Travel. O.seas. The Gypsies of Prague

The Gypsies of Prague.
After spending two wonderful weeks exploring the wonders of Turkey, another two travelling though Germany there was still time to spend a few days in the beautiful city of Prague in the Czech Republic.
This visit was a complete opposite to a previous visit under Communist ruling. With little change to it’s beauty, old landmarks like St. Vitus Cathedral and St. Nicholas Church with their huge spires dominating the landscape. Charles Bridge, a walk in history as you pass the thirty statues and sculptures that make the background for hundreds of souvenir stalls, my favourite being the oil and watercolour paintings.
In the old town square is the 15th century Town Hall and astronomical clock, which still puts on a wonderful display of clockwork figures which enact an hourly timely story. Wenceslas Square is the main central Avenue of the city with fashionable hotels, stores, office buildings and many sidewalk cafes, Mc Donald’s fast foods is discreetly settled behind lovely old façade’s.
The Czech Republic is the home of my ancestors so it a special place for me, I love it’s beauty and ponder over the facts that many of my ancestors had also admired the unspoilt and historical culture of a century ago.
My Hotel was about ten kilometres out of the central city and was easily reached by the speedy underground railway network. Each day I made the journey home after a full sightseeing program.
This particular day I decided to redeem some traveller’s cheques, changing them into 500 Deutsch Marks for my return to Germany.
I caught an evening train back to my hotel, which was packed with workers returning home and only standing room was available. I soon became aware of three young males surrounding me very closely but making no eye contact. At the next station I was forcibly taken from the train and swiftly shoved around the dark side of the building where they all immediately began to handle me roughly, punching and kicking me until I fell to the ground, a heavy boot connected with my head and I seem to drift in and out of an unconscious state. As I recovered a bit, one of the thugs showed me a flick knife and he proceeded to draw blood from my throat area, he was speaking a strange language, which made the scene worse trying to understand what he wanted. I knew by his anger that I was in real danger for my life. He ripped my shirt open to expose my money belt, unzipped it and stole money and a credit card. After a few more fists to my face and kicks to my body, they departed when another train came into the station.

It took sometime to return to reality and realising the thieves had taken my money and credit card I staggered back to the platform and waited for the next train.
Back at the hotel the receptionist was very helpful, cancelling my credit card, not that it would be any good to them as it had my photo on it, she gave instructions of how to go to a small police station close by. Luckily I had left my passport and tickets in the room safe of the hotel. I realised that the thieves had missed the inside zip of my money belt where there was another 500 Deutsch Marks.
The officers at the police station were not very interested in my problem and could only communicate in broken English, I did understand that they were getting hundreds of theft complaints every day and most were victims of Gypsies from other countries but were very sympathetic in my problem.
On returning home, my insurance policy claim covered my loss of money and a new shirt but of course nothing could help the dramatic experience of being assaulted and robbed. Luck was on my side, the credit card had not been used but it took a long time for me to put aside the nightmares of this horrible experience.