Return of the Greenback

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14 November 2010


The rain pounds on the metal roof. Jean and I stopped off in Kampong Cham, Cambodia in an effort to get off the tourist trail. Ironically, we've spent most of today camping out in the wifi of an expat restaurant overlooking the Mekong. There are Blues Brothers and Apocalypse Now movie posters on the wall and Johnny Cash playing in the background.

The official currency of Cambodia is the riel trading at approximately 4000 rield to the dollar. However, the US dollar is the accepted (and preferred) medium of exchange. Riel isn't even an available option at most ATMs. I made a withdrawal last night after getting in and got two crisp $100 bills. The proprietor of our $5 a night guesthouse was not especially pleased to make change.

In an interesting twist there are no US coins in circulation. Instead, for change less than a dollar, riel is used. It you were to buy something that cost $1.75 with two one dollar bills, the shopkeeper would give you a 1000 riel note in change. The tandem currency use does require a some mathematical agility.

Comments

sly said…
Ah, the places you've been! Rose's reading at your wedding was indeed prophetic!
28 December 2010 at 08:18
Unknown said…
So Jean is getting some mental maths practice changing currency!
28 December 2010 at 15:14
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