Oh the things I had to do to get to Paris.
I missed my train from Brussels, because I didn't have the mind to check the weekend bus schedules in Mechelen. The DeLijn bus stops at IJzerenleen Street every 30 minutes instead of every 15 like it does on weekdays, so I missed it by a couple of minutes. There I was at the bus stop, with a handful of geriatrics and patiently waited.
I was pretty comfortable with hopping on the train from Mechelen to Brussels because of my trip to Antwerp and Rotterdam the week before, but I was going to Brussels Zuid station for the first time and I had no idea how big the place was or how overwhelming it's all going to be when I arrived there. Then there was the mixup between Bruxelles Midi and Brussels Zuid train stations. The names are different--one for French and one for Dutch, but it is one and the same so I was fumbling back and forth from one station to the next, without my glasses on, confused and squinting at every screen in the Station to check the schedules while contemplating on my next move. My train for Paris leaves at 9:17 from Brussels Zuid, and I arrived at the station by 9:23. Of course, I decided to buy another ticket, a flexible one this time and shrugged off my day's worth of per diem. That's 57 Euros down the drain for a Thalys one way ticket.
This was typical of Paris, I imagined. She was elusive, but I still couldn't resist her allure. Despite the setbacks, I was determined to arrive at Gare du Nord station. It felt like I was being rejected by Paris even before she got to know me. She was channeling her preemptive supalpal moves on me, I thought, but that came to pass later on.
As I was crossing the street at Trocadero, I chanced upon this couple speaking in Filipino. For someone who has been trying to find company in a land that hardly spoke English, finding a kababayan is such a pleasant surprise. Even if we just exchange hellos or give a nod of acknowledgement, I find it really nice be running into fellow Filipinos in a foreign country. We ended up saying kumusta and making small talk all the way to the Palais du Chaillot. They've been living in Paris for 13 years already and pretty much knew their way around. They helped me find my hotel and gave me directions on how to get to the nearest metro station. Ate Juliet gave me her number so that I can call her in case of emergency and right then I knew they were my guardian angels in Paris.
I took a photo with this French girl on the train. While I was heading off to Notre Dame, the train suddenly lost power and came into a halt. Of course, I was silently freaking out and she must've noticed so she started talking to me. She said it happens all the time and that the power will come right back up and I don't need to worry. Her gesture was again, quite unexpected based on my pre-conceived notions of Parisians. I know I will never see her again, but I'm glad I took her photo. It feels nice to be meeting single serving friends while traveling.
We started walking and he brought me to a park with awesome street art and sculptures.
Before I knew it, it was time to head back to Gare du Nord and wait for the Thalys train going to Brussels. We went to the second floor of the Station and and watched people for a while. I told him I like in between places like bus terminals, train stations and airports because it's where people leave in anticipation of a new adventure and arrive to come back home. He smiled when I said this to him as if to agree, then my train arrived finally and we bid each other farewell.
As I sank into my seat at the train station, I felt the fatigue coming over me and slept the whole way back to Brussels. While the trip to Paris was really short, I wasn't so sad to leave. I was very grateful for the chance to visit it and get to know it a bit better and even more thankful for the people that I've met along the way. Paris seemed elusive to me at first, but she did treat me well when she met me.
Some tips while in the City:
1. Book your train tickets early! A speed train from Brussels to Paris takes only an hour. I booked my Thalys ticket 5 weeks before my trip and got it for 57 EUR one way. It's a non flexible ticket so make sure not to miss your departure! It also pays to have a printed copy of your ticket. I had a scare before boarding because my phone won't load code until just a few minutes before departure.
2. Get the Mobilis ticket for your train rides. It costs about 6.5 Euros. I made a mistake of getting the book of 10s on my first day which costs about 13 Euros. I thought I was getting a bargain coz a single ride ticket goes for 1.7 EUR, but I learned that you could definitely get more value for your money with the Mobilis.
3. Get a map! My hotel provided a free map of the Metro and the city which I am eternally thankful for. It saved me time and figuring out where to go and which stop to take gave me a sense of direction in this unfamiliar city. Paris' train system is really easy to figure out.
