Often, what feels like being scammed while traveling is just information asymmetry at play — a vendor knows the local price, you don't. The "ignorance gap" makes the difference.

This travel journal explores these kinds of economic observations as I traverse Ghana🇬🇭, Togo🇹🇬 and Benin🇧🇯.

🚕 Economics lives in taxi queues: Upon exiting the airport, I was quoted £17 to get into town. I opened Uber — £5. I showed the driver, his price dropped. Information asymmetry collapsed the moment I had a reference price — shifted bargaining power from seller to buyer.

🌿 The theory is applicable more widely. I met a researcher today using a similar price discovery logic to help Shea butter farmers here better negotiate with procurers.