Romanian currency is easy to become confused about.

The Romanian currency is really great. I discovered that you can take one of thier plastic notes and put it through the wash and it is still as good as new after this time.

You need to made sure you have some 50 bani coins on you at all times you need them for trollies. The great thing about this low value coin is unlike in the UK where people will regularly steal the pound from yourtrolley while your back is turned - it is not worth stealing - if your trolley is empty - or only got a few things in it - they will steal that instead. One heavily pregnant friend found her shopping in a neat pile and thetrolley gone - she just burst into tears - and walked out the store. I am just paranoid about the trolley - so never leave it despite the width of each isle.

The beggars are happy to accept 1 ron notes - as are perol attendents, while a hairdresser needs a bigger tip - as they are best kept happy.

There is a lot of confusion about the 100 ron note. When someone says o suta (one hundred) - they could mean 100 ron (20 pound) or 100,000 lei - 2 pound. Depending on who they are - they might keep the difference.

However Romanian shop keepers are more likely to add a few extra lei (1 or 2 ron) to you if they they think you won't notice - oddly enough I boycott suchshops afterwards and derive reat pleasure when they hit troubled times and go out of business.

You do need lots of small Romanian currency - but only notes - for taxis. After the church - they are my biggest ripoff merchants I know. They never - despite driving around all day on short trips - ever have change. I was also told never to say 'Thank-you' when you pass over the money as Romanin taxi drivers understand this to mean - keep the change. You also need to examine the taxi cab doors in minute detail a there are lots of tricks they use to extract money from you.

Anold one was to write 7.35 so it looks like 1.35. Only when you are inside and seeing the partially obscured meter will you know you are in trouble. Anothr trick is to write tariff 1;3.5 - so you pay 3.5 ron per km rather than 1.35. You zre certain to loose the argument thogh you can try to negotiate a he calls in a non-paying customer to the local community police. Once my wallet dropped out my pocket - another teacher saw it after I had left and told her he would give it back to me the next time we met. She thought this ws so sweet of him (as far as I can gather, he is still waiting for our paths to cross - as I hae never seen either the taxi or wallet again!)... I just thogt how stpi can somene really be and still be allowd to teach?

The coins will quickly accumulate in your wallet - especially the 10 bani piece - bu as soon as you remove them, you see the magazine your wife is desperate you collect -from frequent personal experience - will be those few bani more than you have.

Tell us your experiences of the Romanian currency. Have you found the mix of old and new currncy requests confuing? Do you collect 1 bani coins or am I alone in this silly activity?

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