Laundry Issues in Prague

Before I left I had a gut instinct that Visa's and dirty washing laundry would be the two major problems that I could not really do much about with regard to preparation as I knew that these would have to be dealt with on the road.

I was bang on about the laundry being a problem. In an effort to keep my rucksack as small and light as possible without missing some of the essentials I chose to pack only a single pair of spare shoes and seven days worth of clothes.

Knowing that I was staying a full 2 days free either side of a days travelling meant that I thought that I should rarely be out of the chance of a wash cycle somewhere either at the start of the end of a days trek.

Sad to say that the hostels idea of washing and mine are not on a par and my experience in the Czech hotel is not much better. Yesterdays blonde sourpuss faced receptionist { who could out pout Victoria Beckham on her best day } dropped the bombshell that as I had arrived after 4pm that day that I would have to wait until the morning before I was able to take my laundry down.

However, todays receptionist, who was also blonde but much happier and perkier, took great delight in telling me that the hotel would be more than happy to take care of all my luandry requirements on Monday.
Monday, yes as apparently today is a weekend and if the hotel takes anything to any local supplier they are told that they will not get anything back til Monday, and its unlikely that it will be early Monday either!

I am here in my shorts and travel t-shirt that I wanted to hold onto for special photo opportunities without wearing and risking the chance of ruining or getting it dirty, and before the end of even the first fortnights trip I am having to use it for a full weekends wear. Arghhhhh.

I tell you, hostels are cheap and chearful, well some anyway and only if they have anyone on reception to let you in in the first place, but I am seriously thinking that trying to organise a string of hostels back to back was a mistake, and the feeling in my gut tells me that I will find out very soon if it is a little or a big mistake.

However, the sun is out in all its brilliance, I can safely { or at least i hope i can } leave my luggage and rucksack back in my hotel room and go galavanting around the city free of encumbrance and now furnished with a map of the city.

Note to all ... GET A CITY MAP BEFORE YOU ARRIVE in a city or else you can find yourself in some very strange places, especially if the directions you are given are inaccurate or if the train / bus makes an unscheduled stop and you get off at the wrong side of town.