Paris

On the train ride, I looked forward to the ride under the English Channel. It didn't take long and for some reason all the photos I took in the dark came out black/blank.

Wonder why?



To get something to eat or drink we had to walk through several cars to one that had a place to order and buy food or drank. It was like standing up in a roller coaster as the train speed towards Paris.

We were traveling over a hundred plus miles an hour so taking pictures of the landscape was out.

Then we're in Paris.

We step out of the train, not knowing what to do, which way to go and for some reason the signs are not in English.



The herd figures it out and we start moving, hoping our suitcases made the trip with us. We find our guide and she and Dennis start the exploration of locating our suitcases.



Finally we move towards our suitcases, find them, try to help this French dude unload them (don't know what he keep saying but it boiled down to NO help wanted) and found our bus.

Notice I said bus...being one not two. There's sixty-one of us an most have three bags, we had chartered two buses, but the French (in their wisdom) decided their 61 passenger bus could take care of us and luggage.

Charles stayed with the luggage and waited for the other bus. In doing so he missed the Eiffel Tower but caught up with us at the Lueve.

This bit of French thinking comes under the "Here's your sign."

Our plans are to see the Eiffel Tower, the Lueve, the Arch'd Triumph, view Notre Dame Cathedral and walk the Riverwalk on the Siene River.

Our lodging is at the Radisson Airport Hotel. Yes, a hotel. That should mean BEDS, BATHS, AIR CONDITIONING and some down time. Talking to a couple of old timer tour, past Kwahadi Dancers, a hotel stay is a one-of-a-kind stay.

Sounds great to me!

I've been in Scouting since I was eight and that was several life times ago. In those years I've hiked, camped, visited, and Scouted all over many states, countries and have loved ever bit of it.

It's been a wonderful experience and those years have given me the privilege to have forty scouts to earn their Eagle Scout, numerous to earn their religious awards, lots of Order of the Arrow members and many other Scouting gifts.

In the process I find I've gone from being able to do anything, go anywhere, climb any peak, hill, mountain or challenge and all with a great feeling of strength and independence.

My how time changes things. In my Native American travels I have come to view the "elders" with a greater respect and honor. They have had their time and their lives are filled with memories, accomplishments, adventures, and pride.

All of a sudden I seem to have stepped into their circle. When did it happen, how did it happen and why did it happen?

So why this message?

I have found out camping in a tent is not my thing anymore. Sleeping bags are great, but my bed is better. Coffee in the morning makes me a happier person. Sitting down at a table to eat, fits my body better. Cots over air matteress and backpacker foam. Air condition is a wonderful invention and privilege of comfort. TV is optional, but enjoyable. Showers are gifts from the Greek God of water - Poseidon. Music is nice and it fills my mind which has a tendency to take a temporary vacation as to why I'm where a am and why am I there? Brushing me teeth makes me feel human and washing my hair (the little I have left - when did it leave and where did it go?, not just getting my hands wet and wetting it down) is a luxury I enjoy.

Stairs....I have learned to hate (maybe that's do hard of a word, but it's close enough) stairs. Give me an escalator, moving sidewalk, elevator/lift or something that will transport me upward or downward. Especially when I have three of the heaviest suitcases, a camera bag, computer bag and me to get from point A to point B.



So here we are on another bus, going to the Eiffel Tower. I have no idea if there is a lift, but walking is fast falling into the same arena as stairs. I've already decided if their is no life - I'm going to pass going up.

The walk from our bus to the tower wasn't very long, only about ten miles in my mind. It was hot, humid and there were more people than live in a ant colony.



We had advance reservations so the wait was only suppose to be thirty minutes. It was longer. Two and a half hours if you walked up to buy a ticket.

The junk hawkers attach you like a swarm of bees. Walking through them is a kin to running the gauntlet.

Then you're there at the bottom of the tower. It was built by an man who got the idea from employees and took two years to build. It was suppose to last 20 years as he thought it would take that long to recover the money he spent (the vast majority of funds were his own) building it.



In a year he had recovered his investment and was a wealthy man.

Where are my employees with an idea like that?

Wait a minute - I don't have any employees. So I need to get busy on the one year to be wealthy idea.






It's magnificent and dirty. The grounds around it and all around it are full of trash. What a shock. Why?

All of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and England we had seen were clean, the people were very friendly and almost postcard in appearance.

Here the people were not friendly, we had seen so many dirty streets, alleys, homeless with their belongings all over the place on our bus ride to the tower.

I had heard this before leaving, but didn't giver it much though.

Seeing is believing.

After a lift ride to the second floor Paris opened up to be seen from a friendly and more beautiful view.



The view is spectacular, even on a less than clear day.





















Going down I looked around and noticed armed military and police. They were moving through the ocean of people slowly, as if they were looking for something or someone in particular.







Back on the bus and driving through Paris we saw some grand buildings.





More police.



From the tower we went to the Lueve. That is a reason to go back, but the Lueve became my Waterloo and that's for another update.

Our ride to the hotel was longer than my tired body wanted. I think I was getting tired.

Folks, people, Scouters, friends of Scouting and anyone else. Think about the Kwahadi Dancers coming your way. As one of our hosts said, "It'll be the show that is taken about as having missed and they'll wish they had come to see these magnificent dancers."

Contact Charles Ritchie at Kwahadi.com


John Madden