by Amy Huang

Created on: January 20, 2010

The train came to a stop, and I wake up to the frantic shuffling of people in the carriage as the ticket master taps me on the shoulder.

"Get up. We are in Paris"

Red eyed and still sleepy, I swing on my backpack to face the bright daylight as I step onto the platform. I am in the City of Lights, the romantic Paris.

I am in high spirits, despite my expectations of this great city already diminishing when I discover the hostel I had booked was right in the centre of the red light district. However for 15 Euros a bed a night, I am not about to complain.

"No problems here", the plump, cigarette smoking man at the reception assure me with surprisingly excellent English, "Just don't walk down the side lanes at night". And as I ascend the stairs to my room on the third level, he throw in one last reminder: "And don't leave anything expensive in you room!"

I spend the day utilising the city's metro system to get around and acquaint myself with this well promoted, fascinating city I've longed to see. I have images of Parisians strolling down Avenue des Champs-Elysees, dressed in outfits seen only on celebrities, beautiful people walking their white fluffy Maltese puppies, chatting away in a sidewalk cafe.

That was what I thought Paris would be like. In reality, while there are certainly beautiful people, I find the residents rushing in and out of traffic, gulping down their coffee standing on their way to work, and very few Parisians have the time to simply stroll and look pretty.

However, I take pleasure in finding the major museums and sights which I wanted to explore over the next few days. As I note them down in my guide book, I take the time to admire the silhouette of the Louvre against the cloudless sky, the medieval gargoyles on the roof of the Notre Dame cathedral and the frantic circling of the traffic around Arc d'Triomphe. They say there is an accident on average every 6 minutes in this chaotic round-about. I make a mental note to visit again tomorrow, so I can watch the chaos from above the Arc.

Late afternoon, after a quick visit to the supermarkets to stock up on cheese and baguettes (you'd never find cheese and baguette of this quality back home!), I head to the hills for the Sacre Coeur. Sitting on the grass patch in front of this beautiful basilica, Paris spreads out like a grey blanket, with the Eiffel Tower dominating the skyline. I find serenity in people watching and sharing this same view with hundreds of camera happy tourists.

I return to my hotel as the daylight disappeared beyond the horizon. To my pleasant surprise, I can see the bright red windmill of the famous Moulin Rouge from our room window. Sharing with me are two Canadian backpackers on their round the world voyage.

"Liking it so far?" They asked as I entered the room smiling.

"Not bad for my first day!"

And there is more to come yet.

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