4. Don't freak out when the train suddenly goes to a halt and runs out of power. It happens all the time in Paris. The power goes back on after 10 minutes and you should be on your way to your destination in no time.
5. Find a local who would help you get around. I finally had the courage to use couchsurfing to meet fellow travelers and locals in a city and it has been an eye opening experience for me. Be sure to check their references carefully so as not to end up being face to face with a psycho. I've met two couchsurfers during my stay in Europe and they've been absolutely helpful and friendly. I learned a lot from them and it also gave me a chance to share about the Philippines. Check out www.couchsurfing.org for more info!
I missed my train from Brussels, because I didn't have the mind to check the weekend bus schedules in Mechelen. The DeLijn bus stops at IJzerenleen Street every 30 minutes instead of every 15 like it does on weekdays, so I missed it by a couple of minutes. There I was at the bus stop, with a handful of geriatrics and patiently waited.
I was pretty comfortable with hopping on the train from Mechelen to Brussels because of my trip to Antwerp and Rotterdam the week before, but I was going to Brussels Zuid station for the first time and I had no idea how big the place was or how overwhelming it's all going to be when I arrived there. Then there was the mixup between Bruxelles Midi and Brussels Zuid train stations. The names are different--one for French and one for Dutch, but it is one and the same so I was fumbling back and forth from one station to the next, without my glasses on, confused and squinting at every screen in the Station to check the schedules while contemplating on my next move. My train for Paris leaves at 9:17 from Brussels Zuid, and I arrived at the station by 9:23. Of course, I decided to buy another ticket, a flexible one this time and shrugged off my day's worth of per diem. That's 57 Euros down the drain for a Thalys one way ticket.
I arrived at Gare du Nord at around 12 noon, tired from my travel mishaps, anxious to meet up with my friend who was in the city for the weekend as well. I wandered and searched for bus stops that had 42 on them, because I knew that it was the bus that stops at Tour Eiffel where my hotel was located. A couple of blocks later, I never saw one it so I stopped and recalculated.
My first encounter with a local in Paris. I'm really thankful that my preconceived notions of Parisians was proven wrong by this lady.
If anyone was watching me with my Asian features, a weekend backpack and the unmistakably confused look on my face, it was pretty obvious that I was a tourist. A lady sitting at the bus stop spoke to me in French. "Est cest vous lkdfjs sjdgneodlw akflkjd quelque chose?" Ah eh. Anodaw?!
Luckily, my Pimsleur French 1 came in handy. "Pardon, je ne parle pas L'Francais." (Sorry, I don't speak French). I was expecting to get snubbed because of my French language ineptitude, but she was kind enough to speak to me in English and asked if I needed something. I told her that I was looking for bus 42 because it was the only bus that I knew which stopped at Tour Eiffel. She told me to take Bus 30 instead, which goes straight to Trocadero. I thanked her and asked her name as well as her permission to take a photo. She took off her glasses and smiled kindly at me. A few seconds later, Bus 30 arrived and I hopped on while she talked to the bus driver. While I didn't understand what she told him, I wanted to think she was giving some instructions to take care of the Asian girl. I thanked her again and waved goodbye as the bus sped off. Then I admired Paris from the bus window.
As I was crossing the street at Trocadero, I chanced upon this couple speaking in Filipino. For someone who has been trying to find company in a land that hardly spoke English, finding a kababayan is such a pleasant surprise. Even if we just exchange hellos or give a nod of acknowledgement, I find it really nice be running into fellow Filipinos in a foreign country. We ended up saying kumusta and making small talk all the way to the Palais du Chaillot. They've been living in Paris for 13 years already and pretty much knew their way around. They helped me find my hotel and gave me directions on how to get to the nearest metro station. Ate Juliet gave me her number so that I can call her in case of emergency and right then I knew they were my guardian angels in Paris.
A non-selfie shot for once! Taken by Ate Juliet.
