EuroTrip - Day 84

Backpacker's Paradise

Get up early in the morning when everyone around you is still peacefully sleeping. Get ready and go for a long walk in some random direction. A nice refreshing bath followed by a simple yet filling breakfast. I have done this many times. Vayittiri, Goa, Abu, Maheshwar, Yercaud - the list is endless. Each such morning has been a memorable one.

Today I added one more name to this list - Interlaken. It's unbelievable to think that I never needed need an alarm to get up in right time on such days. The body clock adjusts itself, I guess. Today also, I was awake well in time to witness the sunrise in this beautiful little town in foot of the most beautiful of the Swiss Alps. However, the little cover of clouds in the east played the spoilsport. I missed the sunrise just by a whisker. But it was still a really beautiful morning nonetheless. Snowy mountain are a treat to watch when the first ray of the rising sun hits their peak and gives it a heavenly glow. The whiteness of pristine snow gives rise to a golden tint. The blue sky plays the perfect companion making the sight a treat to be cherished. There was something special in the air. Pure and refreshing. Melting snow gives rise to a variety of shapes. Kissing couple to dancing budhha - it's all there. You just need to open your eyes and let your creative self rule the vision.

Xmas is just around the corner and you can feel it in every town and village in this country. Interlaken's Xmas market started today. These festive markets are like small carnivals. Craftsman set up their shops in makeshift hut shaped stalls, so do the people selling traditional food and beverages. The decorations are carefully done and attention is paid to every detail. I had seen a glimpse of what goes into making such beautiful and vibrant market during my morning walk when I had exchanged some pleasant good morning greetings with those people. I am really impressed by their creative efforts. There is a passion which comes out so distinctly from their efforts. So far, Xmas celebration for me have been about enjoy watching these Europeans unleash their creativity. It's inspiring to say the least.

The traditional craft work in these markets are really interesting. Handcrafted wooden articles to glass souvenirs, woolen items and loads of other things - each one beautiful than the other. I really wish they were a little affordable. I would have so many extra souvenirs to take home then.

Interlaken is surrounded by two beautiful lakes (Thun and Brienz) and we had not yet been to even one of those. Today's itinerary had to include at least one of those. We headed towards Lake Thun. The direction looked simple but turned out to be real confusing. Or actually we really did not care about them. We kept walking - a long silent walk before realizing that we were literally lost. We could hear the sound of the river but could not see any water. There were hardly any soul venturing out of their cozy homes on such a beautiful day. So we kept walking. A couple of attempts to get some help and we were on a newer road. A beautiful golf course covered with snow, some trails for horse riders, a big field (which was still a field and no snow field) where parasailers were landing with perfection and a beautiful camping site on the highway. We had reached the lake somehow. A long walk listening to nature's music. Life could not have been beautiful.

Lake Thun is like the blue water lagoon of anyone's dream. Crystal clear water in the best of shades. Snowy mountains seeing their reflection as if to appreciate their own self. Ducks playing in the water. Sound of tiny waves splashing on the shore. Seagulls. Beautiful woooden houses with their windows opening directly above the water. No soul visible for miles. You and your loneliness. Just You. Heavenly is the word. It's heavenly beautiful and gives an ultimate feeling of inner peace. No wonder, I just dozed off dreaming of something beautiful. When I woke up, I realized it was not a dream. I was there in that beautiful world.

We stopped in a small little town called Brienz on our return journey to Lucerne. I wouldn't call this town sleepy as then I will be doing a total injustice to the inherent beauty of this town. It's just too content with itself. It has a small toylike railway station overlooking the lake. Beautiful houses with a small garden in front of them paint the landscape in vivid colors. Huge cowbells hanging in the balcony, snow covered rooftops and the white smoke coming out of the small chimney there, Xmas decorations on the walls and in windows - they are like the houses from the fairytale world. The town also has a funicular railway going up the mountains. With its steep path, this train would be an experience in itself. Lake Brienz is no less beautiful than Thun. It's blue shades are a notch up and the snowy mountain even more beautiful. The dreamworld follows you wherever you go in this part of the world. I don't know how many picture did I click, none of them would be real justice to the beauty of this place, I can say right away.

Rest of the journey on Golden Pass Line was just the continuation of our dream. We were tired after the long walk. So it will be difficult to figure out when we were actually dreaming and when we were living the dream.

Lucerne is one of the major tourist hub in this part of Switzerland. It's really touristic. We did not really want to be the tourists today so a small walk along the famous wooden bridge and we were back to the railway station to catch our train for Mannheim. To our bad-luck the train got late (oh yes, DB is notoriously famous for its late trains in this part of the world) and we missed our connecting train to Bora's private station. A long walk at mid night to find his hostel was not a bad experience. It made me prove once again that I am not bad with directions. :D

A long conversation. Loads of random gossips. That is our time spent in Bora's company. It really skipped my mind that it was Bora's birthday and bloody bugger did not remind me too. So bad!! I am going to make him pay for this sin. What does he think? Just because he is getting older, he won't remind his forgetful foolish friend of a his birthday. He better be beware.

It's 4am and I should really go and sleep now. Nahi to kal alaram se bhi neend nahi khulegi. Nidhesh bhai ne mast bed ka arrangement kiya hai so I am dozing off for a long confy sleep. Over and out