paris, i got these numbers and now i'm here

i got these numbers in a text: 2982235 and 1250924511. no explanation, just... bloop. i thought maybe it was a bank account? but i'm a student, i don't have that many zeros. turned out they were... something else. after some frantic googling, i realized they might be coordinates? but they're too big. maybe it's a secret code for a hostel? i typed the first into a booking site and bam: a $12/night dorm in the 10th arrondissement popped up. the second? that was the price in cents? $12,509,245.11? nah. actually it turned out to be the wifi password. kidding. it was just the number of the bus ticket i bought. but the point is: i'm in paris now.

here's where i'm at (literally):

i'm writing this from a cheap hostel room that smells like feet and hope. the weather outside is doing its best impression of a british summer: 10.35°c, feels like 9.53, humidity 80%. i just looked at my weather app and it's exactly that-hope that's your cup of tea. the sky's this weird milky grey that makes everything look like an old photograph. i can hear a guy playing accordion two blocks over, probably because he thinks it's 'romantic.' it's not. it's just noise. but hey, it's paris.

as a student on a shoestring, i've got some hot tips that don't involve selling a kidney. first, the metro: get a weekly pass if you're here for more than three days. it's about €30 and you can zoom around like a local. just watch out for pickpockets-they love tourists staring at maps. i heard that the pickpocket crew near sacré-cœur uses little kids to distract you. shady. but that's just something a local warned me about over a beer.

food: you don't need to spend €20 on a croissant. go to any boulangerie and get a 'pain au chocolat' for under €2. it's buttery and will change your life. for lunch, hit up the student areas-around the sorbonne, there are these little sandwich shops that make a 'jambon-beurre' for €3.50. it's literally just ham and butter on a baguette but it's heaven. i found this one spot on yelp that has a line out the door: Le Petit Cler (it's near the eiffel tower but way cheaper). also, if you're into wine, skip the fancy bars and find a 'cave à vin' that does glasses by the bottle. you can get a decent grenache for €5.

now, the tourist stuff: everyone says you have to see the louvre. i went. it's huge and crowded. someone told me that the louvre is free on the first sunday of the month but it's a nightmare, so maybe just pay the €17 and go on a tuesday morning when it's less packed. i heard that the mona lisa is smaller than you think and there's always a wall of phones. still, worth it? sure. but if you're cheap like me, the museum d'orsay is €14 and has all the good impressionists without the massive crowds. plus, it's in a old train station which is kinda cool.

i also did the eiffel tower. i climbed the stairs to the second floor (€10) and took the lift to the top (extra €5). the views are insane, but the lines are brutal. go early, like at 9am. someone told me that the security check is faster if you only bring a small bag. i learned that the hard way after waiting 45 minutes with my backpack.

if you get bored, versailles is just a short RER ride away (30 minutes) and chartres is an hour by train if you're into cathedrals and chicken bones (the latter is a joke... mostly). both are worth it for a day trip.

now, the numbers: i still don't know what 2982235 and 1250924511 mean. maybe they're the exact seconds i spent lost in the louvre? or the number of steps to the top of the eiffel tower? (it's 1665, so no.) maybe they're the price of my hostel in centimes? €29.82? that's about right for a dorm bed. and €1250.92? that would be a private room. nope. i think they're just a prank. but they got me here, so thanks?

anyways, i'm off to find a free museum (there are a few on the first sunday of the month) and maybe a park to nap in. the weather's holding out-no rain yet. but i've got my cheap raincoat from a market, just in case.

oh, and before i go, check out these links for more intel: TripAdvisor's Paris forum has some real gossip from expats. Time Out Paris is great for events that don't cost a fortune. and if you need a hostel, Hostelworld has the best deals-i got mine for €12 a night. just don't book the one with the 'vintage' carpet that's actually just stained.

that's it for now. i'll probably write more when i find a real cafe with wifi that doesn't cost €5 for an espresso. until then, à bientôt!

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