My first stop was Paris. I have been drooling over this city for years. I look at google maps and do a streetview of it all the time. At that time Da Vinci Code was popular and I was just enamored by Dan Brown's description of the Louvre. My vantage point was the Seine River. I try to familiarize myself with its left back and right bank.
My flight took me from Sacramento to Philly to Paris - yes I have to experience taking off and landing more than once which was torture for me. Right across the aisle from me is this girl from California who just got a degree in French Studies or something in New Orleans and she is headed for France to live wtih a family and be a tutor to their child. I was so glad to have met her because she speaks Fluent French :D while I only know "Please, thank you and hello" hehehehe.
My first (mis)adventure was navigating thru CDG airport. There were odd conveyer-like walkways that connects floors at an angle and but we really can't see any elevators so that we can get out hahahaha. We grabbed one of those heavy metal baggage cart and roamed around trying to find information. Trying to get out of CDG.
We went up another level, The Girl, which I think her name is Stephanie pushing her baggage ahead of her through those "walkways" and it was a challenge pushing her heavy luggage upwards. When we got on top, it was a dead end and again, we couldn't find elevators.
"Well, we have to head back where we came from." , said Stephanie.
"Are you sure? Maybe there is an eleveator, that walkway/ramp is pretty steep to get down below." , I said reluctantly eyeing her heavy luggage, heavy metal carrier , the steep ramp-walkway and then at Stephanie's slender frame. The weight of the bagge and luggage cart combined is easily 2-3 times heavier than her weight.
"We'll be fine, come on."
So off we went. I was walking behind her lugging my mini suitcase on wheels ( I packed light) and we ascended up the ramp. I tried to stay behind her, somehow thinking I can just shove her upwards if she starts to roll backward with the weight of her baggage and the cart. But we made the ascent alright with a little huff and puff.
But there was the descent. Walking behind her, I already was having doubts about how this is going to "go down". I also noticed for the first time that Stephanie was wearing open-toed sandals with a wedge heel and I think my eyes never left it because as much as I can still see all of Stephanie, it was those wedged heels that I couldn't take my eyes off. Because I saw the heels just walking in an unhurried pace at the first step. But then Stephanie's steps got faster and faster as she tried to take control of the luggage cart and her suitcases but gravity won.
"ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh" , was all we can say with each hurried step and there I was hopelessly trying to catch up with her so that we both can get a hold of the luggage cart as it pulled Stephanie down the ramp. The steps of the heels of her wedged sandals just kept getting faster and faster and before we knew it there was a crash when Stephanie in the last 3-4 feet of the ramp before hitting an "even" floor let go of the cart and it crashed on some silver metallic barrier which caused the cart to topple over and spreading her suitcases on the floor.
I reached Stephanie a few moments after the crash and she was on her knees out of breath and laughing hysterically and I was laughing hysterically too I was running down the ramp to reach her.
A few moments later two airport employees came walking by and I thought they were going to say something because of the mess and damage we made. They just gave us a look and continued to walk up the ramp we just came from. We probably did not make a good impression - two young women laughing hysterically, one was on her knees, the luggage cart titled over with 2-3 of her big suitcases on the floor. The other doubled up in laughter.
We finally figured out how to get out of CDG and on our way out , met another young woman from The States who said that she will start her new job at some retail store in Paris in a week and she still has not found a place to live but said that she's ok with it and said goodbye to us with a smile.
Thank God for Stephanie's fluent French she was able to read the signs and figured out what transportation we need to take. We boarded a bus then boarded the train. I remember being in the train and looking outside the window and saw graffiti and small urban condos. It still looked foreign though because everything looked smaller.
The train took us to at Arc De Triomphe
Both Stephanie and I don't know the Cab System in Paris. I thought you can just hail them ANYWHERE. Little did we know, you have to go to designated Taxi Station and hail a cab from there. We were trying to hail two or three but the drivers would look at us somberly and shake their head but point somewhere in front of them and we couldn't understand what it was.
A cab dropped off some tourist by the curb and we asked him we he could drop us off our hotels. He was a young man who has a ready smile for us and was very patient and sympathetic about our plight. He gladly loaded our suitcases and took us in. When we drove away , Stephanie and him were chatting in French and I was content to just listen to them. He explained to us the Cab Stations in Paris and that what he did was "illegal" for loading passengers in an undesignated zone. He also said that we took the sun with us in Paris when he found out that we are both from California - aww :). He pointed out a garden that was being renovated and alot of other things.
My hotel was at the right bank and he pointed out a place right across called FLUNCH where I can order food and eat - cafeteria style. Stephanie and I split the fair and I also left a few Euro coins as tip which seem to surprise the cab driver and even gestured "No , no you don't have to." but I insisted. I then learned it wasn't customary to do so but I feel good doing it anyway :). I exchanged emails with Stephanie and thanked our nice cab driver , stepped out of the cab and stood outside my hotel room.
I haven't emailed Stephanie. I don't know what became of her stay in France. I wonder if the young cabbie (who is a handsome fellow) and her kept in touch, I wondered if he offered to show her around :). Either way, I hope everything worked out for everyone.
