On a trip that allows us to visit or pass through 15 countries – often multiple times, we are very fortunate that so many countries have adopted the EU’s common currency the Euro. Despite this, so far we have had to deal with the following currencies: Peruvian Solas, Bolivian Bolivianos, US Dollars, UK Pounds, Danish Krona, EU Euros, Polish Zloty, Czech Crowns, back to Euros, Swiss Francs and back to Euros. Before our trip ends we will again use UK pounds, then Hong Kong Dollars before finally reverting back to our colourful and plastic Aussie Dollars.
On our first day in Lima, Peru we experienced the moneychangers on the streets, with their huge wads of cash. In Europe the moneychangers have offices with glass grills but the system of commissions leaves the tourist much the poorer if you ever have to convert money. So the currency plan of this trip is simple, get out as much cash from ATMs in a certain currency as we think we will need and try really hard not to underestimate (or we have to get more out) or overestimate and then have to convert money at the end of our stay and in the process lose a packet. Keeping on top of exchange rates and coins (they all look alike) is also a challenge.
Our system has worked quite well until we noticed the ridiculous lengths we have stooped to as we left Geneva, Switzerland on Day 58 bound for Verona, Italy. We judged our Swiss francs quite well and there was just enough left over to buy some lunch (a couple of frankfurts encased in a croissant – let’s call it a Swiss sausage roll). That left us with only a few coins. We were pleased when we saw a Toblerone for Sfr2.50 (our favourite Swiss chocolate) on the shelf so we dived into our remaining change thinking that it would just about exhaust our Swiss coins (all notes had already gone) and we would leave with yummy chocolate and no coins. Perfect!
Well almost. After frantically searching through all our pockets we had only Sfr 2.45 in coins. We were so disappointed that we walked up and down through the railway station (as we had 30 minutes to kill) looking for a 5-cent (at least we think they are cents) Swiss piece on the ground. Two middle-aged, middle-class educated back packers walking up and down in a railway station looking on the ground for 5 cents must have been quite a sight. After a while we realised exactly what we were doing. We had plenty of money in the bank - we could have got more out- but that would have messed up the system. Sadly we never found 5c but we did buy a smaller Toblerone for Sfr 1.45, which of course left us with one franc left over.
Later in the day we arrived at Verona ready to resume travels in Italy – thank goodness we are back to Euros!
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