So, I wrote this in a series of short notes to myself as I boarded/rode the various trains to Interlaken on Friday. Apologies for all the jumps in thought, if you feel like trying to read through them!
I'm scared.
It's Friday morning, I'm sitting by myself on the train to Malles, I'm surrounded by people who only speak either Italian or German, and I'm scared. It's funny, because this isn't the first time I've traveled alone--and on a train in Europe, to boot. No, I didn't have too much difficulty riding to Padova or Verona by myself on the train, and that was just last week. I think it's the whole Eurail Pass deal that I'm uncertain about. I know it will save my money (or at least I hope it will...), but right now it's just a hassle. I think that, plus the fact that my trip to Interlaken today involves no fewer than seven connections, is starting to get to me a little. I just want to get to Interlaken before it's dark, unscathed.
Whoo! Praise God, first connection successful. I'm now on a bus that will take me to Zernez, Switzerland. The bus driver accepted my rail pass, thankfully; I don't know if it works or because he didn't want to deal with it...German sounds so different. On the bus to Merano this morning, it was so crowded and full of people speaking German. It reminded me of the bus in Pisa, where there were a lot of hilarious Spaniards getting really excited. I can't wait for Spain :)
Excited to cross the border!
Wow. Just hit a huge school group boarding the bus. Wonder if they speak any English...probably not. A few have helmets, interesting.
So now I'm on my fourth train, and my rail pass worked once again. Thank You, Jesus :) I'd say the saying, "The journey matters more so than the destination" resonates a lot more with me now, haha. I've received grace from several strangers and gotten to watch mountain landscapes every ride (except this one--it's all tunnel). There are definitely several school/youth groups traveling together that I've seen. I spy an older Asian couple! I'm not the only one here! Wonder if they're German...
Praise the Lord! I'm on my 7th and last train of the day. Destination: Interlaken Ost. (On my last train, I sat near someone with handcuffs...random)
(After wandering around town with dinner on the go)
First impressions of Interlaken: I'm definitely happy to be here. The neighborhoods kind of remind me of American suburbia, except the buildings are all super cute and rustic log-cabin types. The hotelkeeper was really friendly and switched me to one room for both nights. I got to my room, and I'm pretty sure everyone else is a guy. It smells like guy, lol.
There are a LOT of Asians (Indians, Chinese, Korean) here. Therefore, there is a decent amount of Asian/Indian restaurants, too. The food is kinda pricey at every restaurant. There are also a lot of hotels, watch shops, knives, and chocolates.
Now I'm sleeping early...need to decide what adventurous thing to do tomorrow...bungee or skydive or paraglide.
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How do you decide where and when to go? On a whim?
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