So lets talk a little about money. First, the exchange rate is horrible. I got 438 Euros at the beginning of the trip for like 700 dollars. I remember when the Euro first came out and it was worth less than the dollar. Why didn't I go to Europe then? Then there’s the many ways money works differently in Germany. One thing I've noticed consistently is that when you pay in Germany you are expected to have exact change, if you don't they act like you have caused them the greatest inconvenience of their lives. Sometimes they won't even allow you to pay, or will lie and say they cant make change. It is bizarre. I would think that Germans must keep some sort of stockpile of change with them at all times because I have yet to see a German not be able to pay. Another strange thing is that the smallest bill they have is a 5 euro bill, worth roughly 7.50 US dollars.
Most daily transactions use 2 or 1 euro coins, which are also hard to come by, as the ATM dispenses only paper money. The only thing I can think of is they much go to the bank and get huge amounts of coins once a month or something, it is truly odd. Just the other day I saw for the first time that a 500 euro bill exists too, this guy at the post office pulled out a whole wallet full of them. I couldn’t help but think about how unsafe I would feel with that and how horrible of a day he would have if he lost his wallet. Having a 100 dollar bill makes me uncomfortable enough, let alone a 750 dollar bill. Germany is a country that runs on cash and coins. I haven't seen a single transaction made by a German using anything but cash. Do they even have cards here?
Feeling Fremd,
Kyle
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