Shopping in the Old City of Jerusalem is a fascinating experience because there are so many exotic sights to see and so many new and tantalizing fragrances to smell. As you walk the narrow lanes and alleyways you pass platters of mouth-watering Oriental foods and gaze hungrily at the unusual goods which line the shelves. Hand-carved wooden camels, silver jewelry, beautiful Oriental blouses and skirts, one striking crucifix after another, Armenian tiles and plates, even a decorative Star of David! But how much should you give the shopkeeper? Should you pay what he asks, or should you try your hand at bargaining the merchant down? This is the Middle East, so of course you will want to haggle a bit. In order to bargain you need to know something about the culture here, the customs, and the way that people banter. Then - and only then - will you come away with really reduced prices.

Ready to study the art of bargaining? Here we go!

First of all, remember that it is legitimate to bargain. You are not being discourteous if you do not agree to the price suggested by the merchant. Just politely make an offer. Here is an example of a negotiation in which everyone comes out on top. Let's say you want to buy one of the beautiful chess sets you see in the stores. You ask the price. The shopkeeper says: "One hundred dollars." You can assume that he doubled the price because you look like a tourist, so you answer: "I can spend only fifty dollars on it, is that ok with you?" The merchant will then answer: "For you - seventy dollars!" Now it is your turn to give a little. Raise the price you have offered and tell him, for example,"How about fifty-five?" He then reduces his offer and suggests you pay sixty-five.

Now it is your turn again. If you want to bring this to a successful conclusion, make a new offer. You might say sixty, or maybe fifty-six. (It is up to you to decide whether to raise your offer by one dollar or by five). At the end of this long (and pleasurable) exchange, you meet somewhere in the middle between his high offer of one hundred dollars and your low offer of fifty dollars. The final result depends on how patient and friendly you are. A long negotiation can take hours, with a lot of small talk in between suggestions. Meanwhile, the merchant might offer you a cup of coffee or tea, tell you about his family and ask about yours, and if you are in no hurry, this can be a real experience - giving you a taste of Oriental culture. You may find bargaining so much fun that you try haggling outside of the Old City. However, in most parts of Jerusalem prices are fixed in advance and even displayed on each piece of merchandise. This is great for consumers who want to compare prices, but isn't much fun for tourists who like interactive shopping.

Beware of tricks

I don't really think that there are more con artists in the Old City than there are in the New. On the contrary, perhaps, modern marketing and advertising are as "tricky" as can be... taking advantage of our emotions, trying to convince us to buy products that we don't really want. But there are a few ploys common to the Old City that you should look out for as you wander through the streets:

1. Someone asks for help. You may be stopped and asked to write something down for him in English (or German, or Japanese) because he doesn't know the language. You are asked to accompany this person to his shop, which is usually off the main tourist track - not on the well-traveled streets of the Old City bazaar. There he hands you a pen and paper and asks you to write something out for him. While in the shop you are exposed to the merchandise on his shelves, and as a result of his "con" you spend more time there than in some other shop that you might have preferred.

The merchant might try to make friends with you, by asking you personal questions and telling you something about himself. Before you become aware of this emotional manipulation, he'll be offering you his wares "for a special price" that he "only gives to personal friends". Only later will you discover that what you bought (or didn't buy) was definitely NOT a bargain, and that your help wasn't needed. Most people, including myself, may realize what has happened only after some time has passed, and then we feel cheated and misused.

1. The beautiful beggar. On the steps leading from Mamilla Street to Jaffa Gate, you will probably pass a miserable woman sitting in the hot sun with an insect-ridden baby in her lap. Of course you feel terribly sorry for these poor women and babies and offer them money. This may be especially true because the beggar-woman, in her Oriental clothes, looks so positively Biblical!

We have all been taken in by these wretched-looking women and infants. I, too, have given them money, only to learn much later, on a television expose, that the women may have more money than the merchants in the bazaar! The babies are often not their own, instead they are hired out from other women.

Of course it isn't such a bad thing to give money to a beggar, but just think how these babies are being abused! This is a very real dilemma. On one hand, you may be giving money to someone who makes more than you do. And, at the same time, you are aiding and abetting child abuse. But perhaps the baby and the "beautiful beggar" are the only breadwinners in their families. They may be supporting two whole families! Please tell JerusalemShoppe what you think of this situation. Write to ear@jerusalemshoppe.com.

1. The man with the red ribbons. This particular trick usually takes place in the Jewish quarter of the Old City, or just outside of Dung Gate. A young man with a bunch of red ribbons approaches you, and before you understand what is going on he ties a red ribbon on your wrist, murmurs some prayer, and asks you for a donation. If you hesitate and question him, he'll claim that the donation is for needy families. If you ask WHICH families, he may become really aggressive. This, of course, makes you doubt his motives. You might do best just to avoid anyone holding red ribbons. . . (sometimes they look more like shoelaces, but they are definitely RED!)
2. The boys who sell you postcards. This trick is not unique to Jerusalem's Old City. Many people say that the kids selling postcards in the streets are pickpockets. I, myself, have not seen them picking anyone's pocket, but a little extra caution can't hurt!
3. Holy Water. As you enter the Old City through the Lions' Gate and walk down the Via Dolorosa you will see quite a number of churches on your right side. It happened there. I walked there one day, accompanied by my brother and a girlfriend of mine, and right after we entered the Old City approached a big house on the right. When we walked past, the door was open and I was curious and looked inside. There was a big dark hall and a door into a cellar where there was light. While I just looked inside a man appeared out of the darkness and invited me to come inside. He said the place was Mary's birthplace.

We entered the inner room. There was no sign demanding payment. We came into a small dark room with candles everywhere. It looked like a cave. As soon as we were inside the man blocked the door with his body. He forced candles into our hands and in no time he was spraying water upon us and calling: "Holy water, holy water!" We didn't like the scene and wanted to leave, but then the man told us he wanted money. My girlfriend gave him a few Shekel although she really didn't want to give him anything, but then he said he wouldn't accept so little money and hinted to a plate that contained two 100 shekel bills – probably to show people how much he expected. It was really hard to get outside and really frightening because he didn't want to let us go out of the door. Thinking back to it, we were really lucky to be three. I still doubt if this house is really Mary's birthplace. None of my travellers' guides mentioned it. So enjoy your curiosity when visitng in Jerusalem, but also beware this trick.