Falling Prices

How much does this cost? 40,000 Dong? 30,000 Dong? 20,000 Dong? All of the above. 

A funny thing happens in Vietnam. When we first go to a new food stall, or veggie stand, or roadside fruit vendor (or any place that does not post prices), we inevitably get ripped off some. This mark up in price is what we call the "white price." If we were able to speak Vietnamese better than we do we could certainly talk to the merchant and tell them that we are well aware that they are over charging us. Unfortunately, our Vietnamese vocab is still on par with that of a six month old baby. Luckily, there is a way around the white price. All you have have to do is continue to go back to the place that overcharged you and you will see the prices drop.

This morning we swung by a noodle shop close to our house for breakfast. We have been to this place a couple of times and really enjoy it. We like it even more because we feel that it is very cheap but high quality. Every time that we have visited this noodle stand the price of our meal (and we get the same thing every time) has dropped by 50 cents. We thought that we were getting a great deal the first time we ate there but our customer loyalty and getting overcharged in the past is is now paying us back. Today we paid the same price as the Vietnamese couple next to us. Victory.