Currency in Haiti

I am teaching TJ and IS money in math this year and now I know how they must feel.

The currency in Haiti is so frustrating.

The Goude- 40 Goudes = 1 American Dollar

The Haitian Dollar- 1 Haitian Dollar = 5 goudes

so 8 Haitian Dollars= 1 American Dollar

Things at the stores are priced in American Dollars, Haitian Dollars and Goudes. There is no physical Haitian Dollar you just know if you have 5 Goudes you have a Haitian Dollar. Some people will only take American Dollars from Americans, but nobody will give those out. They will not take a bill if it has any marks on it or a little rip or anything. And everyone want to be paid upfront. For example the guy we are renting from wanted 3 months plus a months worth of rent for the deposit.

You would think living here would be cheap right? NO! Its all supply and demand there are a lot of Aid workers here and not a lot of suitable housing. So, the price has sky rocketed. A lot of the places we looked at were double what our mortgage is in the States. One thing that is really sad about this economy is that the rich just keep getting richer here. And rich is crazy rich, like nothing you see in the States, at least nothing I see in the states. Maybe I am oblivious.