Let's speak French!!

It doesn't matter how many "trend cities" will show up. Paris always will be Paris.

**French People**
Ok, you can't always say that the french people are the warmest people on the planet. They're not. But they are french, wich you kind expect them to be rude when you get there. But that doesn't mean that they'll be rude. French people have already that "blaze" face on, like they had smell something really bad. You can find the french at all times seating at cafes, smoking, meeting friends, reading books, drinking wine, wich for some people (obvioulsy including me that works the hole day), feels like they don't have nothing to do or they really get time to enjoy themselfs. As a french student that I am. I always tried first to speak french, even is not good enough to keep a conversation, but all of them were glad to at least see me try it, but they quickly changed to english, or I'd start with "Bonjour" and the response was a imediatly "Yes?". But I still met some good frenchs on the way.

**The Hostel**
We stayed at the Hi-Hostel Jules Ferry.The hostel has a good location, close to the subway station "Republic", half block from the "canal Saint Martin" ( the Amelie Poulin Canal of the movie), and has breakfast included for EUR 23,00 a night on a dorm. Sounds good but my stay was not so good.

We asked for a female dorm, and when I arrived there was a guy in our room, ok. I actually don't mind for this kind of things, but when you are at a female dorm you don't expect to wake up with a man inside the room you're staying. The woman that works in hostel was really rude to the people. And the last thing that made my trip almost get to a close, was the fact that I was robbed inside my dorm in the hostel. I had put my money and my passport and aswell my friend's inside a locker that was inside de dorm and put one of my padlocks. On the third day that we were there we found out that someone had break it the padlock and stole the money and my passport (somehow they found my friend's passport inside the shower room). I went to the police, gave a statement, but neither the hostel (or the police) had gave me much credit. After almost going crazy I've founded my passport inside a private hostel cabinet. But the hostel even gave my a refund for all the trouble caused,they actually refused to give me a refund, since at the end of things they suspect that it was stolen by a hostel employee. It was almost the end of my trip and they didn't care for any of it. They told me that the hostel had insurance for this kind of things, but I haven't heard a word from them. So be really careful.

**How to get around**
The "Metro" in Paris is EUR 1,70 (wich way), but it depends where you want to go since the map is divided by zones.
But the best way to really see Paris is walking. You can do a lot in a day if you decide to go to sightseeings that are close.
You can try as well to rent a bike. In Paris you can find bikes everywhere to rent. I actually tried to rent one but I couldn't understand the machine. If someone knows how to do it I would really love to know how.

*Train Prices*
CDG Airport to Paris - EUR 8,70
Paris to Versailles - EUR 3,05

**Some Prices in Paris**
Mc Chicken Menu - EUR 5,90
Bottle of Water sold in a Boulangerie - EUR 2,10
Bottle of water sold by an indian guy in front of Notre Dame - EUR 1,00
Half hour of internet @ the hostel - EUR 2,00
Locker @ the train station (1 large locker) - EUR 9,50
Bottle of wine sold by Sunny (indian guy) in front of the Eiffel Tower - EUR 15,00
Second bottle of wine sold by Sunny in front of the Eiffel Tower - EUR 8,00
Baguette + one "macarron" - EUR 4,40
One scoop of ice cream @ the Jardin de Tullerie - EUR 2,50

Entrance to Louvre - EUR 6,00
Versailles Le Jardin - EUR 8,00
Versailles Le Domaine de Marie Antoinette - EUR 10,00

Vin, baguette et la Tour Eiffel !!!!!!

At the arrive... I am here!!!!!

Was in Paris that I thought my trip would start and end in 4 days.... I will explain...

After a week trying to get the flight to Paris (with a short 4 days break in Recife), we were at the airport on the 8th at 3:30 p.m trying to see what would happen. I knew that I was the first on the list of priority for boarding but I didn't knew that I was already in the flight and already with a seat booked. I would know that almost 6 p.m when I asked if I could go to do some duty free. Duty and Free to go, I had the largest smile on my face, couldn't still belive that it was really happening.

The flight for me was hell. 12 hours of flight everytime is getting worse and worse. I usually sleep most of the time, but this one I slept for about one hour. So I watched almost all the movies that were playing ( Letters to Juliet, Plan B, Sex and the City 2, Karate Kid..), without counting that I did read most of my book (The One Fifth - Candance Bushnell). To help I asked for chicken on the plane for dinner, and I have no idea why but chicken from services of air companies never look or taste like chicken, it can look like anything else but not chicken, wich did not make me feel so good during the flight.

We arrived in Paris at around 1:30 pm, local time, and I felt like I had to walk all the aiport to finally get to the imigration. At imigration they haven't asked me anything, wich is always good, but their stamp was so light you can't almost see in my passport where I came trought, I hate that, one of the things that I expect the most is the stamp on my passport, anyway. We got our bags, my friend got off her high heel boots ( yeah she actually went on a backpack trip wearing high heel boots and with a huge suitcase), and we walk another marathon to get to the train station to Paris.

After trying and fighting (again) with the selling machine, that I couldn't manage to find the one that gave you change, I gave up and went to buy on the selling boths. The ticket to Paris was not that expensive, 9 euros and would live us straight at Gare du Nord where we should do a connection to the othert line that would lives us at "Republic". Very Easy.

