Hitch Hike Trip from Paris to Amsterdam

Sorry for the delay in writing a blog. I guess no one is eagerly waiting for it so I too was not in a mood to hurry it up. My English is not very good so I apologize for all the grammatical errors.

Anyhow now coming to the hitch hike trip. I did not planned about going to Amsterdam it just happened. I was thinking of going out last weekend and so it came to my mind to try going to
Amsterdam by hitch hiking.  I must really thank Hillel a young hitch hiker,whom I met in couchsurfing, he gave me all the tips and advices to hitch hike and it was all upon me to bring it in practice. And there I was ready to begin an adventure. I did not plan anything for the trip except for the destination.

So after sleeping for 2 hours at night after the grand event of fete de la musique I was very tired. But my excitement of going to Amsterdam via hitch hiking made me forget everything. My room mate Faisal kept asking me again and again are you sure you can do this. And I told him yes ofcourse and so I think my first ride would be from Fosses to Airport in the taxi that Faisal had called for. Anyways he kept asking me and I kept answering him yes. As he knew that I knew nothing about hitch hiking and I was not at all prepared for it. I only had A4 size papers and a pen and I knew the places where I had to go in order to go to Amsterdam. So I left for port de la Chapelle. Porte de la Chapelle is the place

from where the high way A1 starts. And now the trouble was I never did hitch hiking before. I did not know how to ask people for ride at first I was taken back by the thought of begging for lift. Then I made my mind and I stood in front of the traffic light and wrote on my A4 paper in big letters "A1" with a blue pen. I stood there for a long time with that paper smiling at
people. I was not getting any rides I got bored within the first half an hour. My ego was hurt that I am begging for rides and the Indian in me told me not to do this thing. So the next thing I did was to take out my phone and make calls to friends and talk to them and at the same time holding my paper to show as if I don't care even if you don't give me lift. It did not go well so I went to the nearest shopping mall purchased two apples took 20 euros from the ATM and recharged my phone purchased a sandwich and went to the internet cafe do a search on hitch hiking again. While going towards the internet cafe I came across taxis who were taking people to Lille for 15 euros and Brussels for 25 euros. I tried to bargain with them but then gave up and headed for the internet cafe. In the internet cafe I read about hitch hiking again and then found a person on carpooling website who was offering a ride to Lille for 15 euros. I wish I could have taken that ride but life had something very good in store for me.

Coming out of the internet cafe I gave a call to the person offering ride for 15 euros to Lille. He did not understood my poor French. But I told him that I am at port de la Chapelle and his reply was that he is also at port de la Chapelle. I told him where I am standing and then I saw a boy with a guitar and a backpack holding a cardboard with A1 written on it and a :) smiley on it. And all of a sudden my plans of hitch hiking came back. The guy standing with A1 suddenly seemed to me like Tom Cruise of "Topgun", Clint Eastwood of "Good Bad Ugly" he seemed to me like a hero in the big hollywood movies with grand entry. After seeing the hitch hiker I ended my phone call and ran across towards him. I said Hi to him asked his name and asked him where he is going. So he was Francoise from Brussels who came to Paris for Fete de La Musique and was going back to Brussels. I asked him if I could join him he said he had no problem. So we kept chatting while asking for a ride with the big board Francoise had brought with him. He

was a student studying languages Arabic and English. So we stood there for half an hour and we decided to change the place as we were not getting any ride at port de la Chapelle. So we went to the metro station but then something pulled us back to the same place. Now we got separated and Francoise was now standing at the Gas station and I was standing near the traffic signal. After getting separated Francoise got his ride and I saw him getting into the car. I thought if he would sit in the rear seat it would mean I do not have a chance going along with him and if he would sit in the front seat then I have a chance of going along with him. And luckily he sat in the front seat making me very happy about my first hitch hike ride. I took my phone and started calling him and once he saw my call he talked to the driver. And voila there was my first ride a BMW with parking lights on to stop on the side to let me in.

