   white people in person and wanted to touch us and touch the hairs on our arms and our heads and stuff like that. So then the police came and ordered us all to get back into the buses before thousands of country people with no education got out of hand. So the police were trying to protect everyone from harm as best they could but it was still very hot. But about that time the new leaf springs that they were custom beating out with sledge hammers next to the bus from a long flat piece of metal was finally custom made on the spot and installed and away we went only about 6 hours later than originally planned. So we arrived on the India   border with Nepal at I think it was Lucknow at about 1 or 2 am. So, because it was so late the border crossing was closed so then we had to wait in the bus until morning until the border into Nepal  near Nepalgunj opened up again with officials manning the post. But at least there were places to buy food and coffee and tea so we wouldn't starve. So then we came back to the bus and slept in our seats if we could. So what would I call all that? Luxury suffering 1986 style. I don't know how things are now in Asia but even with all these problems it still was a completely amazing (in every way) 4 to 5 month journey through Thailand, India,  and Nepal for my family then.

Some one once defined adventure as " a Calamity that you actually survive". I think that's about right.

the stained teeth of a regular betel chewer in Burma.

Display of the items usually included in a chewing session. The leaves are folded in different ways according to the country and generally feature some calcium hydroxide daubed inside. Slices of the dry areca nut are on the upper left hand and slices of the tender areca nut on the upper right. The pouch on the lower right contains tobacco, a relatively recent introduction.

A phoenix wing shaped- betel leaf plate in Vietnam.

There is archaeological evidence that the betel leaves have been chewed along with the areca nut since very ancient times. It is not known when these two different stimulant substances were first put together. In most countries, the mixture of both has a ceremonial and highly symbolic value.
In India, Burma, Nepal, Sri Lanka and other parts of South Asia and Southeast Asia, the leaves are chewed together in a wrapped package along with the areca nut (which, by association, is often inaccurately called the "betel nut") and mineral slaked lime (calcium hydroxide). Catechu, called Kattha in Hindi, and other flavoring substances and spices might be added. The lime acts to keep the active ingredient in its freebase or alkaline form, thus enabling it to enter the bloodstream via sublingual absorption. The areca nut contains the alkaloid arecoline, which promotes salivation (the saliva is stained red), and is itself a stimulant. This combination, known as a "betel quid", has been used for several thousand years. Tobacco is sometimes added. end quote from wikipedia under the heading "betel" and then "Chewing"

So, I guess it is something like coffee and chewing tobacco in its effects. I had no reason to try it when I was there so I'm not familiar personally with the effects.

Since I"m relating bizarre adventures in India I might as well share a couple more. Riding on a bus towards Dharmsala from Amritsar to Pathankot by bus. A very beautiful girl of about 16 got on the bus. Since there were no seats she walked up to me and grabbed one of my legs between her thighs since I was sitting next to my wife on the aisle. I looked at my wife in disbelief and she raised her shoulders since she had no idea what was going on either and told me she just thought she was trying to hang on so the pretty girl didn't fall down when the bus started up and stopped fast. A few stops later she smiled at me all dressed in a white sari and gracefully got off the bus.

The next strange experience was in New Delhi when an all gray haired older woman sort of dressed like a gypsy begged money from me. Since I was walking at the time she bent down and grabbed my thigh. Since I was in New Delhi with thousands of people walking by I thought it wise to give her some money to leave me alone as I wasn't sure what was going on there. When I gave her a little money she left me alone.

When you are traveling though India like I was in 1986. There were always in the cities thousands of people begging. I realized that as a good Samaritan that I always needed to give something to anyone who begged from me. I"m still like this. I may not give a lot but I will always give something to anyone who begs from me anywhere in the world as long as I think it is safe enough to do so. At that time in 1985 or 1986 I would give the equivalent of 1 cent to 5 cents to 10 cents on average. Since about 100 people might beg from you in a day saying "Baksheesh" roughly translated it means "Please Share" so giving can mount up in value very fast so one must be disciplined or one will run out of money fast. So, back then I might spend from 10 to 30 dollars a day in Baksheesh donations to the poor when I was in the cities.

One boy about 10 years old ran about a mile behind a horse carriage we had rented for our family to travel to a tourist location. I was afraid he might pass out because he was running so far. I had already given my quota for the day but finally tossed him a quarter I believe. He seemed amazingly happy to receive anything from us. At that time life was so desperate for so many that just psychologically dealing with this one often needed to get something just to go on another day. So you didn't want to be the one who didn't give so someone didn't choose to go on living. There were dead bodies at that time in the streets that no one picked up. This was quite common. Back then life was cheap if you weren't educated with a good family in India. Things are much better now 25 or so years later.