Above is the Hungarian Forint
Many of you may be wondering how am I surveying as a traveler through Europe. Well let me tell you there are times when it isn't easy! Ha!!! Traveling around I have had my share of "uh-o's" and "oopsies" that cost me quite a bit of money. Like the time I decided to travel spontaneously to Prague. I went online, found a ticket for 20 Euros and was like "Oh yea! What a deal!" Booked the ticket and was on the train to leave in an hour. Once I got into Prague I realized that I needed money. No worries theres an ATM at the station.... I put in my card, instead of finding Euros (to which I am used to) I had a bunch of weird symbols and the money came out in the thousands. "What the heck is this?!?" Turns out the Czech currency is crowns. So how many crowns to the dollar I ask myself -who knows. So I pulled out the 2nd highest amount which was 2000 crowns.
Now I have money, time to look up the directions (i always do this the night before) on my lab top... "Oh Oops! I copy and pasted an ad next to the directions on google... now how do I get there?"
It was getting dark so I decided, you know what, Prague is really sketchy outside the main city. I'm going to grab a cab and be safe. I show the cab driver the address and he says 800 crowns. "What!! 800 crowns! How much is that!?!?!!" The cabby then says ok ok 700 crowns."Crap! I don't know how much that is or how far my hotel is... ok..." I get in the cab.
Czech Cabby: No no its other side of city
Me: hmmmm ... ok
Finally I get to my hostel, give the cabby 700 crowns.. (no tip!) and think... How much was that?
I get into the hostel and ask the front counter.. how far are we from the main train station?
Me: Oh Shiza... do you know how many crowns to the dollar?
Weird german front counter guy: Like 20 crowns to the dollar
Me: S#*&!!!!! I just gave him about $35 to drive me 200 meters down the street!!! Uggghhh... That could be 2 nights stay, or 3.5 days worth of food, or 1/2 of a new leather purse. or, or or etc...
Surviving on Bread (.45 Euro) and salami (2.5 Euro) can feed me for 2 meals
Cha-Ching $$$! Winning!
Ha ha ha ha... This is just one of a few "Woopsies" that I have encountered throughout this trip. It's a good story to tell now though thats for sure. I also warn other travelers I meet about this mistake too! So passing it forward is best I can do.
So you may be wondering.. how do I make up for these financial blunders? Well let me tell you it takes major creativity! For example this morning the hostel I am at offers 6 Euro breakfast - all you can eat." 6 Euros!!!" I say. S#^*!!! I am on a 10 Euro a day diet what a rip off! So I first check out their all you can eat and see if they meet my standards. Please see my guidelines of "investing in All You Can Eat" below:
Do they have apples - Check!
Do they have bread slices or big buns - Check!
Do they have meat and cheese - Check
Do they have coffee - Double check (most important)
Do they have anything sweet - Check check!
Do they have a 3rd option of food like cereal or something - Check!
Alright I am in on this investment of food. I go in slightly early.. minimum an hour and a half before the "all you can eat" ends. I go straight for the cereal and coffee, yogurt and fruit. I graze on food for about 30 minutes drinking minimum of 2.5 cups of coffee so I also get my fix for the day. (These are European size cups mind you, not American size) Then I read my book and wait for my neighbor eating next to me to leave. Then I go in for the kill... I load a plate up with Bread, Cheese, meat, sneak a couple of apples into my purse and sit back down. I then very calmly put together 2 large sandwiches of meat & cheese. I quietly rap them up in loads napkins and into my purse they go. I then get another cup of coffee and load a plate up with cookies. I sit down next to my new eating neighbor and start chatting it up, dipping a few cookies into my coffee as I chat. Yum! I then say nice to meet you, wrap up a hand full of cookies and shove them into my bag.
Now I have lunch and dinner, a hand full of cookies & a few apples to snack on. Today it will be a 6 Euro diet. Even better is when I get too full and save the apples for the next day! Yes!!! I now have to spend less money to food tomorrow. Just for doing so financially well, I will treat myself to a 1.50 Euro Gelato for lunch tomorrow! Woopieeee!!!!
Above is the Swiss Crown
$1 american dollar = .95 Swiss Crowns
I pulled 300 Swiss crowns cos I again forgot to check the currency exchange before I got there.
(Sometimes it takes multiple "Oopsies" before you learn a lesson)
Then sometimes you just need a nice hot meal ($10 Euro)
I got this meal in Vienna some yummy chicken and hummus thing. It was just a bunch of yummieness!
And thats how its done!
Lots of love to you all! xxxx
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