The luck runs out

Well, there was bound to be a problem. Too much smooth sailing through the airports in Boston and Amsterdam led me to believe something was coming. And it certainly showed up in a big way in Paris.

We landed a little late from Amsterdam, right around 1 p.m. After we were able to get off the plane, we went down a set of outside stairs to a packed bus, which took us to the baggage claim area. There I found the accreditation desk, where I was able to get my accreditation verified without a line and then walked a bit further and found the baggage check and my suitcase was there.

I passed through a set of doors and found the transportation desk and it was there that my good luck ran out. At the desk, the young woman found my name on the list and said I had to take a car from the airport, but at the moment, there were no cars available. I figured that the wait wouldn't be too long. After about an hour, the same young woman came over very apologetic saying they were still waiting. 

I finally went back to the desk and the woman I had spoke with wasn't there, so I asked another woman, who still didn't have an answer. Finally, at 5 p.m., I made one last ditch effort trip to the desk and they finally had a car. Four hours after I got to the airport.

The van got me right to the hotel, which is definitely not in the nice area of Paris. After a little trouble checking in, I got to my room, which is barely big enough to fit me in it. And the bathroom is smaller than the one in my hotel in Tokyo, which was the smallest one I had ever been in. There's literally no table to put my suitcase on. I guess this is simply a case of you get what you pay for.

After a quick shower I found my way to the metro station and took the train (and got on the right train) to the Main Press Center, which was a little tough to navigate. In their effort to be more sustainable, Paris 2024 handed out water bottles (though finding a fountain to fill them is more difficult). I ended up buying water, which they give you in a cup, which isn't great for transport. And there doesn't appear to be media backpacks anymore, which is disappointing.

I am also glad I packed some food in my suitcase, as the small food corner in the media center had lots of "plant-based" food and not much else. There is some more food options downstairs but I haven't had a chance to look at anything.

Overall, after a great travel experience, my first day in Paris didn't exactly go as planned. Here's to new days tomorrow.

After a long day of travel and finding my way, I did get to the Main Press Center on Tuesday evening.