Just a few notes this morning. Ken is still sleeping he certainly has been getting his rest this trip.

Yesterday at the Panorama Museum we had an interesting experience. The plan was to visit the restrooms before we left to visit the submarine base. None of us had any major need but when a bathroom is available you take advantage of the situation.

So we all trotted off down the path. We discovered that you needed to pay. No problem, we offered our wonderful US currency and got a very clear NO from the not so friendly female attendant. Who waved her own currency at us as if the US dollar was worthless. Of course what we were offering was worth more than her currency but no way would she take US currency. First time I have ever encountered this refusal to take US dollars.

The tour group from the ship all had "coupons" to use for the bathrooms. Never seen that before either. Little white coupons with WC written on them. They are serious about paying for their facilities here. NO ONE without a coupon or local currency.

So of course once we were told NO, we then decided we really NEEDED to use the facilities. However, our guide was off doing something so we kind of gave up and started back to the van.

Once we had decided to give up on the bathrooms Sharon went back to take a picture of the very unfriendly attendant. I am not sure the attendant was so happy with that picture.

However we hear a sweet voice calling us "Ngaire here is some money for the bathrooms" Andi to the rescue once again. We were very grateful to Andi so we all trotted back again.

Now Sharon was not so sure about entering into the realm where she took the offending picture assuming she would never return. The urge to purge was too great so protected by her fearless companions, she returned to the scene of the crime.

After all this fuss over the bathrooms we discovered once inside no "western toilets" all just the holes on the floor. Sharon cannot handle that at all. So after paying her fee and braving a face to face encounter with the attendant, she was unable to partake of the restrooms.

I wonder what would have happened had we asked the attendant for a "refund".

The attendant was just doing her job of course, but she sure was not the nicest person I have ever met! Overall it gave us a good laugh at the situation and yet another adventure for the memory bank of intersting moments in the world of travel.