Comments on: Chinese Currency and the Black Market http://www.mutantfrog.com/2005/03/09/chinese-currency-and-the-black-market/ Photos, Stories and articles on East Asia Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:14:46 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Mutantfrog http://www.mutantfrog.com/2005/03/09/chinese-currency-and-the-black-market/comment-page-1/#comment-1202 Mutantfrog Sat, 12 Mar 2005 21:13:41 +0000 http://www.mutantfrog.com/2005/03/09/chinese-currency-and-the-black-market/#comment-1202 Good lord, swimming in the Aral Sea and he lives to tell about it? I'm impressed. Actually, was that the North Aral or the South? I think I've heard that the larger section is still losing water and therefore becoming increasingly salty, whereas the smaller portion has stabilized and actually started increasing its water level again, and so getting a little bit cleaner. I think you, Nathan, are the man to consult when I start planning a trip to the land of 'stans. Good lord, swimming in the Aral Sea and he lives to tell about it? I’m impressed. Actually, was that the North Aral or the South? I think I’ve heard that the larger section is still losing water and therefore becoming increasingly salty, whereas the smaller portion has stabilized and actually started increasing its water level again, and so getting a little bit cleaner.

I think you, Nathan, are the man to consult when I start planning a trip to the land of ‘stans.

]]> By: Nathan Hamm http://www.mutantfrog.com/2005/03/09/chinese-currency-and-the-black-market/comment-page-1/#comment-1188 Nathan Hamm Fri, 11 Mar 2005 19:57:00 +0000 http://www.mutantfrog.com/2005/03/09/chinese-currency-and-the-black-market/#comment-1188 A buddy of mine went swimming in the Aral Sea with some lushes from the Nukus office of MSF. He said that his hair felt like it had cement in it from all the salt. I mostly stuck to the Zerfashan Valley--the Bukhara to Samarkand stretch of the Silk Road. There's so much kick ass stuff all over the place that is not at all publicized or easy to get to that I'd love to see. A buddy of mine went swimming in the Aral Sea with some lushes from the Nukus office of MSF. He said that his hair felt like it had cement in it from all the salt.

I mostly stuck to the Zerfashan Valley—the Bukhara to Samarkand stretch of the Silk Road. There’s so much kick ass stuff all over the place that is not at all publicized or easy to get to that I’d love to see.

]]> By: Mutantfrog http://www.mutantfrog.com/2005/03/09/chinese-currency-and-the-black-market/comment-page-1/#comment-1173 Mutantfrog Fri, 11 Mar 2005 02:54:45 +0000 http://www.mutantfrog.com/2005/03/09/chinese-currency-and-the-black-market/#comment-1173 Sounds like a blast, I look forward to many more black market transactions in my future. I really need to get out to Kyrgystan and Uzbekistan. Maybe when I go to see the Aral Sea... Sounds like a blast, I look forward to many more black market transactions in my future. I really need to get out to Kyrgystan and Uzbekistan. Maybe when I go to see the Aral Sea…

]]> By: Nathan Hamm http://www.mutantfrog.com/2005/03/09/chinese-currency-and-the-black-market/comment-page-1/#comment-1171 Nathan Hamm Thu, 10 Mar 2005 18:31:08 +0000 http://www.mutantfrog.com/2005/03/09/chinese-currency-and-the-black-market/#comment-1171 : Comment text: 'Ahhh... Black market currency trading is so much fun. My best exchange in Uzbekistan was $200 in the back of a clothing store where stacks of so'm were kept in an ice cream cooler and inside the walls. I was shocked by all the free market trading of currency in Kyrgyzstan after having been in Uzbekistan for a while. The Kyrgyz <em>do </em>trade Uzbek currency, but its value on the free market was, if I recall correctly, about 1/3 what the Uzbek government placed it at.' Ahhh... Black market currency trading is so much fun. My best exchange in Uzbekistan was $200 in the back of a clothing store where stacks of so'm were kept in an ice cream cooler and inside the walls. : Comment text: ‘Ahhh… Black market currency trading is so much fun. My best exchange in Uzbekistan was $200 in the back of a clothing store where stacks of so’m were kept in an ice cream cooler and inside the walls.

I was shocked by all the free market trading of currency in Kyrgyzstan after having been in Uzbekistan for a while. The Kyrgyz do trade Uzbek currency, but its value on the free market was, if I recall correctly, about 1/3 what the Uzbek government placed it at.’

Ahhh… Black market currency trading is so much fun. My best exchange in Uzbekistan was $200 in the back of a clothing store where stacks of so’m were kept in an ice cream cooler and inside the walls.

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