Day 2: dollares a pesos

My new belongings of the Day 2

And so it happens that if you live in another country than your own, you might need local money.

I was told by my landlady that there is an HSBC bank just across the street where I can get money for less bank taxes. And so I went there. Although HSBC is an international (American?) bank, they don't speak English, so I had to try remember my still not-so-fresh Spanish. "Si puedo... (change!! change!! How is 'change' in Spanish?) aa... dollares a pesos?" The answer was no. The man behind the glass told me I should look for a "casa de cambio" which is somewhere two blocks away.

So I was going those two blocks away with no exchange place in sight and with my $300 in the pocket. And that was in the city where everyone tells you not even bring your phone with you. So I wasn't feeling very comfortable, but then I just tried to look relaxed like I know where I'm going and I'm totally local. Which I'm not. At all. Cos it's the first time I see this street and these houses and these people.

Luckily there was a policeman in the street (with bullet-proof vest, of course). I was hoping a policeman is someone I could trust so I asked where I could "aa... dollares a pesos? Cambiar?" He explained me the way, which was NOT two blocks away and in a completely different street. At least I can understand Spanish way better than I speak. And so I went for another half of a kilometre to the exchange place, with happened to be a huge bank. Not HSBC, of course.

The bank appeared to be very contemporary, very spacious. It had numbers on the paper, so I thought it would be just like home. The lady working there helped me to print the correct number and I was waiting.

And then I understood that the numbered paper system works a bit differently here. The number only says after who you are, but it doesn't mean that when your number hits the screen it's time for you to go to the window. It like this: the lady shouts the numbers: "728, 729, 730!" Then people with those numbers line up in a queue and wait. I was no.732
When the window is free, the lady lets you go there. It doesn't matter any more what was your number. With my 732 I walked to the window when the screen showed 736. It seems that screen numbers go by time or so. I didn't get it well. I think Mexicans didn't get the numbered system either.

When I got to the window and showed my passport, gave my local address and so on, I've got a receipt to sign on what amount of pesos I will get. That was supposed to be $3516,00 (pesos' sign is the same as dollar's). Guess how much I've got?
6x500, which makes it $3000. I was like "aaa... tres mil? (three thousand) No bueno?" "A! Si." And then I've got my other 500, which is $40 US. Not that little, hm? I didn't even ask for those 16 pesos. That's like 1 euro.

So, if you happen to be in Mexico, DO check the money you're given. Always.