India's Taj Mahal slams door on weak U.S. dollar

[Vegas]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5424504.html

NEW DELHI — In yet another troubling sign for the greenback, at least one of the seven wonders of the world is now off limits if you have only U.S. currency in your pocket.

India's tourism minister said today that the dollar will no longer be accepted at the Taj Mahal and other national tourist sites.

For years tourists visiting most sites in India were charged either $5, or 250 rupees.

After falling 11 percent in 2007, hitting nine-year lows to hover around 39 rupees, the dollar is out.

Charging only rupees now seems more practical and will save tourists money because "the dollar was weaker against the rupee," Tourism Minister Ambika Soni told the CNN-IBN news channel.

"Before the dollar lost its value, there was a demand to have (admission tickets) just in rupees," he added.

The Taj Mahal, India's famed white marble monument to love, began refusing dollars in November.

It means just one more place where American tourists will have to shell out more money — now nearly $20.

And it's likely to get worse in booming India.

"We expect a slight appreciation of the rupee to continue, although it won't be as dramatic as last year," said Agam Gupta, head of foreign exchange trading at Standard Chartered Bank in India.

The dollar has fallen against most major currencies, and it has lost ground against the rupee due to an influx of foreign capital, Gupta said.

The dollar hit record lows of $1.4967 against the euro on Nov. 23, the weakest since that currency began trading in 1999, and was down against almost every major currency today.
http://images.chron.com/photos/2007/07/07/9369732/311xInlineGallery.jpg

[IBC]

Fuckin' liberals.

[Jiddy78]

I read this one this morning...I was gonna post it but got lazy. More of the same.

It sucks to become Mexico II.

[Vegas]

I read this one this morning...I was gonna post it but got lazy. More of the same.

It sucks to become Mexico II.

What determines standard of living again?

[Jiddy78]

What determines standard of living again?

Millions of dead in the generations after yours fighting back for a fraction of what you consumed....

[Vegas]

Millions of dead in the generations after yours fighting back for a fraction of what you consumed....

Wrong. It's all about productivity and we're still getting that done.

[Jiddy78]

Wrong. It's all about productivity and we're still getting that done.

I agree. How's work right now?

[Vegas]

I agree. How's work right now?

I'm busy.

[Hotpapa666]

Look on the bright siide. India is a fucking shit hole that isn't even remotely worth visiting. I spent five days there around Christmas time and it is hell on earth. On the otherside, when Hell won't take your money, your money ain't worth much.

[swordfish]

Look on the bright siide. India is a fucking shit hole that isn't even remotely worth visiting. I spent five days there around Christmas time and it is hell on earth. On the otherside, when Hell won't take your money, your money ain't worth much.

So basically there is no place on earth that is worth a damn. Which country would you like to live in? Venezuela? India has plenty of rich history and site seeing. I have started to notice a trend that is non-satisfaction. There is a large amount of people that will never be happy, not even with steak and blowjob day. They will complain it was a little toothy. These complaints fall on deaf ears. It is like the boy who cried wolf. I, for one, am pretty tired of your constant negative remarks about the whole world.

You know the difference between a liberal and a new born baby?

The baby stops crying.

[Hotpapa666]

So basically there is no place on earth that is worth a damn. Which country would you like to live in? Venezuela? India has plenty of rich history and site seeing. I have started to notice a trend that is non-satisfaction. There is a large amount of people that will never be happy, not even with steak and blowjob day. They will complain it was a little toothy. These complaints fall on deaf ears. It is like the boy who cried wolf. I, for one, am pretty tired of your constant negative remarks about the whole world.

You know the difference between a liberal and a new born baby?

The baby stops crying.

No, there are plenty of places worth a damn. Plenty worth more than a damn.

You make a comment about India and it's rich history and site seeing. Wanna know what I saw in Inda? Piles and piles of garbage, some of it burning, some of it not. Goats, some of them "tame" some of them not. Cows, wandering the streets. Dogs, eating piles of garbage along side cats, hey, that's peace, right? How about the thick haze of pollution that I saw hang over both cites that I visited? I didn't just see that, I got to fucking breath it and it burned my eyes for days. Want to walk through pot holes in red clay? Go to India. Want paved streets or sidewalks, stay home. Hey, how about the piles of human shit that I saw in the train station about ever ten feet on the tracks? Sound like tourist attractions to you? Oh, yeah, the history, well, the fundamentalist Hindus have control of the temples and they don't let any non-Hindus in. So book your flights now!

[swordfish]

So America is OK after all.

[Hotpapa666]

So America is OK after all.

Who said it wasn't?

Because India, as one of the people I met from India said "is hell", he worked in communications and proudly said "I sell communications in hell", doesn't mean that America is perfect. It certainly doesn't mean so for all of the banks, software, and Com. companies who are moving American jobs there, at a fraction of the cost, does it?

[swordfish]

OK and perfect are hardly the same.

[Hotpapa666]

OK and perfect are hardly the same.

So what's your point? You are trying to play one of these little games where you make broad statements, wait for someone to react and then make an even broader statement...

[swordfish]

So what's your point? You are trying to play one of these little games where you make broad statements, wait for someone to react and then make an even broader statement...

Broad statements like India is hell? My overall point is that many people will talk shit about USA all the time, and then when they go to other countries they can't stop talking about how good we have it here. It is either one way or the other. Sure you can have disagreements with policy but your overall tone is one of anger and contempt for USA.

[Hotpapa666]

Broad statements like India is hell? My overall point is that many people will talk shit about USA all the time, and then when they go to other countries they can't stop talking about how good we have it here. It is either one way or the other. Sure you can have disagreements with policy but your overall tone is one of anger and contempt for USA.


Well shucks, there is a hell of all of a lot of difference between the US and India, no? That doesn't make calling India a shit hole, an aforemation that the US is paradise as you would like to imply.

India is a thrid world country which provides very few services to it's citizens. The US is centuries above them.

The contempt that you read is the fabric of your imagination.

[swordfish]

Well shucks, there is a hell of all of a lot of difference between the US and India, no? That doesn't make calling India a shit hole, an aforemation that the US is paradise as you would like to imply.

India is a thrid world country which provides very few services to it's citizens. The US is centuries above them.

The contempt that you read is the fabric of your imagination.

So you don't constantly lambast the USA?

[Hotpapa666]

So you don't constantly lambast the USA?

Nope.