Barabas' Followers

I was about 100 metres into the Old City when the zip on my handbag was deftly opened, and my wallet taken.

But while getting 10/10 for sleight of hand, the pickpocket doesn't get a passing grade. His only chance (about 20 seconds long) came while in view of a security cam, and so the police will get him (eventually). He's well-known to them.

This does rather complicate life though. All my Israeli currency, and a good proportion of my Australian currency is gone, as is my credit card. Paying for stage I of my journey is taken care of. Stage II, Thailand, I have a problem with, as there was a mixup regarding my travel insurance.

And I lost one of my favourite earrings after getting back to the hotel too.

I'll write more later, when I'm a little more composed. I will say though that the members of the Israeli police force that have helped me were not just efficient, but kind too. They did everything they could to help, offering sandwiches, putting on ethnic music, and going well beyond the "call of duty" standard. If I hadn't have lost so much, I never would have met them.

Who else do you make Sergeant of the police station that attempts to stop Syrian, Coptic, Orthodox (Greek) Orthodox (Russian) from beating each other up, but a Circassian Muslim? That makes sense in Jerusalem.

It's really difficult believing Israel is an "apartheid state" when you have to go to an Israeli Arab bakery to get Pita bread. Today is Shabat (Saturday - but Sunday in Canberra), you see, and everywhere else is closed. *sigh*