Keep the Change
Moving to a new country undoubtedly changes one’s perceptions about many things. I am slowly training myself to tolerate spicy foods, my music tastes are evolving and my concept of money has been completely altered by the months I’ve spent here in Ecuador. Being a student and a traveler, I try to live my life on a budget. It’s not particularly hard to do here in Quito; bus rides cost 25 cents, an enormous almuerzo (lunch) is $1.50, going to see a movie is $3.50 ($1.85 on a Tuesday), and you can buy three bottles of water for under a buck. I’m well fed, hydrated, highly entertained and moving all around this city for a pretty fair deal.
Public transit isn’t safe after dark (about 6:30pm) so I find myself taking lots of taxis on the weekends, when I have valuables on me or when I’m just too nauseas to get on another bus. The minimum cab fare is 35 cents and I can usually get anywhere I want to go in the city for under 2 dollars. At home in New York, several blocks in a taxi can cost ten bucks and taking the subway or bus is $2 a ride one-way. I leave my house in Quito each day with no more than $5 on me and although my life here seems monetarily blissful, I still refuse to pay even a nickel more than I know I should.
Part of embracing the Quiteño lifestyle and dropping the tourist mentality is learning how to bargain for anything from clothing on the street to a boat ride through the Amazon. Often I’ll find myself asking for my penny in change when something costs 99 cents or arguing over a quarter with a cab driver. When I finally win and hand over the reduced fair to the driver, I get strange flashbacks to sitting on my couch at school. There are probably quarters wedged between the cushions that I’ll never bother fishing out and change somewhere in my dresser that I’ve never considered throwing into my purse. I have a collection of about 500 pennies in a jar at home that I don’t want weighing down my wallet but now I know that’s the equivalent of about a week’s worth of bus rides.
People are often surprised to hear that Ecuador uses the US dollar. Until 2000, the sucre was the national currency, but now the only sucres that circulate are sueltos (coins) in the same denominations as our quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies. While the only billetes (bills) accepted are US dollars, the entire country is experiencing a shortage of small bills. You won’t find change for anything larger than a twenty outside of a bank, using ten dollar bills are difficult, and often five dollars is simply demasiado dinero (too much money). I once took an 80 cent taxi ride and tried to pay with a $1 bill. The driver asked if I had anything smaller.
Here’s another thing that I have learned after being in Ecuador for three months: there’s no tipping in this country. If you eat a meal, get a ride, hire a guide for something, you pay the price and then go. There’s no need to do anything more than say a sincere gracias.
I know there’s going to be an adjustment period when I come back home to the States at the beginning of June, a reverse “culture shock” after having been away for so long. Living in New York City this summer, I feel like I’ll be doing a lot of walking and home cooking. I love this new country of mine, but I have to admit that I’m excited to get back to a routine in my home city and catch up with family and friends over lunch or a cup of coffee. Promise to bear with me if I seem a little stingy or get overly excited when someone has change.
Saludos,
Ariel