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| San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua |
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| Isla de Ometepe, Volcan Conception |
The currency in Nicaragua is Cordobas (which I will call 'cords' for short). The exchange rate was 26 to 1, that is 26 cords to 1 US$. Most the most common rate used was 25 cords to 1US$.
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| My collection of 'cords' on the last day of my trip! Holy money bags ;) |
If you exchanged ALL of your dollars to cords right away, well you were fine but to put the dollars you brought with you to good use, you could pay with dollars and receive cords as change. Also, you could pay partially in dollars and the other in cords. Confusing at times but completely justifiable using math.
So why was math so important on my trip? Well, it was my basic skills that I used the most. Although I would like to say that I trusted the math of the locals, I didn't at all. Many times their trusty calculator was incorrect and if it wasn't for doing the math in my head, I may have never realized it!
If anything, I have yet another reason to back up the importance of basic skills AND not relying on a calculator to give you the 'answer'. Students always ask 'When are we going to use this?' and state 'I will always have a calculator with me'. This is why in my classroom that I continue to stress the importance of basic skills and numerical reasoning. What do you stress in your classroom?
