Mark's Minutes: Lavandaria Checklist

     When you backpack you are intimately familiar with every single clothing item you brought. After all, you only have one or a handful of items that fulfill very specific purposes. Losing an item can mean that you will have to continue your trip without it or that you have to embark on an often times impossible journey to find a similar, new item in the same color, size and shape. When the country you are visiting has a different taste in fashion than the country of your origin you may never find what you want. For all those reasons you value what you have packed very much.
     So what was meant to be a satisfying trip to the lavandaria (laundry service) in San Pedro La Laguna in Guatemala turned into an unpleasant experience. One week after we had picked up our laundry from the lavandaria in San Pedro we wanted to use the well-deserved swimming pool at a hotel in Santiago, Atitlan. We realized that Suzy's only bikini was missing. We quickly came to the conclusion that something must have happened to it at the lavandaria since it was the last place we took it to. Also, after consulting our host family, we knew that we had not left it at their home. We all know that laundry machines have tendencies to devour single socks. However the chance that a laundry machine would make a two-piece bikini disappear was slim. By now, we had to board a boat and bus towards Antigua. And when we arrived, we had to spend the better part of the day trying to find a bikini in various stores. We only had a day in Antigua and that was not how we had imagined to spend our time there. We quickly realized that Guatemalan's have a very different taste in bikinis. Most of them would also not fit a medium sized North American woman (and almost all were hideous colors and patterns). Eventually, we found a new swimsuit, but we decided that on our next trip to the lavandaria, we would be more careful.
     When I walked into the lavandaria in Lanquin, I walked in with the following checklist.

    Suzy and I had noted all the items that we put in the laundry bag. When we arrived at the laundry service the staff thought we were crazy. Judging by their looks, I believe we were the first people who had done this. With my limited Spanish, I was also able to pick up that one of the ladies did not appreciate our attention to detail. However, there was no way back. We gave the staff the opportunity to check the contents of the bag against the list. Obviously they declined, but we felt confident that the list was accurate. The next day we picked up our laundry and nothing was missing.
    This seems like a lot of work - which, admittedly, it is. It is up to you to decide if you want to take the chance of losing an item or take the time of making the list. Suzy and I will always make a list going forward, because the 5 minutes it takes beats a day of clothes shopping.
    PS- Shay, one of the awesome Canadians we explored Semuc Champey with, was actually looking to get rid of some of her suits. So she gave Suzy a black bikini. The joys of traveling are meeting awesome people who are willing to help each other out!