How I Accidentally Stiffed My Poor Venezuelan Waiter
- Walking-around money equal to $10 fills a whole shopping bag
- Currency distortion turns commerce into a funhouse mirror
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Venezuela poses many challenges for the visitor -- harrowing roads, dengue fever, the odd kidnapping -- and one of the most daunting is spending money.
The hyperinflation that has relegated the bolivar to the status of pastel-colored wallpaper makes it almost impossible to conduct a run-of-the-mill transaction, like buying a cup of coffee. The fast-moving unofficial exchange rate creates a currency distortion that has turned commerce into a funhouse mirror.