Fareed BMW from Paris to Laon

Oh here was another hero sitting inside the car in his mid 40s and suddenly it appeared to me there was light illuminating behind him. I must have been hallucinating but he appeared to me like a mesiha my first ride in hitch hiking and I don't know how to thank him except for saying "Merci". Anyways so this guy said that he would drop us till Laon. this person was fun he told us to try hitch hiking from Pigalle instead of Port de la Chapelle if we are going to Lille. He talked about a lot of things and kept on talking to us. He spoke little English so he would converse mostly with Francoise but I would listen to what he said keenly. And most of the time I could pick 70% of what he was talking.  He started to talk about the band Beatles and how magnific and brilliant they were. Which reminded me of few songs from the Beatles. Which he started singing I mean most of the French don't speak English at all but they can sing songs in English very well. So I also talked to him about the French movies that I watch and he was surprised to hear from me that I watched a French comedy movie named "Bienvenue Les Chez Ch'tis". He now offered Francoise and me to his home and have a drink and then leave. Francoise was ready to leave but I was not ready as I wanted to go Amsterdam as early as possible. So he dropped us at a roundabout in Laon he asked me my name and was very surprised again reason being that he said he went to Paris to meet his friend with the same name as mine another coincidence. Anyways I asked his name during the departure very bad of me he told his name is "Fareed" and he was from Algeria. Now this was time for me and Francoise to part our ways. He decided to go in another direction as he was leaving for Brussels and I was headed to Amsterdam via Lille. So we bid farewell to each other and I went towards the Piege i.e toll booth in English at Laon for St Quentin. I saw that Frnacoise got his ride after 20 minutes. And I was still at the toll booth but within 5 minutes of his departure I got my ride. A volkswagon going towards the toll booth stopped and saw the name of the place "Lille" written on my paper. He offered me a ride till St Quentin. I was happy to get in this was a person who must be in mid 60s. I talked to him in English he said he was retired and he used to work for telecom companies and many more things. He dropped me at the St Quentin toll booth but he dropped me at a different toll booth. The reason he gave me was that no one would pick me up from the other toll booth because there was always thorough checking going on at the other booth and I would have problem getting a ride. So he dropped me at this other booth where it also started raining. I waited for more than half an hour and I could not get any ride. I don't know what came into my mind I suddenly decided to walk and get a ride from somewhere else. I walked for like an hour or more and I was not getting any rides on the highway. I realised that I was very well at the toll booth as walking on a highway is dangerous and besides no one would stop on a busy high way. Anyways I enjoyed the beautiful scenery around and cared little for the noises of the speeding cars and trucks.

After walking for an hour or so I suddenly saw a Police car coming towards me I was so happy to see this car. Because I have all my documents and I knew its not a crime to hitch hike or walk. So the least thing that the police would do is drop me at the next toll booth which would make it easier for me to catch a ride. Or drop me to a place from where I can get a ride. But unfortunately the stars were not with me. I happened to be 2 kms away from a bridge where there would be lot of traffic slowing down. But also I was at a point from where the Police had access to take me into the city St Quentin. And the police chose the 2nd option they opened the locked gates and asked me to come in. And then they closed back the gate and asked me for my documents. Which I happily gave to them and after 5 minutes of enquiring something on his radio this guy returned me my Passport. And told me to go and I asked him smilingly that if he would drop me somewhere. And he said he had no space in his

car. Definitely I was not lucky that day he gave me direction towards the station in St Quentin. I walked now again for half an hour then stopped at a bus stop to check if there is a bus available. There was this youngster at the bus stop whose name was Valentine. I talked to him about the station and whether if there are any trains available. He guided me with the directions but told me to wait for the bus that would be very easy as the station is far. So I had a chat with this boy in the bus and I got down at the station. I had now two option either take a train back to Paris or take a train to Lille. I took the latter option as I did not come all this way to go back after getting my first ride with a partner and first ride on my own. So I took the option of taking a train to Lille, but St Quentin had no direct train to Lille first one has to take a bus to another station and from there a train to Lille. Oh the bus was at 9.50 pm and as per the time given I would reach Lille at 11.30 pm. Anyways I took the bus and changed the train and reached Lille.