My guardian angels, Ate Juliet and Kuya Jessie. These people were my best case of happenstance in Paris.
After taking photos at the Palais de Chaillot, I was determined to arrive at my hotel to get some rest. It was such an exhausting trip that I wanted to just take a shower and lie on my bed for a while and get some rest so that I can explore more of Paris with a fresher disposition. I walked all the way down to get a closer view of the Eiffel Tower. It was surreal to be seeing it up close! I decided to spend a little quiet time on the grass and watch some people.
I was tempted to spend my whole afternoon lying there on the grass and watch my surroundings, but I wanted to get rid of my back pack. I eventually found my way to Bir Hakkim Station which was a stop away from Dupleix where Timhotel Tour Eiffel was located. I was terrified before getting into the train because I didn't know how things worked, but my apprehensions disappeared eventually as most fears during traveling usually do.
My hotel was a shack of a place, and it was the tiniest hotel room I've ever stayed in...IN MY LIFE. It was almost terrible, but I was not one to complain because it finally sunk in: I'm in Paris! After resting my feet, taking a long bath and the chance to lie down for a while, I decided to get down to business. I studied the map and strategized on how I will be able to cover as many places as I can with the remaining time I had left for the day.
Walking for hours in this bustling city didn't seem to frazzle me, even if it was dark and I was by myself. During my transit from Brussels and even while I was planning my trip, I was worried about what would happen during this weekend. I had scenes from Taken flashing through my mind and heard horrible stories from friends who have visited this city before. I prepared myself for the rudeness, but thankfully Paris disappointed me on that regard.
On the other hand, spending an entire day in this city without anyone to share it with kinda feels a bit lonely. There is so much beauty and also a certain amount of chaos in this city. Since it's summer time and the streets were crowded with locals and tourists, I felt less alone. Despite this, I knew the trip would've been much more memorable if I had Jim or my family there with me. In any case, I was happy to be frolicking its streets, eating crepes and granitas whenever I could and taking photos (a tad too many in fact) of its bright lights.
Whenever I travel, one of the things that I make sure to do is to figure out a city's public transportation. For one thing, it's probably a cheaper way to get around instead of paying for those hop on hop off tour buses. Looking at a city map, encircling a destination and figuring out how to get from Point A to Point be is like learning how to piece together a puzzle. It can become frustrating sometimes, but learning from the experience is something that I always look back to and I find the challenge a good way to be more aware of my surroundings. Whether it be taking a bus in Mechelen or a tram in Melbourne and deciphering those letters and numbers at the subway station in New York, I always have that sense of achievement at the end of a trip, knowing that I got to explore the city like a local.
I took a photo with this French girl on the train. While I was heading off to Notre Dame, the train suddenly lost power and came into a halt. Of course, I was silently freaking out and she must've noticed so she started talking to me. She said it happens all the time and that the power will come right back up and I don't need to worry. Her gesture was again, quite unexpected based on my pre-conceived notions of Parisians. I know I will never see her again, but I'm glad I took her photo. It feels nice to be meeting single serving friends while traveling.
Since it was a Sunday, I made it a point to visit the Notre Dame. I said prayers of thanks for the chance to visit Paris even for just a short time. I felt very blessed to be traveling because of work and being given provisions for really learning about different places and meeting different people.
I was walking along the street off the Chatelet Train station when I saw this lady. She wasn't begging, but just looking at me kindly. I don't know what came over me but I dropped a couple of coins in her cup. She put her palms together and looked at the sky, thanking the heavens and I asked if I can take a picture of her, then continued walking.
I stopped by the Jardin du Palais Royal to rest and take more photos. I wanted to just lie down and relax there, perhaps read my Neil Gaiman book but I still had a couple of stops to make. I was exchanging text messages with Ate Juliet for a quick meet up because I wanted to see them again and thank them for helping me the day before. So went on my way and made another pass at the Lourve.
And ate crepes and drank granitas.
I finally saw my guardian angels under the Tower and said my thanks. Seeing them again felt so comforting, as if I had found long lost relatives in a foreign place.
