I was talking with a friend who's been fucking his way around the world for about as long as I've been alive, complaining about the general trends in exchange rates for the once-mighty US$. After we talked he sent me the following analysis:

Trends in Exchange Rates vs US$ (% change of value of $)
Past 4 Years:
Argentina +6%
Brazil -48%
Colombia -36%
Indonesia -.5%
Philippines -21%
Thailand -21%

Since Jan. 1, 2008
Argentina -2%%
Brazil -7%
Colombia -14%
Indonesia -.7%
Philippines +8%
Thailand +9.5%

One thing that surprised me is how poorly the dollar has performed against the Colombian Peso, especially lately. The CH Brazil crowd has been fussing plenty about the Real, but there's been a lot less said about the decline of the dollar's purchasing power in Colombia.

Also interesting is the fact that the dollar has strengthened lately against the Philippine Peso and the Thai Baht. Good news for those of us with Asia travel plans. For those going to Brazil and Colombia, the news seems to get worse by the day.

Cat

You can be so negative.

MM

??????????????

WTF

BD,

the last time I saw you I didn't think you looked a thing like Cat......you haven't started carrying a back-pack have you?

CFK,
I've been carrying a backpack (a small one) around Brazil for 20 years. How else does a guy haul his camera, condoms, lube, vibrator, candy, and other essential tools to the termas? But Cat and I have never been mistaken for one another. I'm also perplexed about the "negative" comment. Talk about a total non sequitur!
BD

Bwana,

You keep carrying that backpack around. Living in Colombia, I may need to borrow some of that lube........LOL!

We cringed when it went into the 1900's; we cried when it went into the 1800's;
We screamed when it went into the 1700's.

In all reality, it is hurting the Colombian exporters (coffee, flowers etc) probably more than us. They can't sell their products but we can still get laid for around $25-$50

BD,
I call your small bk-pk a fanny pack, and most convenient.

Cat's is the large one, Boy Scout type. He can haul enough stuff in there to live on a week. I suspect he sells Pringles and other commodities to termas on his visits, just a hunch.
CFK

I rest my case, as a loud banshee howl comes cursing out of my mouth.

Guess I'll stay home tonight....!

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20602081&sid=a._0EdhC2D3s&refer=benchmark_currency_rates

I feel your pain, Sandman. From what I read you've got inflation hitting you on top of the decline of the dollar. Not a good combination.

The Colombian Peso is getting perilously close to dropping into the 1600s. Now I understand why my brother's Colombian in-laws are all vacationing in the US at the moment.

It's already there. Closed at 1692 today.

Considering chopping my 7 week Colombian vacation in half and going to the Phillipines. Problem is the airfare pretty much nullifies the cost difference. People will always give tips on saving $$$. That's not the point. I work my ass off for 9 months to live a certain way the other 3. $200 per day last year will cost $240 per day now. Yay!

Hey pauly I am doing Thailand instead in this June/July. The Foreign Exchange is crazy for now. Maybe they will have problems and the Peso will drop again, I will return in August to Colombia

Picking bottoms, both female and charts, has cost me alot of money. I try not to do it except in rare situations. I think we might be at one of those rare situations right now. I'm thinking the low for the dollar is in for the next year or 2. I have 2 years left on my Brazilian Visa, just about perfect I hope.

Poll released by a big investment house says, majority of International mutual fund managers are now saying to buy US Dollars and invest in US Stock Market. Not international markets.

3 or 4 years ago they were stating the opposite. In fact, some big investment houses were telling they're clients to invest 100% of they're money in international stock mutual funds, and we're talking billions of dollars here, which lowers demand for the dollar and rises demand for the forgien currency.

Now if all this money is coming back into US, the dollar can only get stronger, hopefully they're right.

What I've seen knocking around Asia these past few years is as the local currency strengthens against the dollar the price of things goes up. I'm talking about groceries and essentials, which are up about 20% in Thailand and Malaysia. It's tough on the average person. It's a double-squeeze on expats living on the greenback: the lousy exchange rate combined with the rising prices.

I was in Argentina a year after the collapse of 2001 and was impressed that they didn't have the runaway inflation that usually follows such things.