Night fell once Neng and I arrived at the Paris Nord, after a two-hour ride in the comfortable Thalys from Antwerp. Finally we are here! In the most romantic city in the world, say those who always glorify Paris and its beauty. The Eiffel Tower, which has been named ‘The Most Famous Tower in The World’ is also considered a symbol of Parisian romance, which makes country (and city) girls in Indonesia make it their dream destination.
” Uh, I really want a photo in front of the Eiffel.” they said. Those who don’t know that maybe Paris isn’t always as beautiful as they dream it to be.
Taking our suitcases off the overhead rack, we hurried off the train and headed straight for the station lobby, before realizing that the station was too big for us, with a few more floors down. Not as beautiful as Antwerp Centraal which was awarded as one of ‘The Most Beautiful Train Stations in The World’, nor as neat and clean as Amsterdam Centraal, because here I found some corners with trash lying around, with lots of people passing by. Partly white, partly black, and a couple of Indonesians on their honeymoon, Neng and I were confused.
It took us a while before we finally found a way to get to our pre-booked hotel, including once getting off the wrong station, twice asking people we met on the way, and pacing back and forth several times due to misreading the map. This was our first night in Paris, and I already had the feeling that Paris doesn’t seem as beautiful as people say.
Apart from the gray skies that accompanied our winter trip in Paris, the following are annoying things that you might also find in Paris.
1. Hotel with an overpriced Eiffel view
Who doesn’t like the view of the room window that directly leads to the Eiffel? Of course, as a honeymooning couple, we really wanted that. Hugging like that in a dark room lit only by the light of the Eiffel lamp, is my life goal .
However, it turned out that the lights at the Eiffel were only on until midnight, and the price paid for the room was not cheap. As an illustration, I got a room price of two million rupiah per night, for a room that is not too spacious, with a pathetic elevator and no breakfast. Plus, with the size of the Eiffel that looks small in the window.
2. Donation Requests Around the Eiffel Tower
“Assalamualaikum.” Greeted a woman wearing a hijab to Neng, as we walked along the Champ de Mars that morning. A woman with clean white skin, somewhat stocky, with a sharp nose and blue eyes, looks like Nabila Syakieb who has failed her diet.
With a friendly, Neng replied, “Waalaikumsalam. Da pa neh klw leh tw? ” and a second later, the woman handed him a piece of paper with tables containing numbers, names, donation amounts, and signatures.
WHY DOES IT SAY LIKE A MOSQUE DONATION IN INDONESIA? Of course, we politely refuse. ” No, thank you .” Even though the woman still insisted on asking by taking out her puppy eyes stance . Luckily I brought my wife, so I wasn’t tempted.
3. Eiffel Tower souvenir hawker
Although at its inception in 1889 the Eiffel Tower received criticism and scorn, but over time, the Eiffel Tower has now grown into a tower with the highest number of tourist visits in the world. Around 6.91 million people climbed it in 2015. Compare with Monas, where Anas Urbaningrum just failed to hang himself there.
When Eiffel became more and more in demand, its souvenirs became much sought after by visiting tourists, especially the Made in China key chain which costs 1 Euro for 5 pieces and can be mixed in color. What really irritates the sellers is the way they sell, which tends to stick with potential buyers.
“ONE EURO GETS FIVE, ONE EURO GETS FIVE! CHEAP CHEAP!” They shouted, in broken Malay. The funny thing is, if you come from the direction of the Champ de Mars, the sellers are mostly ethnic Indians, while if you come from the direction of Jardins du Trocadero, the sellers are mostly Afro people.
4. Con-artists Along the Way to Sacré-Cœur
On the way to Sacré-Cœur, I was able to witness several people huddled around a game being played in the streets. The game is simple, in the form of ‘guess-where-my-ball-is’ where the dealer will place a ball in a closed glass, and shuffle it along with two other glasses. The other participant’s task is to guess where the ball is after the dealer finishes shuffling. If it is correct, the dealer will give money to the participant, and if it is false, the participant’s money will belong to the dealer.
