Shopping in the Old City
If you're looking for odd merchandise, shopping in the Old City is about as much fun as you can have. As long as you don't mind dealing with merchants who want to show you everything, and guys who ask where you're from, to see your eyes, and various other stupid things when you're clearly walking away from them. :)
Nari and I didn't get off the bus at the right time, and ended up at the Givat Ram campus in far Western Jerusalem, and had to take another bus to the Gate. Stupid, but at least we've seen a little more.
We did the walking tour on the ramparts, which you pay a few shekels for at Jaffa Gate and then can freely walk all the way down the top of the western and southern walls, which gives you a great view of Western Jerusalem, the Mount of Olives, and Dormition Abbey, the church in the Armenian Quarter where the Virgin Mary fell into her deep sleep. Unfortunately, you can't see that much of the Old City from the ramparts, because there are some old buildings in the way, probably old military housing from the various occupations of the city. I know I posted before about how slippery the limestone is. Well, the ramparts are definitely limestone and definitely old, because I skinned my hand grabbing onto the rail after I lost my footing on the steps.
Anyways, Kristy would be proud of me, because I bargained like nobody's business. I got a little vase made from Hebron glass that's very pretty but the guy said it was 180 shekels at first, and both Nari and I looked at each other like "bull****." Eventually he gave it to me for 65, or about 20 bucks. I think I got the courage from Nari, who although very nice can be mean when she thinks she's being ripped off.
Nari got Arabic coffee and didn't know you're not supposed to drink all the way down to the bottom. The expression on her face was pretty classic when she got down to the dregs. When she went to pay the guy, he told her five shekels, when the guy who had pointed us to the place said two. Nari started protesting, saying how his friend had said two shekels, and he said "What friend? I have no friends." It was pretty funny. Nari won in the end.
Nari and I didn't get off the bus at the right time, and ended up at the Givat Ram campus in far Western Jerusalem, and had to take another bus to the Gate. Stupid, but at least we've seen a little more.
We did the walking tour on the ramparts, which you pay a few shekels for at Jaffa Gate and then can freely walk all the way down the top of the western and southern walls, which gives you a great view of Western Jerusalem, the Mount of Olives, and Dormition Abbey, the church in the Armenian Quarter where the Virgin Mary fell into her deep sleep. Unfortunately, you can't see that much of the Old City from the ramparts, because there are some old buildings in the way, probably old military housing from the various occupations of the city. I know I posted before about how slippery the limestone is. Well, the ramparts are definitely limestone and definitely old, because I skinned my hand grabbing onto the rail after I lost my footing on the steps.
Anyways, Kristy would be proud of me, because I bargained like nobody's business. I got a little vase made from Hebron glass that's very pretty but the guy said it was 180 shekels at first, and both Nari and I looked at each other like "bull****." Eventually he gave it to me for 65, or about 20 bucks. I think I got the courage from Nari, who although very nice can be mean when she thinks she's being ripped off.
Nari got Arabic coffee and didn't know you're not supposed to drink all the way down to the bottom. The expression on her face was pretty classic when she got down to the dregs. When she went to pay the guy, he told her five shekels, when the guy who had pointed us to the place said two. Nari started protesting, saying how his friend had said two shekels, and he said "What friend? I have no friends." It was pretty funny. Nari won in the end.
1 Comments:
Bargaining is a way of life & an attitude you have to embrace to be successful. It's great that you can get in the spirit. You are having some great experiences. Keep up the good writing. Also, a request - pictures of normal things, like your apartment, the campus, etc. Love, Mom
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