A little travel anecdote

As I write this I am aware of the fact that many of those who read this will not understand the significance of the tale I am about to recount.  However, it is such a momentous and significant occurrence that in my mind it warranted a blog entry. If after reading this you consider it to have been dull and irrelevant then I sincerely apologise but for those of us who have attempted the process of 'cleaning' clothes in a hostel this marks a significant and profound milestone!


I have just been forced to do the first wash of my around the world travels, and as I have become accustomed to this generally results in a time consuming, expensive and often redundant exercise of using hostel laundry facilities to wet and then warm up dirty clothing...leaving you with items that are likely to be less clean than they were to begin with as a result of being whirled around in recycled water in a dirty and often malfunctioning washing machine and then gently warmed in the world's oldest and most pointless dryer...not this time!

The laundry at my current hostel costs $2 for a wash and $2 for a dry..."so cheap" I hear you cry, it must be rubbish (my thoughts exactly)! Prior to embarking on this little venture I enquired at reception about the possibility and cost of procuring some detergent. The response..."oh that's free, you'll find a big tub of it in the laundry room". Already this experience was becoming increasingly alien to me.

So, at this stage I venture downstairs and deposit my dirty clothing and aforementioned free detergent in the washer along with $2. Forty minutes later I return to what looks and smells distinctly like clean clothing, but I reserve judgement until the process is complete. I now continue with the laundry process and transfer the seemingly clean clothing to a dryer and once again deposit the measly sum of $2 (fully expecting to return 40 minutes later to damp, warm, but potentially clean apparel). Forty minutes pass and I return to the laundry facility to be greeted by steaming hot, totally dry and unquestionably clean clothing...complete with pleasant floral detergent type smell!

If I was not currently sitting next to said clothing appreciating both the smell and subtle warmth emanating from it I would not believe this either, but I promise you, the tale I have just recounted to you is entirely and unequivocally true!

Now how's that for a happy little tale to tell the grand-kids one day?!

I am now going to go up to my room, spread out the clean, dry and warm clothing all over my bed and lie on it...it's the simple things in life the provide the most joy I find!