We struggle with the machines that give out RER passes. Finally get the passes, then the passes don't work. Maybe because I was swiping the receipt and not the actual pass. They look so much alike, LOL. Duh moment over, then I'm trying to squeeze my big 'ol suitcases through those little 'ol pass-throughs. The others on the other side waiting, and laughing a little too.
That's done, we get on the RER to Paris!!!! On the ride, you see graffiti on the train and the wall outside. You pass barios. This is a side of Paris that they do not show on TV.
We were going to Les Halles, so we exited the Chatelet Les Halles stop. Man, those doors close fast on the train...we lost 3 of our people who didn't get off in time. So now we have to get to the surface (Chatelet Les Halles is underground) so that we can try to find them, hoping they got off on the next stop...and most of our phones do not work.
Now we have 7 dummies trying to find the exit (you learn the word sortie really fast). We found an exit, but it was not the correct exit and ended up having to climb three levels of stairs trying to carry our overpacked American-sized luggage. That was fun. But it was a beautiful day!
We get to the surface, finally, and find our hotel easily enough. Thankfully it was right next to the metro. Now we have to try to find our lost lambs. Luckily one of them was really smart and with the one phone we could get to work was able to get the others to the hotel...but we cannot check in until 3p. The hotel (Citadines Les Halles) let us leave our luggage in a secured room until check in, so we decide to go to a cafe and eat.
How am I right now? Let's see, my stomach hurts from having to smell the bathrooms all night. I'm tired because I couldn't even relax in my crappy seat and I'm irritated because the Currency Exchange robbed me and I had to carry those heavy suitcases up all those stairs. Basically, I'm already exhausted. But I'm in Paris!
One of our guys had came a few days earlier than us so had got familiar with the neighborhood. Our flight had landed about 11a, it was a little after noon and we couldn't check in until 3p, so he took us to a close cafe next to the Fontaine des Innocents (Fountain of the Innocents).
We are finally getting a chance to take a look around, and that's when it happened....that's when I fell in love.
It wasn't the architecture, not just the architecture...it was the feeling that came over me. For the first time in my life I felt like I belonged somewhere. I felt like I had come home. It was weird and deep.
We get to the cafe. Some of the students have parents that makes WAY more money than us, so they go nuts in the cafe. They are ordering crepes and bottled water and goodness knows what else. My stomach hurt, so I didn't want to eat anything but didn't want to just sit there, so I ordered the only thing I knew how say in French "des pommes frites"...french fries. The guy who had been there before us apparently had a few problems so he had some medicine that while I couldn't read it, the pictures clearly stated it's purpose...it was for upset stomachs and the pics were funny.
We have our extravagant lunch and then get the bill, over 2000 EU...holy smokes. The students go, "so we are splitting this 10 days?". Hecks naw, my fries cost 4.50EU. I paid, I tipped, I left them to pay their big bill.
Here are a few tips I'd like to give at this point:
1. If you fly standby, make sure you are checked-in when your bags are.
2. Do not exchange money at the Currency Exchange, it is easier to use the ATM right next to it and you don't get charged all those fees.
3. Be sure to keep your metro ticket because you cannot get out of the metro station without it. If you lose it, you have to buy another one just to exit the station.
4. Pack lightly. You don't need a lot.
5. Pack comfortable shoes (I'll tell you why in the next blog).
6. Learn to at least pronounce where you will be staying. If you ask a French person how to get to "Lay Halls", they will not know what you are talking about.
7. The tap water is free and very clean. A bottle of wine is cheaper than a bottle of water.
8. Don't be slow getting off the metro.
No comments:
Post a Comment