I cannot do hitch hiking at night. I did not had a tent in my backpack as Francoise about whom I was wondering would had slept somewhere in the green fields with his sleeping bag in a small tent in the open. But Lille was a place which I knew very well and I knew exactly where to go and stay for the night. I headed towards the auberges des jeunes a youth hostel for youngsters and travelers. I went to the hostel took a bed and then put my phone on charging and told the receptionist that I will leave early in the morning by 7 am and asked him to wake me up at 6 am in the morning. I now dropped my plan for hitch hiking and decided to take a bus or use a carpooling service. But early morning there was no bus or a carpool available. So I decided to go on hitch hiking again and went to sleep. Got up at 6 am took shower changed clothes and went to the receptionist. He packed my breakfast for me. And brought a coffee for me to drink. Auberges des jeunes is a very good place the people are very friendly and they really help tourists and travelers. Good thing about them is its a private organization set up to help tourists and travelers. And they are a non profit organization. Now I told the reception about my plan to Hitch Hike to Amsterdam and he helped me with the map of Lille and gave me the location of the place from where I could get rides.

I went to that location tried at one place for 15 minutes did not get a ride so changed my position. Once I changed my position within next 5 minutes I got a ride for my next location that was "Gent". I could not believe my luck today this guy was someone in his mid 30s I talked to him in French. But then he was replying to me in English. He said speak to me in English I am comfortable speaking in English as I don't speak French well. This guy was a Belgian and he spoke Dutch, French and English. So he said that his town in 20 kilometers before Gent so he will drop me at a place from where I can get rides easily instead of taking me to his town where I will be stuck as there will be very few cars going towards "Antwerpen" (i.e my next location after Gent). And so he was driving and I was talking to him about the European weather and how everyone in Paris had been telling me about the summer will start from next week for the last three months and blah blah blah. He told me an interesting thing about his mother who is 70 years old and how she would be cycling towards Compostela. How she did it last year and how she will be doing it this year too. Anyways I was very impressed with what he told about his mother. I crossed the border of France and Belgium easily without any worries. And I saw a long line of Trucks at the borders. He told me that the trucks are not allowed on highways during the weekends and these trucks would recommence their journey after 12 midnight of Sunday. So he suggested me that if I have to go back to Paris then I need to be at these borders or petrol stations by 12 in the midnight to get a lift from a Truck all the way to Paris. He drove me to his place that was 20 kms before Gent and dropped me at a location where the cars were accessible easily.

I took out a paper and wrote "Antwerpen" on it and then was walking towards the location where cars coming from other roads also would stop. While walking I did a guesture for a ride towards the cars.

Ride from Gent to Antwerpen

And I could not believe my luck a small volkswagen car came by and stopped. I could not believe my luck here I am now sitting in this small car with back filled with bags. This must be an adventurous person going out for camping with his tent and all. Luckily he was going to Antwerpen to pick up a friend for camping. This journey was a short trip reached the place in 30 minutes. Chatted all the way till Antwerpen then he started searching for a gas station or a entrance to the highway from where I can get a lift. He left me at a very nice place with signal and from where I can ask rides from people going towards "Breda" next stop close to Amsterdam.

The drizzle now turned into rain luckily I had a raincoat in my bag. I unpacked my raincoat which ofcourse was my friends disposable raincoat which one can use for once and throw. But I wore this thing once in the rain and I am still using it. Typical Indian mentality of saving things. Anyways now I was wearing this raincoat and my papers all wet. I did not had a choice but to stand without a paper telling the direction where I would go. So after waiting for 15 minutes a car came and stopped. They asked me for the direction where I was going I said Breda. And they said we are going till "Schilpol Airport". Seriously what deeds must I have done early in the morning that I cannot believe my luck. I was expecting a ride till "Breda" and I got a lift till Amsterdam airport.

