Travelling without a credit card is almost impossible to imagine today, but in Myanmar they simply don’t accept debit or credit card. So before our departure, we had set up a travel budget, to make sure we had enough dollars. Setting up the budget was not as difficult as sticking to it. Every day we must make an estimate of how much money we used, which sends us back to our student days, and that is an eye opener, so I guess it is a meaning in it.
Since they do not accept cards, one would think that it was relatively easy to change money, but it is a rather bureaucratic affair. The entire transaction is divided into six, meaning there are six officers to make sure everything goes by the book.
1 Sign up, and accept your money and passport
2 Prints the authorization
3 Endorses the application, before it is handled to the bank manager with your passport
4 Get the money from the safe and logs it.
5 A new round of counting by the assistant manager.
6 A final endorsement, before you get the money
The Dollar notes must be brand new and without any folds, if not, you will simply get less value for your money. It all takes about 30 minutes …
The traveler 
Frustrating, but just part of the experience, I guess. No ATMs either?
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No ATM either! It is ok, thus I feel I cannot be implosive. I guess I will improve as the days go by! 🙂
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