Before going on this trip, I made a resolve to meet locals in my host city. Maybe it was because I was traveling alone, and I felt like I needed to do something to get more involved with the place and its people. I had scheduled to meet up with a couchsurfer at around 3:00 PM and so I headed to Etienne Marcel station to meet up with Tanguy. We had been corresponding about the meet up via Whatsapp so it was easy to communicate and recognize each other. We stopped at a cafe to get coffee and started to get acquainted. I told him about my work and the places I've been to so far. He was curious about the Philippines, because he had never met a Filipino before. He told me when he moved from the South of France to Paris two years ago. He's also working in the I.T. Industry as a software engineer so we had a something in common.
We started walking and he brought me to a park with awesome street art and sculptures.
We walked towards the Botanical Gardens and shared stories about our travels. He went to Bangkok earlier this year while I went to New York and stayed in Belgium for almost two weeks. I asked him about the reputation of the French being snobs because I haven't experienced rudeness in Paris in the two days that I've been there. He laughed and admitted that it's partly true and explained that the good fortune that I had with people might be because of the possibility that I actually crossed paths with tourists and not locals.
We talked about religion and the social norms in our respective countries. I told him that Filipinos are still very Catholic and that my family still observe the same Catholic traditions such as Sunday Mass and regular confession. He shared that Europeans aren't as in touch with their religion anymore, except perhaps for the countries in the south, like Italy, Spain and Portugal.
We also talked about Couchsrufing and the people he had hosted before. Some were good experiences but he also had awful ones. I liked what he said about hosting travelers, because to him, it's also a good way of traveling even if he's in his own city. I admire couchsurfing hosts like him who take the time to show tourists around and form friendships with people along the way. We shared the same concerns about couchsurfing because some people have a tendency to use it as a dating tool. I'm glad that people like Tanguy respect the tool and use it to help tourists to get acquainted with their city. It's experiences like this that make me believe in the goodness of people.
We rested on the grass and I talked about home. I told him about my band and played an original song by KAZE called Seven Shots. He liked it and asked for a copy of the song which made me so glad. I shared stories about my family and Jim and the other things that I involve myself in back in the Philippines. He asked why I spoke good English. I asked about his electric cigarette and sheepishly told me that he was trying to quit.
As I sank into my seat at the train station, I felt the fatigue coming over me and slept the whole way back to Brussels. While the trip to Paris was really short, I wasn't so sad to leave. I was very grateful for the chance to visit it and get to know it a bit better and even more thankful for the people that I've met along the way. Paris seemed elusive to me at first, but she did treat me well when she met me.
Some tips while in the City:
1. Book your train tickets early! A speed train from Brussels to Paris takes only an hour. I booked my Thalys ticket 5 weeks before my trip and got it for 57 EUR one way. It's a non flexible ticket so make sure not to miss your departure! It also pays to have a printed copy of your ticket. I had a scare before boarding because my phone won't load code until just a few minutes before departure.
2. Get the Mobilis ticket for your train rides. It costs about 6.5 Euros. I made a mistake of getting the book of 10s on my first day which costs about 13 Euros. I thought I was getting a bargain coz a single ride ticket goes for 1.7 EUR, but I learned that you could definitely get more value for your money with the Mobilis.
3. Get a map! My hotel provided a free map of the Metro and the city which I am eternally thankful for. It saved me time and figuring out where to go and which stop to take gave me a sense of direction in this unfamiliar city. Paris' train system is really easy to figure out.
4. Don't freak out when the train suddenly goes to a halt and runs out of power. It happens all the time in Paris. The power goes back on after 10 minutes and you should be on your way to your destination in no time.
5. Find a local who would help you get around. I finally had the courage to use couchsurfing to meet fellow travelers and locals in a city and it has been an eye opening experience for me. Be sure to check their references carefully so as not to end up being face to face with a psycho. I've met two couchsurfers during my stay in Europe and they've been absolutely helpful and friendly. I learned a lot from them and it also gave me a chance to share about the Philippines. Check out www.couchsurfing.org for more info!
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