Actually I don’t really want to include Paris in my trip to Europe. But because this is my first time here, I want to see for myself how this city, which is called the city of love, is considered overrated among travelers.
From Prague, again I took the bus to Paris. It’s a long 12 hour journey. However, because this is a night bus and quite comfortable, it doesn’t really matter.
Arriving in Paris, to be precise at the Porte Maillot bus terminal, I immediately looked for transportation to the center of the city. Luckily the subway station is not too far from the terminal.
But just entering the station, I was almost fooled by ticket brokers. Scams plus scammers too.
He used a fake ID card and claimed to be an information officer. I was suspicious because he was not wearing a uniform and after showing the ID card, he immediately put it back in his jacket pocket.
The scalper offered to help buy a travel pass for transportation in Paris for almost double the price. Luckily I was able to google it (luckily I have a portable modem that I rented from Jakarta) and made sure to return it to the clerk at the counter.
The condition of the station which is very full makes it easy to act. Failing to outsmart me, he headed straight for his next target. I also only bought a single ticket at the direct counter because it was only one night here.
I arrived in Paris still around 8 in the morning. The streets are very quiet, there is no meaningful activity. It was raining in Paris that morning. From the Montparnasse train station, I had to walk about a kilometer.
After dropping my suitcase at the hostel, I rushed to my main destination: the Eiffel Tower!
The metro (subway) in Paris for a single ticket is 1.9 euros. Far near. Quite expensive if we only want to walk only 2-3 stations. So I decided to take a walk while looking for breakfast.
What I like about Europe is that although there are not many street food vendors, many cafes have outdoor seating on the side of the road. It looks good, but when it’s cold, like me, when it’s winter to spring, it won’t last long outside.
It rained. Luckily I was inside the cafe while enjoying a warm croissant and cappuccino for 5 euros. It’s been raining for a long time. Some people are already busy reading books and writing with notebooks. I’m the only one who messes with playing with a cellphone that’s plugged into a powerbank.
One of the things I love about Paris is that the pastries are delicious! Just pick a random shop on the street, most of them will taste great imho!
After relaxing for a while at the cafe, it was still drizzling. But I continued my journey to Eiffel. I also accidentally passed the Flame of Liberty, which accidentally became a memorial to Lady Diana, the British princess who died in a car accident in 1997 in the tunnel just below this monument.
From here, it was increasingly clear that Eiffel was on the other side of the Seine. Unfortunately, it was still drizzling and the sky was still covered with gray clouds.
The closer to the Eiffel, the more crowded people became. After arriving in front of the eiffel, it is more like a market under the Sutet tower.
Many hawkers offer typical eiffel merchandise such as key chains and miniatures. This merchant every time he saw us would scream, “Cheap, cheap, cheap, come on, cheap, cheap….!”
In fact, I hear the words “Ni hao Ni hao…” more often, coming out of the mouths of sellers than “Bonjour…”. There are so many tourists from all over the world here. Be careful with the sellers here. If you really don’t want to buy, don’t even try. Bracelets, for example. They will force you to pay for it
For me, there is nothing so special about the Eiffel Tower. During the day he looks just like a giant scrap metal. If it’s night and seen from a distance, I admit it’s charming.
Here you have to be careful. Lots of scams and pickpockets. Make sure your belongings are safe in your bag, especially important items like your passport. Around the Eiffel also many people play to guess the position of the ball that is randomized in several glasses. Of course in the form of a bet that you will definitely lose because he will cheat!
In the afternoon, I visited another famous Paris icon, namely the Louvre Museum, which became a lot of shooting locations for these famous films.
Well anyway, maybe because it’s been more than two weeks walking in Europe I’m quite tired and not doing much in Paris. Although some of the posts above I have a little italics about Paris, this city is still fun. Depends from which angle you look at it. But there’s nothing wrong with being careful. Especially in other countries.
From Paris I went to Amsterdam to return to Jakarta. See you soon Europe!
