Feb

6

The Dollar, from Jim Sogi

February 6, 2014 |

The dollar is strong. I have been traveling internationally this past year on ski mountaineering expeditions (surf-n-ski.com) and found the dollar is strong and there are good travel deals now.

Canada and New Zealand are both below the dollar 10-15%. With the modest life style in those countries hotels and meals and car rentals were low, and cheaper than the US. Argentina, where the pesos dropped from par to 8 or 10:1 is cheap. Nice Malbec wine is $10. A dinner for 3 in a nice restaurant in downtown Usuaia is $40. Japan is the surprise. I'm heading there next week and hotels are under $100. Ski lifts are $30. The yen has fallen over 30% recently. Surprising last year also was the Euro. In France a modest prix fixe lunch with 3 courses, wine was $12. Can't find that in US. I am surprised the Euro has not dropped reading the news. The prices there have self adjusted notwithstanding the exchange rate.

You may think Hawaii is not such a good place to live for a ski fanatic, but its less than a day to NZ, Japan, Alaska, Canada, Sierras, Rockies, for year round skiing. There is even snow on Mauna Kea where I've been skiing.


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