Suddenly my hope for the humanity raised by huge levels. I now had belief that humanity has not died the world has generous people alive. All this crap was now going in my mind. Seriously generosity and humanity depended on people who would give me a ride naaahhhhh. Anyways jokes apart now this was a couple in their mid 60s. They were very nice couple and the man who was driving car was a very well educated person. And we had a long chat till we reached airport. With

Mr & Mrs Domingo

topics raning from politics, history,geography,anhtropology, philosophy, religion,spirituality and what not. This was the best ride I got cause it was very nice to talk to Mr Domingo who was a professor in a university. Mr Domingo was an atheist and he was also against capitalism. His wife did not talk much occasionally she would just say something in between. We talked so much during the journey that sometimes Mrs Domingo had to put the indicators in order to tell her husband that its time to change the track or take a turn. I spotted a few windmills and was feeling very happy to see them atlast. I had so much to learn from Mr

Windmill 

Domingo that in the end I had a list of titles of books to read which he suggested. And in return I too gave him a list of books to read and places to visit in India in which Munnar always tops. So I made it to the Schipol airport in no time.

At the airport I purchased a sim and waited for a friend who was leaving Amsterdam. Hence I met this friend of mine and took a train for Amsterdam Central Station. I will not talk much about Amsterdam. As I was very disappointed with the high prices in the city. They would not even provide a city map for free. You have to buy a city map for 2.5 euros whereas in Paris you get a map of the city for free. The only reason I wanted to go to Amsterdam was for Tulip gardens. The tulip gardens made famous by Yash Chopra, Amitab Bachan and Rekha. Oh disappointment the tulip gardens are open only in the spring and that was in May. So I was disappointed as I now had nothing to do in the Sin City except for roaming in the streets. So I took the option of a boat tour which was again 15 euros. The boat tour was ok it covered almost all of Amsterdam through the canals. I now had nothing to do in Amsterdam I decided to rent a cycle and see the city. But then I had another shock to rent a cycle I would need another 15 euros. I decided to walk madam tussauds entry was 23 euros so I decided just to sit

Amsterdam Central Station

somewhere and eat. So I opened my bag took my break fast which was packed at Auberges des jeunes. So grabbed a piece of bugette applied nutella and ate eat. After I filled my stomach I saw a man from Australia performing on the road. So went by and joined the crow to see this guy perform. It was the best street show that I ever saw it was very funny and cool. Saw a slow motion act for the first time in life and was awestruck with it. After the street show I roamed across the streets of Amsterdam. I do not have much to say about what all things I passed by in the streets of Amsterdam. As everyone knows that Amsterdam is famous for only two things Bicycles and  Beers. Ok ok Amsterdam is famous for bicycles and beers too but its more famous for Sex & Drugs you got it. Anyways I was least interested in both. So I decided to come back to Paris. And hence took a train to Utreich from Amsterdam central. Now my return journey is kind of a very big adventure. I would talk about it in my next post. But going by the progress that I was making I started to believe that I am a pro in Hitch Hiking now. And I became overconfident that by pointing my finger I can even stop a

airplane.  So god had a surprise for me during the return trip which I would post in few days. Anyways after covering a distance of 600 kms I am now a hitch hiker although novice but still I won the title anyhow.

So those who want to HitchHike from Paris to Amsterdam begin your journey at Pigalle and then take the route of A1 and from which ever location you get down take a lift to Lille or the destinations that are in between Lille. From Lille your next destination is Gent. And then it is Gent->Antwerpen->Breda->Utreich->Amsterdam. If you are lucky you can directly go to Amsterdam in one ride but that is a big shot. Always carry a map and keep track of the highway numbers and highway number which you have to take. And always make sure you are standing in a location where vehicles stop or slowdown and have a space to park once they stop. Always smile towards people when you ask for lift. Keep smiling even when people are not good towards you. Because you do not want to loose the ride which could be the next car. Anyhow I did not found anyone who was very bad towards me people either smile say no or just wish you luck so there is no need to worry about not getting a ride at all. And believe that its ok to ask for a ride and always think that there would be a very generous and very awesome person to give you a ride for whom you have been waiting. I hope with these suggestions you are good to go on your first HitchHike trip.

If you read all that thing written above I should really appreciate you for your patience. I hope you would come back again to read the next blog of mine i.e Hitch Hike Trip from Amsterdam to Paris.