Sickly Paris

During my last night in Dublin I felt a tickle in my throat developing and so I made myself a really healthy dinner and got to bed early to try to turn things around for my long travel day the next day. I got up before the sun, packed my things in the dark to avoid waking everyone else in my room, and in doing so left my watch behind, much to my frustration. I made it to my 6:45 bus and was again on my way. I arrived to Paris Beauvais airport, which is a tiny one-terminal airport in the middle of a huge agricultural area. I got a bus to the city center, got severly confused by the metro map and eventually found someone who spoke a little bit of English and could point me in the right direction. I eventually found my hostel, checked in and just dropped my bag and headed out to get lost. I was promptly decended upon by paritculrly annoying and persistent men who didn't seem to think it would be a problem that I spoke virtually no French. Mere details. oi vey. I eventually elluded the most annoying one by running into the middle of a huge crowd of people outside Sacre Couer Basillica. However, I was not long left alone and a much nicer guy named Amine ended up showing me around for the better part of the day. I saw the Moulin Rouge and Eiffel Tower (really quite a nice moment for the fact that it had stopped raining moments before, the clouds parted to a bright blue sky, and there was a beautiful rainbow soaring over the tower). We sat on a bench and talked as much as was possible considering Amines broken English and my broken vocal chords. By the time I refused Amines invitation to dinner, I could barely speak. I went back to the hostel and met my room-mates, three girls from Slovenia, who were really fun and a bit disappointed when I refused their invitation to go out drinking with them. I instead went to sleep early and tried to concentrate on getting better. Unfortunately I did not wake up feeling any better, but took some Motrin and headed out anyway. I wore my iPod earphones all day with no music playing in an attempt to thwart off the annoying men, which luckily worked quite well. I went to the Louvre, through the huge gardens outside the Louvre to the Champs Elyseé and to the Arch d'Triumph. Everything is beautiful and well kept here and so far I have not met anyone rude, as their reputation in the US always made me think they would be. I only wish that I didn't feel as though I'm about to collapse at any moment, which I'm sure will pass. I know I shouldn't be walking for miles and miles but I find it impossible to think of not exploring such a place. Anyhow, this message is taking forever to write because the letters on the keyboard are all in different places, so I'm going to call this done and get back to the hostel and to bed early again. Hope all is well on the homefront. I keep having dreams of returning but then in all these dreams I realize toward the end that it's just a dream and that I still have a lot more to go. I have a countdown to Italy, and more imortantly to seeing Mom, but in the meantime, know that you're all here with me, if only in dreams. Love to you all.