Got up early to get the bus to Tel Aviv at 10.00. The journey was quite interesting: the terrain is incredibly hilly around Jerusalem and very green. It was a bit like the Alps in some parts.
We had a nice surprise on the way from the bus station to the youth hostel. We decided we had better change our shekels to dollars at the bank before it shut. Unfortunately we were unable to buy foreign currency with them! The cashier recommended the black market as an alternative. About 20 yards down the street from the bank, the black market came to us. Three scruffy old blokes sold us $470 for 1190 NIS.
On arrival at the "Home Hostel", we came to the unfortunate conclusion that every last dollar was counterfeit. We'd paid 600 shekels each for a bundle of monopoly money! I wasn't too badly off, as my largest denomination was $20; but Olly had two $100 bills to get rid of.
Tel Aviv Beach.
Anyway, in the evening we walked to "Murphy's" bar for a few beers and we asked the barman's opinion. He said that they were all dud, but very good forgeries. They are printed on proper money paper for a start. Later in the evening, when we had drunk our way through more than 40 shekels, he even accepted $5 for a couple of pints.
For the second half of the evening I spoke to a really attractive Israeli girl who recognised us from the hostel, and worked at Murphy's behind the bar. I imagine she was quite relieved when business picked up and she was too busy to talk to me. I cannot remember a thing of what I said to her; probably complete bollocks I shouldn't wonder.
At about midnight I realised for sure that she was definitely not going to speak to me any more so I decided to walk back to the hostel. As I stepped outside the bar I heard Olly's voice beckoning me from the other side of the road. He explained how he had parted with all his dollars in return for an English guy's passport, on the understanding that he would come back in an hour with pound sterling. It seemed, by this stage, that the owner of the passport did not wish to claim it, preferring to keep hold of Olly's $250.
Olly tore up the passport and walked home feeling really chuffed with his lot.
We had a nice surprise on the way from the bus station to the youth hostel. We decided we had better change our shekels to dollars at the bank before it shut. Unfortunately we were unable to buy foreign currency with them! The cashier recommended the black market as an alternative. About 20 yards down the street from the bank, the black market came to us. Three scruffy old blokes sold us $470 for 1190 NIS.
On arrival at the "Home Hostel", we came to the unfortunate conclusion that every last dollar was counterfeit. We'd paid 600 shekels each for a bundle of monopoly money! I wasn't too badly off, as my largest denomination was $20; but Olly had two $100 bills to get rid of.
Tel Aviv Beach.Anyway, in the evening we walked to "Murphy's" bar for a few beers and we asked the barman's opinion. He said that they were all dud, but very good forgeries. They are printed on proper money paper for a start. Later in the evening, when we had drunk our way through more than 40 shekels, he even accepted $5 for a couple of pints.
For the second half of the evening I spoke to a really attractive Israeli girl who recognised us from the hostel, and worked at Murphy's behind the bar. I imagine she was quite relieved when business picked up and she was too busy to talk to me. I cannot remember a thing of what I said to her; probably complete bollocks I shouldn't wonder.
At about midnight I realised for sure that she was definitely not going to speak to me any more so I decided to walk back to the hostel. As I stepped outside the bar I heard Olly's voice beckoning me from the other side of the road. He explained how he had parted with all his dollars in return for an English guy's passport, on the understanding that he would come back in an hour with pound sterling. It seemed, by this stage, that the owner of the passport did not wish to claim it, preferring to keep hold of Olly's $250.
Olly tore up the passport and walked home feeling really chuffed with his lot.
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