How to Deal with Money, Honey

Indonesian currency is called Rupiah, not to be confused with the Indian Rupee. These days, One US dollar is about Rp. 12,000.-. So with less than US$100.- you are entitled to be called a millionaire.

The bills are pretty colorful, but not enough to make it easy on newcomers to the country to tell difference from one to the others because of all those zeros. It seems to me, the higher the value, the crisper the bills tend to be. Which kind of makes sense because large bills don't get exchanged as frequently as the small ones. Here are a Rp. 20,000.- (green) against Rp. 50,000.- (blue):

Rupiah bills in the hand of a fish vendor

Speaking of crumpled bills... When I first started visiting Bali, I was amazed that every time I buy something in the market and receive some change, the vendor would hand me crumpled bills of varying colors. At first I thought, "Is this a trick to confuse me?" But it's not. It's just the way they keep the money. The don't keep them straight in their wallet.

That practice maybe changing, judging from what I see here. A little daughter of a market vendor is straightening up some crumpled bills she just received. Oh, in case you are concerned, this is not child labor. Mothers bring their kids to work everywhere that's not an office (markets, craft workshops, etc.) especially the ones that haven't started school yet. It's a family affair, and the kids have fun being surrounded by adoring grown-ups.

Ayu (4) straightening out her crumpled bills.

To figure out how much your currency is worth against the Rupiah, use this currency converter website.

To Market, To Market...

I first learned about how early the Ubud central market opens from the woman who made breakfast for me the first time I visited the town. She would serve a great banana pancake with fresh fruit juice by 7 am, and she mentioned that she started her shopping at 5:30 in the morning. Since then, my favorite thing to do on the morning after my arrival is going to the market, because nothing grounds me more than getting in the middle of hustle and bustle with the locals, seeing familiar food, and hearing the native language spoken. It's an instant welcome that I find very comforting. And when you're still jet-lagged, waking up super early, it's good to know there is somewhere fun to go to.

I always bring my camera along on this first day while I'm still excited about things, because after a few days, I become one of the people who go there to buy food supply and not so much a photographer on a mission. After all, who wants to lug around a camera while loading up on fruits and vegetables?

That said, I do suggest that you always bring your camera because you never know what you might encounter. And if you like your shot to have that authentic Balinese scene, I strongly encourage that you get there early, because by 7:30am, the crowd starts to shift: less locals, more tourists, and the outside part of the market becomes a parking lot for the tourist buses.

Here's a sampling of what's on offer to whet your appetite to go exploring in the market when you're here. Enjoy!

A variety of sweet snacks to go with your coffee

Freshly harvested eggs for your omelet or pancakes

Tangerines for your juice

If you need more substantial breakfast, freshly grilled pork satay is also available