I never been much for washing money - but drying it yes - I was cycling between Wanaka and Haast in New Zealand - got to the end of Lake Wanaka - and it started to rain - and when I say rain it was torrential - the 40mm an hour stuff - 4 inches of water on the road - fortunately just rolling off the road and disappearing into the glacial gravel - togged up in my waterproofs and secure in the knowledge that everything in my panniers was protected - not a problem
- found a tiny little cafe that was actually open before Haast and had a cup of weak lukewarm coffee - onwards to Haast and the Campsite - They will not let me camp - It is raining too hard
- Volce Face to backpackers - yup they have got a bed (actually a bunk in a tiny - smelly - airless 4 person room
- however I digress ) - go to pay and discover that when I stopped for coffee that I had not the wallet back in its nice waterproof location but just tucked it in the pocket on the top of my front pannier - saturated
- 500NZ$ , £1000 and $400US in relatively low denomination notes - no idea why I had used that wallet instead of my day wallet - fortunately the backpackers had tumble driers
- carefully remove all the money from wallet and put in drier - 30 minutes of drying - occasionally opening the door to let the dry notes flutter out and all was well - the other inmates of the backpackers - mainly young Aussies off a tour coach thought it was great entertainment
- not that happy about exposing my means
- but alls well that ends well
- I ended up sleeping in the corridor - that was 1997 - first and last backpackers I've used 









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