2004-09-25 - 5:19 p.m.

One thing that is a constant battle for Peace Corps volunteers in Mauritania (and possibly all over the world) is money. Don’t get me wrong, we are given enough money to live at the same standard of living as the people around us. The problem lies in the buying of goods and services. Unlike in the states, products here do not carry a helpful price tag. Cost is always negotiable, and the amount of money a shop owner initially quote’s you is almost never the price he intends you to pay. Negotiation is mandatory. While this may initially seem novel, it quickly becomes annoying. It is especially difficult being knew to the country because I have no idea how much anything should cost. Luckily enough Audrey is here, so she can often clue us in, but she can’t be with us 24 hours a day.
Atar is slowly turning into a tourist town. White people are not as rare a commodity as they were at my training site in the south. In M’beidia children would recule in horror at the sight of my pale skin, in Atar they flock around begging for money or presents. They have good reason to. When rich Europeans visit they don’t think twice about handing over a few coins or pocket candy. When people here see Caucasians, they see a dollar sign. So if I try to buy a pound of potatoes that I know should cost 200 ougiyas, I am quoted a price of 800 ougiyas. Whereas Europeans hand over the money not knowing the price is incorrect or really caring because their pockets are brimming with bills, I am forced to negotiate for ten minutes explaining to the shop owner I work here making a Mauritanian salary, and can’t afford the augmented price.
This last week was the Alexis’s Birthday. To celebrate we went to a desert oasis just south of Atar. The town is called Tergit, and it subsists on two things. The first is an incredible date plantation. The second is tourists. Both of these sources of income are dependant on the meter wide stream that flows for 500 yards between the canyon walls at the end of town. Driving in we saw signs clearly declaring that a visit to the oasis cost 700 ougiyas per person. This was in addition to the 1500 we each would pay for the ride there and back. This equates to a little less than 10 dollars. Not at all expensive by American Standards, but with our limited Mauritanian PC budget it is quite pricey. The day was wonderful. We sat in the small basin that is constantly replenished with cool water. I went on a hike in the surrounding cliff sides. It was quite possibly the most beautiful area I have seen in Mauritania. About 30 minutes before our departure the land owner visited with Alexis and Jessica. He explained to them that the price for our stay was not 700 a piece, but 1500. The price of 700 was for an hour, 1500 was for the day. The girls explained the situation to me and I devised a plan. I would stay behind while the others made their way to the car. I would then hand the over the money for the original price of 700 a piece. If he argued I would say that we had been told that the price was 700 and didn’t bring enough to pay more. Well, as you can imagine, the plan backfired. As the others made their way to the car the owner walked out with a receipt for our stay. He was willing to put it down on paper which is a clear sign that the price he stated was the correct one. I made a brief effort at my argument and the owner, seeing my plan for what it was, took off running after the others. In the end we paid the full 1500 a piece. I’m still not sure if we got the shaft, but I do suspect he was being honest. The problem is that being a foreigner here means you have to constantly be on your guard. Everyone appears the thief and even when you are quoted the correct price you suspect faulty goods. Our best solution is to use the few stores we know to not cheat us. They distinguish us from the tourists and give us a fair price.

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