Gay Frenchmen and Bosnian beggars
Trip Start
Sep 11, 2006
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16
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Trip End
Oct 03, 2006
Paris, France
Monday, September 18, 2006
Maybe I overreacted, maybe I didn't do enough, I don't know. Doesn't matter anyway, I think he got the point.
Anyway, got to Paris sbout 6-7am, eventually found my way out of the train station (touch and go at first, I can tell you) and wandered down to the Seine river (Gare 'Est and Gare Nord are in some kind of black ghetto)- I was somewhat disgusted by the numbers of tents along the banks of the Seine, no doubt the homeless population of Paris- and a contrast to the Eiffel tower in the distance. I wandered to Notre Dame, a beautiful cathedral, I would venture to say the best I have ever seen. Took a picture of some pigeons taking a bath in a puddle, just so the lads at home don't think I've turned into a Francophile.
Wandered to the Lourve and the Arc D'Triumphe (which REALLY isn't all its cracked up to be) then crossed the river again to take at a look at the French national assembly and a cool gold domed building in the distance. A lot of police on the streets of France- a few too many. Sauntered over to the Eiffel tower, surrounded by the bizarre combination of Japanese tourists and French soldiers occasionally checking passports. I didn't really see the point of the soldiers, I know some Algerians once threatened to crash an aircraft into it, but soldiers couldn't stop that anyway. After much deliberation I decided not to climb the eiffel tower on the grounds it looked like a waste of my time and money.
Watched some French workers in a van yell what I assume were "compliments" at a rather pretty young Frenchwoman- very stereotypical.
Wandered back past the National assembly, watched the blue clad guards standing on either side of the doorway with some important looking suited figures at the top of the steps- no idea who they were. Carried on walking, had a bottle of water- very cultured me. Headed back to the station to catch a train to Brussels- was quite intimidated by the large numbers of US style black gangs and "African pride" restuarants and stuff- nevertheless there were a lot of white people around as well and everyone seemed to be co-existing peacefully- one bloke even offered to put my hair in dreadlocks..after about a microsecond of contemplation I turned this offer down. Saw a car crash and a coach full of riot police, something wrong with that city. Anyway, got to the train station and was almost instantly confronted by a girl/woman with a little card with some sob story on "I am from Bosnia, my mother is sick, I need money for food and medicine". I almost considered giving her money, when I saw about 5 others walking around with the same cards. I saw the way things would go- give money to one of them, whether their cause was genuine or not (they certainly looked destitute), and I'd have the rest demanding money- I politely told her no, and said the same to the next one, and the next, by the time the fourth arrived I was slightly annoyed- so without speaking to her (they were all female- I couldn't work out their ages, but they were quite small) I simply walked over to the train station bar (no stools) and ordered a beer, she came up to me again and I just told her "no!" a little louder than I intended and as the girl went away I noticed a French woman giving me a glare- like I'd just done the most evil thing in world history, not giving the Bosnian girl some money- its amazing how these self-righteous people are only around when they're not the one who has to do something- I was hoping the Bosnians would ask her for money, just to see her reaction.
Karma got me in the end though, I went to the train to Brussels, interrail pass in hand and was told by the train manager "You must pay the normal fare like everyone else, it is 135 Euros, the next train is in an hour"- turns out Thalys aren't part of the interrail program..and I didn't feel like forking over that much money to this wanker. So I walked away calmly, muttering about "revenge for Waterloo" under my breath. Went to a cafe upstairs, was amused by the amount of soldiers guarding the train station with machine guns..seriously? France? why?. Was confronted by another Bosnian girl who was pregnant and walked around without shoes, her feet were disgusting. Who would have sex with a rotting Bosnian beggar in a French train station? Anyway, caught an overnight train to Berlin- sharing a sleeper compartment with a Californian on his way to Kiev and began the great road north.
