What I hate about travel

[indigo_rose99]

Strange places. Rules changing. A truth from one person is not necessarily a broad truth, and I do not know where the borders are.

Today when I arrived in Vienna, the guy at the money changing place said that he was out of Slovakian currency. I changed a bit into Euros, which my taxi driver accepted for merely a 25% rate hike ($75 taxi ride became a $100 taxi ride). Gee, thanks.

Were there other currency exchange places in the airport? Might they have had Slovakian currency? I don't know.

When I arrived at my hotel, I asked about exchanging money. She said she could... but she strongly recommended against it. She said that the 5% fee she charges would be terrible. I could get a much better conversion rate elsewhere. "Like where?" Well, at a bank. There are many banks nearby. Well, they are closed because it is Sunday, but when they are open it is a much better rate. And there is the place in front of the Tesco, which charges no fee and is open on Sundays. Yes, that would be best.

Now, is she telling me this because it is truly in my best interest, or because she does not want to go through the paperwork? I cannot tell.

I asked for directions to the Tesco. She pulled out a map and drew a single yellow line on it. She handed me the map and went back to work. I exited the hotel and walked down a line of closed bank windows. I could read the hours open, if nothing else. Most of them open at 8am or later, and close at 4pm. Some of them close at 5pm on some days.

I will be at work before 8am and after 5pm every day.

So I walked to the Tesco. At first it was pleasant, in the low 80s sometimes with a breeze. It was a long walk. A really long walk. Only the realization that sheer boredom awaited me in my hotel room kept me walking. I was very thirsty.

No shops were open. The streets were almost deserted. Even on large streets, I only saw a few cars and had no trouble crossing anywhere I chose. The buildings, streets and sidewalks appeared... beat up. Sad. I felt as if I had stumbled in to the bad side of town, but with a sneaking suspicion that there isn't a GOOD side.

I finally found the Tesco. The hotel woman had said something about changing money "in front of the Tesco." I circled the building twice. I asked for help from strangers. No one spoke English. Or, perhaps they did and chose not to admit it?

As a last resort, I went inside the Tesco. None of the signs were in English. Only by following other people could I ensure I wasn't going in the exit. Across the building, a sign I could read, "CHANGE." Yes!

I waited in line a surprisingly long time, since there was only one person in front of me and his transaction appeared to be almost finished when I walked up. I pulled out my passport and traveler's checks and.... She didn't speak English, but her sign language was pretty easy to understand.

Under. Absolutely. No. Circumstances. Will. I. Accept. That. No. No. No. No. No. Go away.

Was she rejecting the US currency? The US passport? Traveler's checks? Was this currency exchange only for cash to cash? Only for Euros to Slovakian currency? Only for typical European currency? I could not tell and my attempts to ask were met with more of the same.

I left without buying any of water on racks beyond the Change place. It was a really thirsty walk back.

This would be the No Money Diet?

Comments

[pamwheatfree.livejournal.com]

Don't get discouraged. I would have changed the money at the hotel anyway. You already know that the taxi driver took an extra 25%, so getting the money exchanged on a Sunday at the hotel for 5% seems like a bargain. It is way too hard to get the money exchanged in the states. I probably could have gone to my bank before leaving and gotten my money changed, I only need to give them a few days warning and they can do almost any currency. They couldn't do Indian rupees but I was working with some Indians at the time and they exchanged for me because they go to India frequently. The bank can't do it because it is illegal to take rupees out of India, therefore, no exchange in other countries.

[mr-efficient.livejournal.com]

Man. Everything Eurotrip taught me about how far a dollar goes in Eastern Europe was a lie. Good luck making it back with all your organs!