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- Xref: sparky rec.travel:15749 rec.travel.air:5732
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- From: klee@wsl.dec.com (Ken Lee)
- Newsgroups: rec.travel,rec.travel.air
- Subject: Re: Touring Russia and Thailand
- Message-ID: <1992Nov19.210739.5988@PA.dec.com>
- Date: 19 Nov 92 21:07:39 GMT
- References: <1992Nov19.134507.9780@research.nj.nec.com> <19NOV199215201285@nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov>
- Sender: news@PA.dec.com (News)
- Reply-To: klee@wsl.dec.com
- Organization: DEC Western Software Laboratory
- Lines: 30
-
- |> <*> As far as Moscow goes:
- |>
- |> 1). try to get your rubles on the street and not in the regular
- |> exchange circles (i.e. banks, hotels, etc). When I got an
- |> exchange at (below mentioned) the Hotel/bank, the exchange
- |> rate was 70 rubles to the dollar (this was last March).
- |> I got 90 rubles to the dollar, when I exchanged them in
- |> the 'black market' (on the street).
-
- The ruble now floats (somewhat), so the black market is no longer as
- interesting. When I was in Moscow in September, the official exchange
- rates (e.g., hotels, etc.) was about 200R to $1. The black market was
- about 230R to $1. Unfortunately, there is little to buy with rubles,
- so you shouldn't exchange very much.
-
- |> 3). Take plenty of used bluejeans and slightly used tennis
- |> shoes. You'll find many locals that will give you the
- |> world for them in and around red square.
-
- I'm not sure what "the world" is, but you'll probably do just as well
- by bringing a (much less bulky) wad of dollar bills. Again, selling
- things for rubles won't do you much good. We used rubles only for
- accomodations and meals. Almost everyone else will give you great
- exchange rates for payments in dollars.
-
- --
- Ken Lee
- DEC Western Software Laboratory, Palo Alto, Calif.
- Internet: klee@wsl.dec.com
- uucp: uunet!decwrl!klee
-