For those walking soon, some money hints!

[bill deutschman]

-----Original Message-----
From:   John Volz [SMTP:srjandmaEARTHLINK.NET]

>There are around 170 pesetas to the dollar.

The following page http://www.domainit.com/currency.html  has daily
conversion rates between most of the world's currencies.  Today's rate is
183.204 pesetas per dollar.  We found it was more useful to know the price
of a euro as most stores, restaurants and hotels are required to post
prices in both the local currency and the euro so the citizens will learn
prices in euros.

>Most cities and many towns have multiple ATMs, if your card doesn't
>work in one, try another, in Leon we tried three in the same block and
>got money from the third one. NEVER, NEVER try the same one three
>times, it might eat your card!  Get cash for a couple of days just in
>case you hit a town with no ATM.

Good advice in addition  Citibank told us that you can always take your
card into the bank and get money from a person if you've forgotten your PIN
or it doesn't work.  Just show them the card and your passport.  We never
tried it so I don't know if it is true.

You may also want to call your card company and tell them that you are
going to Europe as well as when and where you will be.  I've been warned
several times that the fraud department might see "strange" activity and
block your card.  I've had it happen several times when I've been traveling
in the US.  A phone call has restarted the card but it is an inconvenience
except for the time I was in Portland just before Christmas, buying
expensive presents for my wife.  Citibank got worried, called her at home,
listed all of the stores and charges and then wanted to know if I was in
Portland.  So much for Christmas surprises.  (No, I don't have credit
problems, Citibank is overly sensitive or it may be the size of the credit
limit on the cards.)

My wife and I decided to carry different VISA cards so if one of us lost
our card the other had a different card that would still work.  Be sure to
keep a list of card numbers and collect phone numbers to call if your card
is lost or stolen in a separate location from your card.  We kept a list of
all VISA, phone, airline tickets and other numbers as well as a copy of the
picture page of our passports in the other's passport.  I also put them in
an e-mail that I sent to myself at Hotmail so I could access them from any
internet site.  You may want to include addresses, e-mail addresses and
other things you way want to remember along the Camino.

Our VISA cards were accepted everywhere except in the refugios and small
coffee shops, bars etc.  About the same places you would expect to have to
pay cash in the US.

Finally we wished we had taken a small bible with us on the Camino.  We are
not religious but continued to find references to biblical maters in the
churches and historical sites.  It would have been useful to be able to
read the "original" source.


bill

bill deutschman
455 hillside avenue
klamath falls, or 97601
olcbillafireserve.net


-----Original Message-----
From:   John Volz [SMTP:srjandmaEARTHLINK.NET]

>There are around 170 pesetas to the dollar.

 The following web pages gives daily exchange rates between most currencies
 http://www.domainit.com/currency.html





Traveler's checks are hard to cash and will cost a fee and probably a
bad exchange rate.  Banks have very strange opening hours and can be
very inconvenient.

Enjoy and may the wind be at your back.  give Santiago a hug for us.

John and Marty Volz
Santa Rosa CA
Bicycle Pilgrims '96 and '00