I've solved the laundry enigma! Today I returned to the little lavanderia on Azueta Street where I'd taken my dirty clothes last Tuesday and this time picked them up, now folded, encased in a heavy plastic bag, and smelling of laundry soap--and it cost me $40 pesos, less than $4 US.

On the way home, I took this side view of a large Catholic church located across the street from my apartment building. I don't know its real name, but it's known unofficially as Corazones (hearts). You can click on the picture here to see the image somewhat enlarged.

The name comes from the story behind its construction sometime in the 1870s (if my memory serves me).

According to that story, a young woman, daughter of a wealthy businessman in Xalapa, fell in love with a young man of lesser status and economic means. The father refused to allow his daughter to marry her love, and as a result, she began to pine away, fell ill and died. To deal with his grief and regret, the father built this church.

There's more to the story related to how the site for the church was chosen by the father, but I can't recall the details. I looked on the web for information about this church but didn't find any.