Money Exchange

-

When I exchanged $80 and received 34000 pesos . It came as a shock that the peso were in bundles of 10s and 20s . Remember $1 = 350 peso . 

So I had 35 x 10 peso  notes to one dollar.


The dealer said this was normal . A lot of notes with little value . My tandem partner confirmed as such too . 


When I was at the Colonia Express desk I was in shock when a customer handed over a wad of notes . The attendant put the lot in a machine to be counted . 


I need 150,000 pesos for my cycling trip . Equivalent to 400$ . But the highest note is a 1000 peso . So I have 150 x 1000 notes to carry with me . It was counted out using a similar machine . 


The highest value note is 1000 peso . About £3 with blue rate. In a couple of months time they may have the 2000 peso note . So it's not unusual to see people with wads of paper peso . It looks a lot but it's value is really low . 


This is a photo of 150 x 1000 peso notes that I need to pay to my cycling organiser .




This a photo of 20 , 10 and 50 notes which I received as change . They don't have coins . They are worth

  • 50 = 50/350 = 1/7 of 1 usd = 15 cent = 12 pence 
  • 20 note = 5 pence 
  • 10 note = 3 pence 


Reading up before arriving here gave the impression that you could use 


I find the first days is getting to grips with money exchange 

  • Monzo great for atm but don't get blue rate I. Argentina 
  • Paying hotel with credit card saves 21% tax. Paying in cash have to pay this 
  • Western union best for cash withdrawals 
  • This really is peso not dolllar land
  • Pay what you can by credit card 
  • Refund by credit card in 4 days 
This bundle paid for my £7 meal . 

N

Popular posts from this blog

Flying the flags

-
Image
Then it dawned on me ,  Well there aren’t any Union Jacks .  There were collections of major European flags and major South American flags .  I also noted that on the city tour they mentioned several people who had stayed at various hotels/ places etc . But no English mentioned . Mandela , The pope … Sean Connery got a mention . 
Read more

Connection with people

-
Image
  It started in Buenos Aires where I met up a gentleman who helped me get a sube card . We met at the Obelisk and spent some time together . The coincidence is that I met him again a good 6 hours later in a different part of town . From Cordoba , a psychologist cool person nice meetup .  At Plaza de Mayo , some Argentinan tourists mum and two girls ask for directions which I could help . But then entered inn no to conversation as the daughter was going to London to study .  Overhearing our conversation were two 20 something year olds from the suburbs ( long way away ) of Buenos Aires but tourist here . They wanted to chat to me to practise English and to find out why and what did I think .  But no photos of the people above .  So ……… the photos …..  One of the gauchos coming off the dance floor at Feria matadores admiring the fact I was eating Locra . The Handkerchief is so important .  https://turismo.buenosaires.gob.ar/en/otros-establecimientos/feria...
Read more

Mate - the bitter tea - shared

-
Image
Mate - a bitter tea .  Argentinas carry hot water thermos on hikes and stop to share mate .  We are sharing mate here on our last stop before San Martín . Here the sharer is Fernanda.  The sharer passes it to a person who takes 2/3 sips through a metal straw . The sharee returns the mate to the sharer who tops up with hot water from the thermos and either sips him/her self or passes to the next sharer .  Here we are sharing mate as we wait in the lake ferry terminal . The sharer is Daniel  The sharer is Daniel who is topping up the mate from hot water from his flask,  All uses are via the same mate straw. It a lovely sense of community and sharing .  Not that I've had an Indian peace pipe but feels like that sort of occasion.  This was frequently seen to top up thermos flasks . In shops or kiosks .  The following photos show mate being shared on the beach , in the street . People have soecial Made bags to carry the flasks .  I’ve check...
Read more