Europe Trip: Day 1

The airplane arrived in Amsterdam a full half an hour early. I attempted to use some kiosk thing to check myself in, but I couldn't get it to work. So I just started walking towards my Gate. I had to go through security again, which was a little annoying since the guy sitting next to me said I wouldn't have to go through the TSA stuff again. It went fine, though, and I ended up at my gate by 8am.

Since I am waiting around doing nothing, I decided to check if I could get internet here. Turns out there is internet, but just like at SeaTac you have to pay in order to use it...and 3 Euros for 15 minutes doesn't seem worth it. Maybe if I get really bored. Instead I decided to get in the habit or writing down the stuff that happened to me and saving it in a folder on my laptop, starting with 'Day 0' as May 20th, and today as 'Day 1' which is May 21st. I'll probably use this as my blog that I post online.

Now I'm going to go and see if I can find a place to check in. I might have to wait a while until the people who man the gate come, but it looks different from what I have done before in SeaTac and the Boise airport. Hopefully it goes smoothly.

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I guess I didn't have to check in, it was done from my previous flight. So I just waited in line and boarded like everyone else, still only having the paper I had printed off on Tuesday. Anyway, that flight went smoothly and quickly, and I arrived in Paris around 1:30pm local time (subtract 8 hours for Mountain Time, 9 hours for Pacific).

Since I had managed to bring only a single carry-on, I was immediately on my way, having already gone through Customs in the Netherlands (stamped for a Schengen Visa). I worked my way through the airport, following Igor's instructions. I had a bit of trouble buying my ticket from the airport to Paris, but that ended up being the machine. Only after going through that hassle did I see the line that Igor had actually been talking about. So I went and waited in that line and got a Paris Visite pass, which lets me go on any public transportation in Paris (metro, subway, train, bus, etc).

When I tried to get through to the RER B line from CDG airport to Paris, something got messed up and it didn't let me through. So the security guy eventually just told me to sneak in with somebody, which I did -- with only minor discomfort by the closing doors. Then I took that all the way to the Cite Universite stop, and made my way to the Tram line. I got off at the Desnouettes stop, and started going in the wrong direction. When I couldn't find any street signs I asked a woman who was walking by and she helped me out (and had a map to show me exactly where to go). After that it was a piece of cake and I met my first CouchSurfing host, Igor, who lives on the 10th floor of an apartment building in the 15th district of Paris.

After buzzing me in, he told me that he was finishing up some work and that if I wanted we could go around Paris after he was done; I agreed. So while he was finishing up I got the internet working and sent out an e-mail to Mom, Dad, and Jeff (apparently forgetting to send it to Emily...my bad :P).

The original plan was to go to the grocery store and bring that stuff back, and then go look at some sightseeing places. But it is a holiday here in Paris and the grocery stores were closed. So we went straight to the Eiffel Tower. The only problem is that I hadn't brought the camera since I thought we would be heading back! So he took me all around, going on metros and tram lines left and right. First walking underneath and past the Eiffel Tower, then to the Champs Elysees for a brief glimpse of the Arc de Triomph. Then over to Saint Michel to grab a vegan dinner and eat right outside Notre Dame. Giving me a look at pretty much everything on my list...now I have to go more in depth, and probably mostly by myself.

After hours of trekking around Paris, I think I am finally down for the count. On the tram back to Igor's place I was nodding off worse than Dad :) Night, night at 9:45pm in Paris (12:45pm in Seattle).