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July 2005

Paris

Jeremy Koh
2005-11-05 12:16:49

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Our two day Paris trip was almost like an Amazing Race episode. That is because we had limited time and we wanted to squeeze in as many sights as possible. Still, it was a very fun experience and it left us hungry for more.

Anyway, after touching down at Beauvais airport, we got our first taste of the chilly weather when the flight attendants opened the cabin door. Our Ryanair pilot had warned us in mid-flight that a cold front had extended into France, which is why the weather was slightly chilly. How interesting. We go from a heat wave in Italy to a cold front in Paris in summer. Anyway, as we stepped off the plane onto the tarmac of the airport, we had to make a dash to the terminal building because the area was unsheltered and it was raining. The airport itself is simple and nondescript, a no-frills terminal for budget flights after all. After collecting our baggage, Prema and I walked out of the terminal, yes, in the rain, to purchase our �13 bus tickets to downtown Paris. The one hour plus bus ride is pretty uneventful. You'll pass green pastures and... I fell asleep. But you'll catch your first glance of the Eiffel Tower if you manage to stay awake. I saw it because Prema woke me. Anyway we eventually landed up at Porte Malliot.

Our first task of the day was to get to our hostel in the quickest time possible. To do that, we needed to figure out how to use the subway- the metro. Using my limited French, we managed to get ourselves to our hostel, the 3 Ducks Hostel, without a hitch. After we left our backpacks in the hostel, we started heading towards the Eiffel Tower, our first destination of the day. When we booked our hostel, the hostel's website stated that the Eiffel Tower is only ten minutes away. Well, ten minutes away by car probably. By then, we were already famished. We woke up at 4am in Rome to catch our flight and by this time, it was already past one in the afternoon. The street that led to ...