But now I will try to make it a picture here. My friend with a 25kg suitcase trying to go up and down the stairs (off course because we are in Paris and THERE ARE NO ESCALATORS AT ALL). Off course as a goof friend I helped here with the suitcase but it really was dificult. But at least we arrived in Paris, and so many things would happen.....

Do not disturb...

Just a glance on how can you be disturbed in a place like this?! Actually our days has been on sleeping, eating and sun at the beach! What more could I want in this life???

When the itinerary changed....

That´s right our itinerary already changed and our trip started with drama. We went to the airport on Monday and we found another 30 people trying to get in a flight with an overbook of 20 passengers, so for the mathematians it was over 50 people trying to get in a full flight. That, for me, was as almost everything was over. We tried again on Wednesday and only one person could board, and that after a long, long and upseting day staying at the airport trying to have some hope of going. At that point we begin to be desperate because we only have a 30 day vacation and we have a few places that we want to go. On Wednesday as an attack of don´t knowing what to do we try to catch a flight to Recife. We are not crazy we changed from Paris to Recife.

Obvioulsy with all the craziness we didn´t catch the flight but we came to Recife on the next day. Witch was the best choice. The flights to Paris through the airline that we are going as concession are all full and the other people have to board before us. So we became with extras plans. Recife was our plan B, but now we have our plans C and D. We are almost certain that the "D" one will work out just fine. I´ll tell everything when we have everything sort out.

For now we are at Recife. Enjoying the sun that has been fabulous. We are staying here untill next monday. If you around here, you'll see me....

THE GOING POST..

Well This is it. so cliche, but true. Time to put my backpack and go. Here I go airports, train stations, buses, hostels with weird people, undigestible food and all the crazy stuff that comes with travelling. God I love it.

After a long fight last night I finished packing my back ( Did I ever tell that I hate packing?? I do, very much). It last like 4 hours to pack because every 10 min I stopped to say I hate packing and than I could talk to my friends on msn. lol.... I pack everything and did the backpack try out, and was good. Not to heavy, so I won't be dying carrying it,at least at the beggining. I'm calculating around 16kg (35Lb.).

And I'm starting already to miss somethings like my dog and my notebook, wich I am not taking with me.

I'll be living to the airport early, since I am at my friends concession I need to garantee my spot, almost cleaning the airplane. lol.. I made a reservation at a hostel in Paris, so we can actually already have a place to go. So, see you when I get there.

In Resume..how I am feeling...

The good and the bad....

Ok, people I haven't write much because of the fact it's all waiting for the D Day to go. But one thing has happened today. My friend was waiting for a certain bank transaction to happen and gess what it didn't, so we'll probably have to wait until Monday to go. With delayed 2 days of our trip. But it's ok!

We all set, we both have our e-tickets done. I alrealdy exchanged my money, so I am ready to go. I need to pack but it is another story... probably the next post story.

Budget Questions!!!!

Ok. I know it's kind late, but today I've been having many budget question about my trip. One question that has been driving me insane is that if I'll be able to survive in Europe with the money I am taking. It's impossible not to make that question. Not that I hadn't made a initial budget, but with my trip getting closer it's scarier.

One of the reasons is "ECONOMY" God I HATE the Stock Market whatever that supose to be. As it gets closer to my trip it looks that the euro is getting it's currency higher and higher. Last time I exchange euros (and that was in March) I paid R$2.2, today I can find only for R$2.5 and I'm not even saying about Pounds because it's worse. That exchange rates can kill any intial or last budgets.

The thing is, it's normal to be scare, in the end you'll want to have the best time. But money is aways the hard part of travelling. I decided to put 95% of my money on a debit card that's called Visa Travel Money, I used before and as I found out to be was the best option for long trips. I really recomend for those who are going as well. I will stop now with the math and just relax... after all it's only 7 days to go.

The Begging.. Vacation 2010 Project.

I decided to start this blog in this simplest way I could. The begin of my project for my vacation 2010. Let's first introduce myself. My name is Daniela, I am 22 years old and this is not the first time that I am travelling abroad. I actually do that a lot, actually whenever I can escape from my job.
So if I do this often you my be asking why start a blog now? Well as is always a time for first things I wanted to share my first actual vacation. I start to raise money for this trip january 2009 when I decided that my next big trip would be my dreamed Backpack through Europe. With some job changes and other things I could only let my vacation to september 2010. So here we are.

What is it going to be different in this European Backpack of mine, since you can probably find another 10 billion blogs about Backpack through Europe kind of thing?

Well nothing is going to be planned. I'll be leaving at August 28th to Paris, in my friends airline concession, wich means I won't actually have a reserved seat on the plane. I'll have to wait into the last minute to see if there's a little space for me to go, the best thing about it I'll be paying way less to travel. And I'll be back around September 26th from London. That's the only two things I actually know where to start and where we probably going to end.
As I said WE several times, I'll introduce my friend who's going in this adventure with me. My friend Marcela. She works with me and all started when around january I decided that I'd be going to London in march and she decided to come with me. March came, I went to London by my friend couldn't come with me. So we decided that we should take vacations together and go to europe. So here we are again.
I hope I can give some tips, since we not doing the traditional things like, we won't bye train passes or anything like that from our origin point, we won't book hostels or get details before we go. I'll go, and from there I'll tell how it's like...