The Last Thing I'm Ever Going To Post on Currency Exchange
Venezuela has a closed currency market. The government sets the rate of exchange. There are currently several exchange rate tiers depending on the type of transaction.
Importing food or medicine for the revolution 2.15 to 2.6
Importing non essential material 4.3
Importing luxury good and you are not a friend of the revolution suffer the open market.
If the store does not have a connection with the U.S. or Europe (are they importing merchandise, do the owners regularly travel for business or pleasure) then they will have little interest in changing your currency.
A hotel bellman is a guy who meets lots of travelers, Venezuelan and otherwise, and can make a business out of it.
Remember I posted about how visiting Russian sailors were shocked that stores in an upscale shopping mall would not accept dollars. However, the malls well heeled patrons were happy to exchange with the visiting Russkies at the free market permuta rate.
One more thing, the gov has clamped down on the permuta rate because they said it was a conspiracy to bankrupt Venezuela by undervaluing the currency.
I got my money from a sanctioned permuta trader at a rate of 8:1 The company is called SerFinCorp. They are on the web
[QUOTE=La Isla]What's the official exchange for the Bolivar fuerte these days? I imagine about 4.3? Are you getting 8 in the shops or on the street?[/QUOTE]
Reciprocal seems a lot smaller
Going from 8 - 1 to 11 - 1 sounds horrible until we all realize that it is no big deal when we take the reciprocal, go from about 12 cents US to 9 cents US. The big benefit is from the 2.15 down to about 7, i.e. about 46cents to 14cents, after that, it becomes more of a game. That country is going down the chute, and without Aragorn, it is really is all over for them
Poor attitude of venezuelan girls
Venezuelan girls compared with Colombian and Brasilian have a very bad and poor attitude for sex and to know men, I don' t know why but I have lived in Venezuela to say that Colombians are better, more calientes, more easy and nice, more Latinas, Venezuelans are more european and they don't smile. Absolutely Venezuela is the baddest place to visit South America. Then Colombia has more millions of beautys than Venezuela and it is more safe.
Travel Companions for Los Roques
Me and a buddy will be traveling to Caracas this Febuary-first time in Venezuela. We will only be in the city 2 or 3 nights then off to Los Roques for a week of fly fishing. I know that Los Roques has no "scene" so I plan to bring along a few friends. I have been to Colombia several times(next trip Early November) and am fairly well connected so I can fly in a few gals for the week-but I would prefer a couple native local girls and keep the $$ in Venezuela. My question is-Based on the Caracas reports, it appears the scene in is not that good and the chances of finding a couple gals for a vacation in 2 nights of mongering does not seem that great. Am I off base here or should I pre-plan and import a couple gals?