Arriving anywhere at the wee hour of 6 a.m. has never been my favorite time of arrival. This trip to Bangkok was no exception. I took the train from Laos with a friend and if it wasn't for him I would have lost what little left of my sanity that I possessed at the time. I had some money stolen by what I am pretty sure was a fellow traveller. Having no cash I boarded the train to await the stop in Thailand to get some money. I get to Thailand and my card is frozen. Are you serious??? So on the kindness of Stuart I got to the backpackers district to call my bank and figure out this financial delimma. Not only do I need to take out massive amounts of cash to get to Burma tomorrow but I have to sleep, eat and pay back my friend. Grrrr.
After each of us spent some time in the internet cafe and Stuart found a guesthouse with rooms we were ready for a nap and then I have a task ahead of me. Finding prestine dollars to take with me tomorrow.
So traveling to Burma isn't as carefree and easy as most of the places I have traveled thus far. I had to obtain a visa, in person with a bunch of pictures and I think the Burmese government might know more about me than my mom now....Then I had to obtain enough cash for my entire visit. There are no banks in Burma and the only currency you can exchange is US dollars. But these aren't any US dollars, these dollars are preferred in 100s, never been folded, crumpled, or creased in anyway. Any of the above will make them completely useless.
In Bangkok it is seriously hard to find these gems. I went to eight banks, three travel agencies and took a cab ride to another area of town before one of the ladies in the little currency booths said something like....ah, Burma...you need 2006 series 100s. I have them for you. If it wasn't for the protective piece of plexi-glass I would have hugged her I was so happy.
So to wind things down I went back to the hotel and met up with my travel buddy Stuart to have a last night out in Thailand. It was fun but as I type this from the airport I am all sorts of tired and worn out as it has been a few days since I got some decent sleep.
1 comment:
I hear you on the bad USD bill problem! We had a terrible time exchanging USD in Armenia and Egypt. We'd often have to sneak our torn or crumpled money into stacks of nicer looking bills! Glad you found someone who really knew your situation! She sounds like a gem!
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