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May 10th, 2010 | Africa

The Moneychanger…

Material seller at the Ugandan border..

Traveling on your own can obviously be a lonely exercise… It is made easier by meeting people who are friendly and who want to assist you where they can… Sure, there are those who are only out to take advantage of you, and being able to identify them quickly, is a skill you need to learn if you want to keep your money where it belongs….in your OWN wallet!!!

I had an interesting conversation with a money changer at the Rwandan/Ugandan border… He had given me a good rate when I had crossed into Rwanda a few days previously, and I had promised to look for him on my return. I did not have to waste any time doing this, because as I rode out of the security gate on the Rwanda side, I saw him sitting on the railing of the bridge which crosses the little stream just before the customs offices… He leapt off the railing when he saw me, and jogged next to the bike all the way to the parking area, firing questions as he went…

“How was Rwanda? Did you see the Gorillas? How long did it take you to Bujumbura? Was it raining? Are you happy to be back in Uganda?”…

To which I replied, “Expensive, clean, amazing scenery, great roads! Yes I did, and it was a fantastic experience! About eight hours in all… You bet your life it was!! I’ll tell you after I have heard your exchange rates….!”

I needed to change Rwandan Francs into US Dollars to pay for my Ugandan visa as they refuse to take local currency for this, and asked him for his best rate… He shuffled his feet a bit, looked off to either side of where we were standing, then bent closer and whispered,

“I do not have any good dollars today…”

“I see… What kind DO you have…?” I replied….

“Eh…. Not the proper ones…!”

“Ah… Improper dollars!! Where did you get them?”

“There is much of these bad dollars here!” he said, waving a hand all around us… “We get them from the Congo…”

“But what will you do with these bad dollars?” I asked…

He nodded in the general direction of a bus load of Ugandans that had just arrived and were lining up at the immigration office…. “I will sell them to these people… They do not know the difference…! But you are a good man, and I do not want to sell the bad dollars to you…!”

I thought that was very decent of him, and told him so…

“But now you are going to undo this good thing you have done for me by selling these bad dollars to these unsuspecting people… You should get rid of all your bad dollars and let it be known that you are the only man here dealing with good dollars… I will start you off with this good $5, 00 dollar note,” I told him, plucking a crisp new note from my dwindling supply of dollars, and handing it to him…

His eyes lit up and they seemed to walk all over my face for a few seconds…. “I will give you a very good rate….!”

“No, it is my gift to you,” I said, “Keep this note to remind you to do good things in future…”

Another rockfall to avoid on the way out of Rwanda...

His mouth opened and closed a few times, and then he said,

“Thank you Mr. Gypsy… I will not forget you… I will talk to my friend at Immigration and arrange for you to pay for your visa with Ugandan shillings…”

Which he did, and I was saved the hassle of looking for US dollars… As I left Katuna, I looked back and saw him standing in the middle of the road, his one hand raised in farewell… My $5 dollar note still clutched in his other… Another unforgettable moment on this trip…

The world was a good place to be in at that moment… Strange how the smallest things can make you feel warm and fuzzy inside…

For the next half hour, the hills of Southern Uganda seemed greener, softer…. The air tasted cleaner, the smiles on the faces of the children seemed brighter, … and I hardly noticed the dust and the potholes on my way into Kabale…

The hills seemed greener... Far above a crop-filled valley close to the Rwanda / Uganda border...

© GBWT 2010

4 comments to The Moneychanger…

  • Charmz

    It’s a great feeling to do a good deed my brother, let’s hope he took your little chat to heart and got rid of the “bad dollars”. Be safe and get rid of that nasty flu.

  • Brandt

    Africa could be a fantastic place if everybody will do good to each other!!! Hope this experience changed his life.

  • Mark Behr

    I salute what you did – thank you Ronnie. If only Africa could adopt the spirit of Ubuntu. Ride safely.

  • Riekie

    I am glad you are back, wasn’t able to view your site for a couple of days, but now I know why. Whoever did this, may every….. no, let me rather not give you my version. I had a tough 30 hours trying to get rid of the Trojan virus. Hope you are feeling better. Stay safe. GS.

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