Sencillo wars

Sencillo in spanish means simple, or in Peru it means change. I have heard this word so many times since coming here and appropriately so as every day is a battle in what I call the sencillo war. The currency in Peru is el Nuevo Sol which comes in denominations of 1,5,10,20,50 centimo coins, 1,2,5 sol coins, and then 10,20,50,100,200 sol bills. Now as you can see, most all transactions can thus be done in coins, since you have a 5 sol coins, and a good meal here will only cost you 4 soles. The thing that makes my life a living hell is that everybody thinks they are entitled to hold on to their change and since ATMs only disperse 50s and 100s, I am always battling to hold on to my sencillo. Its such a strategic thing because even paying with a 20 sol bill for a 4 sol meal is sometimes considered out of line. I cant tell you the number of times that I have offered to pay for a meal with some bill only to get the response, "sencillo, senor" now imagine the way a 5 year old asks her daddy for some candy and thats the tone that this plea usually comes in. Hell, even in supermarkets where you would think it wouldnt be a problem I have been sencillo slapped. The other day I tried to pay with a 100 at Wong (the local supermarket) for about a 12 sol purchase and I was flat out rejected, she sent me to another register. Not to mention, dont even try to pay anything but exact change with a taxi because not only do they usually only manage to have 1 oe 2 soles on them, but also if they do manage to give you change it is very likely to be fake sencillo. Yes ladies and gentelman I have run into fake one sol coins, which as you may have figured is the equivalent of going through the trouble of making a fake quarter. Alas, I have gotten better at fighting the sencillo war and have learned to stockpile my sencillo like ammunition, because it is essentially priceless. I have also learned to do things like taxi drivers do to get change for my 100s, which is get the goods first and then pull out that staggering 100 bill. The other day I had a taxi driver buy 6 sol of gas and pay with my 100 so he could get change. The gast attendant, obviously not amused retaliated with a stern look and 96 sol in change in COINS. Its a bitter war that I and all other residents of Peru fight each and every day with no end in sight.