on tripadvisor.com it was recommended to get your PESOS out of the ATM at the airport with your DEBIT Card.   you will get the best rate.  i think you need to know how many PESOS you want.  so see chart below.

 see you very soon!

jeri

   Thanks Sleddog, very helpful. YOU ROCK

Thanks Sleddog, I'm using USD this time. After reading your chart I think I spent way too much in pesos in PV. I need to carry my little converter.   And besides being organized you are the "TOP DOG"    

Here’s two pocket conversion charts

Rates are as of today

Thanks for the replies!  I agree, that housekeeping in particular is a thankless job that pays nearly nothing.  It's good to know what others are doing and I just wanted to make sure that housekeeping gratuities were actually included in our trip.  

Leaving on Friday morning - clothes are packed - can't wait!!!

Carolyn 

Carolyn,

We leave $5 on the pillow every day.  Then, at the end of the week, depending on how things went, we leave another $20-40.  You are right - tipping is technically included in the trip, but the housekeeping staff has a pretty crummy job, and we feel that a few dollars may help them out.  We sometimes also tip (at the end of the week) some of the other local staff (cooks, bartenders, etc).  We typically don't tip the GM's (Club Med staff) because they are taken care of by their company. 

Bargaining in pesos.....that's even more fun!

We have a "belief" that the best deals are made in pesos.....so if they make us an offer in dollars, we make a counter offer in pesos, and then they bargain with us in pesos.  Of course, this only works if we know how many pesos we're willing to pay for an item.

But we shop around, so we already know how many pesos we would agree to pay for, say, a regular pareo, and how much for a pareo with hand stitching.

If we know the fair price around town for something, and they keep asking us for twice that much......then we just get out our pesos and offer them up.....and every time we have extended our hand with the pesos, they have taken them and handed us the item.  (Apparently, extending the hand with the pesos is something like the equivalent of "final offer".....at least that is the way it has worked for us.)

For an item we would love to purchase, but don't know the going price.....we just decide how much it's worth to us in dollars.  Say, we would feel comfortable paying $35 for this, they ask us for $60, and we're thinking no way would we pay $60 for it.  We offer them the equivalent of $35....about 450 pesos.....and they accept our offer when we hold forth our hand with the 450 pesos.

Understand, we are still peso virgins really, but this is what we have learned so far.  It's an adventure!

Joan

LOL......that's it, Sled......you got it......right on the money!

Joan