In the early 2000s, Ally, Russell, and I touched down in Bolivia, eager to explore the high-altitude wonders of the Andes. We had been traveling for quite some time and our supplies of foreign currency were dangerously low. I was relieved and delighted to find an ATM in the airport that claimed to dispense US Dollars.
I withdrew $700 in crisp $100 notes, feeling a sudden surge of financial security.
A while later, we were at a travel agent's office, excitedly booking a tour of the Salar de Uyuni—the famous salt flats. We were even planning to stay in the legendary salt hotel, built entirely from blocks of salt. When it came time to pay, I confidently slid a $100 note across the desk.
The travel agent picked it up, glanced at it, and looked at me with a mix of confusion and pity.
"Sorry sir," she said, "we require US Dollars, Euros, or Pounds. We don't accept Monopoly money."
I was stunned. "What do you mean, Monopoly money?"
She handed the note back to me. Sure enough, as I fanned through the stack from the ATM, the truth revealed itself: the machine had dispensed $400 in genuine US currency, but the remaining $300 was literally play money—brightly colored, high-stakes Monopoly bills. I had been so relieved to see the cash that I hadn't even thought to verify the authenticity of the "hundreds."
We tried everything to resolve the issue with the bank and the airport authorities, but we never got a cent back. It was an expensive, hard-earned lesson. I kept those Monopoly notes for years as a physical reminder: in a world of illusions, always check the "currency" you’re being handed.
0 comments:
Post a Comment