Interesting huh? Yes, if you can win. Dosage huh? It depends, if you lose, it’s a sin, what more if you win.
“Are you speaking English?” The bookie asked me who was watching the game “C’mon, where’s the ball?” he asked, pointing to the glass below. “Here, or here?”
I suspected that this was a trick game, because it seemed like they were a gang that worked to trap tourists, immediately pretended to be stupid and shook their heads. “Sorry, I can’t, sir.”
5. Lucky Charm di Sacred Heart
As I was climbing the stairs to Sacré-Cœur, I was suddenly grabbed by a large black man who swiftly attempted to put a rope bracelet on my hand, “Lucky charm.” he said.
I who was shocked immediately rebuffed his hand with all my might, and tried to quickly run away from that place, “No! No!” . But what can I do, the man still chased me and kept forcing him to put the bracelet on my hand.
“Hey, where are you from?”
I moved away from the man.
“Are you afraid of black people? Hey!”
“Sorry, I have to go, my wife is waiting downstairs.”
Next, I immediately ran away from that place. sour.
6. The Tongsis Sellers
Okay, selfie stick sellers may not seem obnoxious, but for most Indonesians who go for walks, they usually already have their own selfie sticks/ monopods, so there’s no need to buy them again. But apparently, not all sellers understand this, so they are always eager to sell it to us.
“Selfies, selfies!” So said the black man in a thick jacket with a cute light blue tongs in his hand.
“Sorry, but no thanks.” I prefer to use my Go Pro instead.
7. Tourist
Tourists for a country, can actually be said to be like a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it will bring in foreign exchange for the country, while on the other hand it can also cause various problems, such as the cleanliness and tidiness of a city.
In Paris, you will be able to find tourists in every corner of the city, from the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Church, Louvre Museum, even at underground stations. It would be a little annoying if these tourists did something unsightly, such as littering, refusing to wait in line, and taking photos for a long time at a busy tourist attraction, and not paying attention to the people waiting their turn behind them.
But, if it was my wife who asked for a photo, I certainly wouldn’t dare refuse it, instead of not being able to eat well for a year. annoyed.
8. Those who don’t want to be photographed
In contrast to tourists who like to be photographed, there are also locals who don’t want to be photographed, such as book and painting dealers on the banks of the Seine, who often hold out their palms saying “No Photo!” when he found me aiming the lens at him.
Yes, if you want to be determined to keep taking pictures of them, just use a telephoto lens, and take it from a distance. Uh.
9. Street Beggars
Although known as a developed country, it turns out that France also has street beggars! This is something that should make Indonesia proud, because it is somewhat on par with France in terms of poverty. But the difference is, beggars in France are more dapper, clean-skinned, and like well-groomed. Compare this with the beggars in Indonesia who are tattered, pathetic, climbing, and remind me of the case of Marshanda’s biological father. Although indeed, in Indonesia, there are begging as a profession, not because of circumstances.
A thing that often irritates travelers, because it reduces the beauty of a place. Just like the one I saw on Rue de Rivoli, which should be neat with pretty shops in their absence.
10. Long Lines
His name is also a traveling destination for a million people, so it is natural that at some well-known tourism spots there are long snaking queues. For example, the queue to go up the Eiffel Tower that kept us from going up and the queue to enter Angelina Paris, a ‘tea house’ recommended by two of my friends, Alex and Febby.
A recommendation that made Neng immediately urge me to taste the food and drink menu at Angelina. Alex’s suggestion, “Try drinking L’Africain Chocolat and snacking on Mont Blanc pastry there.”.
After waiting in line for almost an hour, we finally made it into the beautiful renaissance -style room before ordering the menu recommended by friends. And, the base of a humble tongue , the hot chocolate tasted too ‘ dark ‘ for me, while the Mont Blanc looked more like getuk lindri on my tongue.
11. People Who Make Love
Its name is a romantic city, so please understand that you will find many couples making love in Paris. Either a different gender, or the same. Either one race, or a different race. Both those who are making out with bullshit, including doing french kisses in public, to those who are still shy. Both those who wear thick clothes in layers, to those that seem to lack materials
