Different exchange rates

Being in Subang on Jan. 31, 1996 and seeing a Bank Central Asia branch I decided to change 1,000 Dutch guilders. The money was given to me for a friend's sister, who was ill. Two days later I changed guilders at my BCA branch in Lembang. To my pleasant surprise I received Rp 30 more per guilder and the bank employee told me that I could have received Rp 35 more per guilder on Jan. 31 if I had changed the money in Lembang.

Why the difference? The explanation I was given in Subang was that foreign money was a rare commodity there. Well, because of my ignorance my friend's sister received Rp 35,000 less than she should have.

Last year I experience something different. When changing American dollars at BCA's main branch in Bandung, two banknotes were refused (they looked normal to me) and for one $20 note I was penalized Rp 10 per dollar because there was an inkblot on it, a tiny one! Back in Amsterdam I changed the refused American dollars without any trouble.

C.R. THIEMANN BEELT

Bandung, West Java