Money.
Americans don’t like to talk about this word but we like to show it off. In Africa, the people we met, shared about their own money and would ask about ours. Wanting details of our daily salary and things we had at home. Persisting daily to see a picture of the car I drove even when we lived out in the bush.
In America, we don’t want to share how much money we have or our yearly salary yet we want you to see our things. We aim to make you jealous over the things in our homes and the cars we drive. The designer clothes we wear and the vacations we venture on.
Here in month 11, I’ve been living the vaca we all want to go in in Bali. Y’all I’m in Bali! Every day I get to sit on the roof of our hostel and look at the crystal clear blue water, to feel the warm Indonesian sun in my skin and allow my hair to blow in the wind. I never thought I would get here because of cost and yet I’m here staying cheap but I’m here.
Money’s tough, it’s a touchy subject but I want to share my experience with money over the last 11 months.
El Salvador – US dollar
Expensive!
Things that are $14 in the US are $17
Guatemala – Q’s (7 to 1)
A whole papaya for $1.50
Honduras- Lempira (24 to 1)
12 delicious tangerines for less than $1
Nicaragua- Cordobas (30 to 1)
A bag of plantain chips for $1
Ivory Coast- CFAs (550 to 1)
One 2 liter bottle of water for 500.
Ghana- Cedi (4.5 to 1)
20 bananas for $1
Nepal- Rupees (100 to 1)
1 loaf of bread, a cup of Nepali tea
India- Rupees (65 to 1)
3 apples for 60, 1 kilo of grapes for 70
Thailand- Bhat (30 to 1)
Black pearl tea 35, mango sticky rice 50
Malaysia – Ringett (4 to 1)
2 homemade donuts 80c,
restaurant Orange chicken rice 5.50
Indonesia- Rupiah (14,000 to 1)
1 Aloe water
1 grilled corn on the beach
1 surfboard for one hour only 50 or (~$3.00)
Changing currencies every month has been tricky, but when the new Avengers movie makes a reference for Indian rupees and you are able to say the conversion right then, you know your good!!
As as we have travels around the world the perception of Americans has also struck a me. In many countries when we are offered to buy something and decline the sellers often get upset, claiming it is only $2.00 or very small money. These people will try to convince us to buy their item, choosing to put their lotion/shirt/Buddha head on us because Americans have money to spare. What these people don’t realize is we have a daily budget for food, sometimes it’s $5 and other times it’s $3, just depends on the cost of items. Right now in Bali, we have $2, but we chose to live in a nicer Hostel to get rid of bedbugs. $2 is not a lot, but as you look over the places we’ve been and what I can buy for a dollar we actually get quite a bit of money each day. Being on the Race I’ve learned it’s possible to travel to far away exotic places without spending a ton of money, I’ve learned how love sleeping on the floor, even though I still wouldn’t choose it if I had a choice. I choose to walk for hours just to save a dollar and that’s not going to change. I’m not cheap (well that cheap), but I’ve learned the value of a dollar from a whole new perspective. I choose to spend my money on experience, traveling to far away places and living like the locals. To walk 3 miles to dinner instead of getting a ride, to take 24-hour train ride instead of a flight to save money. Because along the way of the cheaper options I’ve found adventure. I’ve found people with incredible stories, I’ve laughed at our situations and seen more of the world than I ever would have up in the sky on a plane.
