Do Mexicans not like pesos? Or is it just the tour companies who have decided Americans and Canadians are too dimwitted to calculate exchange rates? As a rough guide for either Yankee or Canuck dollars dividing by 10 gives one a fairly rough estimate. For the mathematically challenged 830 pesos comes fairly close to $83 in either. And by-the-way, considering the number of Canadians flocking to Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo, why not also quote in Canadian loonies. Not to forget, most rentals, condo offerings - considerable overstock here with some new places built 5/6 years ago still waiting for the first sucker to come along - and duty free shops also like to price with the US dollar.
Americans are still under the impression the US greenback remains the sole world currency despite the staggering economy; so they just think everyone and every place should use American dollars even if it just to stoke their egos. Mind you, I can imagine the anger and derision from tourists in San Antonio if the Alamo gift shop requested payment in pesos. Might just be the catalyst for another Mexican-American stand off in Texas, although that big wall being built will likely keep them apart.
Scope out all the junk in Wal-Mart and local stores, you’ll find the usual Made-in China tags on nearly every item. A couple of years back even the Mexicans were screaming about all the cheap tourist gifts flooding in from Asia. The authorities should get ahead of the game and re-price in yuan to enable the Chinese to buy up all the real estate (no need to alter the tourist junk as they can get it cheaper back home).
Next time in Mexico when I get a price in US dollars, I’ll politely request the amount be expressed in Zimbabwe dollars just to see them scratch their heads.
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