#loft hostel

First day in Paris! We slept in, had free breakfast (croissants and baguettes!!), a lovely shower (so clean! so warm! so efficient!) before heading out! We tried to do some museums but they were closed because it was Tuesday and the French seem to hate Tuesdays… so we walked towards Notre Dame and stumbled across the beautiful Maison d'Orchids! Gorgeous flowers, some of my favorites! Then we visited Notre Dame herself--so beautiful! We visited the Notre Dame treasury, which was cool, and climbed up the North Tower! Awesome views, but a very tiring and alarming trek! After exploring Notre Dame, we got our first crepes in Paris--I had Nutella, and it was DELICIOUS. Like, YES. 

We stopped in Shakespeare Company and I took a nap in one of their fabulous chairs… Then we had a late lunch/dinner (I had a "BLT" with hard boiled egg and cheddar cheese--I appreciated the additions) at this strange restaurant where they brought our drinks with lighted sparklers in them?? We were both in sort of horrified shock, which I don't think was the reaction they typically expect…

After eating, we started towards Galleries Lafayette and then changed our minds when we saw the Eiffel Tower sparkling in the distance…its golden glow was too beautiful to resist! It ended up being a long way away, but on our journey we stumbled across this really cool outdoor photo exhibition? Very moving and provocative photos. I love all the ART in Paris!! 

Finally made it to the Eiffel Tower, and since there was hardly any line, we spontaneously decided to take the elevator up to the top! I'm so glad I have that experience under my belt! 

here's the round-up of the best places we stayed at during our round-the-world trip. Hostels were often the first place to look, but we weren't willing to sacrifice comfort for a cheap 20-person dorm. Nor was the late night partying in the room our thing, so those places didn't work for us. Our budget was tight, and it was always a bit of a task finding somewhere charming and clean to sleep. 

We carried sleep sacks and sleeping bags with us everywhere, but at these places, we definitely didn't need them:

The Loft Hostel, Chengdu, Sichuan, China - $7/bed

Amazing Home Hostel, Arequipa, Peru - $7/bed

Kumbha Palace, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India - $10/room

Elbrus Home, Thamel, Kathmandu, Nepal - $14/room

Saphaipae Hostel, Silom, Bangkok - $10/bed

Nomad Guesthouse, Shuhe, Yunnan, China - $18/room

Samosir Cottage, Lake Toba, Sumatra, Indonesia - $8/room

Jade Emu Guesthouse, Dali, Yunnan, China - $5/bed

Enjoy Hostel, Miraflores, Lima, Peru - $8/bed

Sania's Guesthouse, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia - $17/room