Woah, where AM I?

With the intention of heading to Talpiot to go clothes shopping at my favorite discount clothing store, I waited at the bus stop pretty sure that one would take me there. The first bus that rolled up, I asked the bus driver if it went to Talpiot and he shook his head no. The girl behind me pointed to the bus waiting behind and said "this one goes to Talpiot." Thanking her over my shoulder, I ran back to hop on the awaiting bus. 

Never trust strangers at the bus stop. 

What should have been a five minute bus ride to a neighbourhood I have been to lots before (except we used to walk there from our old apartment), turned into a 30 minute doodily-doop through back streets. 

I kept checking the signs on the bus stops we passed and they all said "Talpiot" so I figured the bus would eventually doodily-doop back to the neighborhood I wanted. 

When the whole double-length bus emptied, I knew I had got it wrong. 

I asked the bus driver and he just shook his head and said "Lamma lo shalact li?" Why didn't you ask me?

I was truly in the boon-boons of Jerusalem. The driver gave me a complicated way to get where I wanted using two different busses, heading all the way to the south-west corner of Jerusalem and back in again. Furthermore, I only half understood his instructions. So I decided to nod and pretend I understood and then pull the plug and hail a cab.

But, where the hell was I? 

On my way to a promising looking street to find a cab, I realized I was on the top of hill with an amazing look out. 

Woah, where AM I?

There, far in the distance, I saw a golden dome, a dome surrounded by walls and I the knew I was far, far away from the old city and even farther away from the house.

Lucky for you guys, I had my camera and made some lemonade out of my geographically confused lemons. 

Two years ago, this kind of misadventure without a map would have been terrifying. Now it is mildly amusing, knowing that I can easily get myself out of such a mess.  

I hailed a cab, told the driver in Hebrew where I wanted to go, clarified which mall I wanted when he asked, requested he turn the meter on, and I made it to my destination unscathed.