Paris air show, partying and getting robbed

Paris, France

19th June 2005

I was in Paris this last weekend. I went to go see the Paris air show which turned out to be really good. The only bad things about the whole trip were how hot it was, how expensive Paris is now and the amount of crime going on there.

My favourite bits of the air show was the Airbus A380 demonstration, the Gulf Stream jets on display, the Israeli air industries 3D show and the Boeing 777 on display.

On Thursday night I got really sick from the heat and had to stay in but on Friday night I met up with a bunch of Australians, Canadians and Americans and we had a really good time. It was one of the best parties I've been to in a while.

The only really bad point was on Saturday morning. I had gotten back at 3:15am and went to sleep with my bad right beside me. At 5am one of the guys went to the washroom, came back and forgot to lock the door. Normally doors automatically lock in hostels but not in this one. I woke up at 7:15am with everyone saying "Where is my shit?!?! My wallet is gone!!!" I jumped out of my bed to see my bag missing. I frantically searched for it and found it hidden off in a corner. All my money was missing out of my bag. I ran around the hostel looking for anyone suspicious but I couldn't find anyone.

It turned out that a 300Lbs African woman came into the hostel at midnight and hid somewhere until 5am. Then she went and robbed almost everyone's room. They had her on tape but the hostel staff said they weren't sure how to work the video cameras and that the police won't do anything because she only stole cash. I found it really suspicious since the guy who runs in the hostel sleeps in front of the main door and would not have noticed a 300lbs African woman in a hostel full of young people coming in at midnight.

One American girl got lucky. She had gotten sick on her bag and it was the only one not taken when her room was broken into.