I got here a week ago last Saturday with no money having taken someone's advice that I wouldn't need any till I got to Galle. So I get to Galle and the driver very kindly takes me to see his friend a local shopkeeper. He will change my Scottish notes but won't give me as much as I'd get for English ones. It's not easy explaining why you're not having that when you don't speak Sinhala.
So on the Monday I went to the bank and there was much consternation over our banknotes. Part of the confusion was that I had Bank of Scotland, Royal Bank of Scotland and Clydesdale Bank notes and they just didn't get why there were 3 different types. I pointed to the word Sterling but they just looked at me as if I'd stamped it on myself. In the end they refused to take them.
Finally a friend very kindly offered to take them to Colombo (where she lives) and exchange them there but when I asked would she fight them to the death to get the same as English notes, she said 'fraid not. Result is that I'll be going back to Glasgow with them. There's a principle at stake and it's not often I compromise on my principles! Ah well, I'll have a good night out when I get home :-)
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