Frazier Blog

Woke up and rushed to the train station after I found out it took 30 minutes longer to get there than I anticpaited. Long story short, I don’t like the French rail system. Barley made my train and still could not use my pass. There were 4 seats for every person the comductor agreeded and wrote a note on my ticket and told me to send it in to try and get a refund. Nice how fast the trains go though.

Soon I was on a local trains and there were even less people. Beautiful train ride. Funny going to bathroom directly on the tracks. Met a nice man named Daniel filled me in on the area. Got to Bern and went and asked if I needed a ticket for interlaken, nope just get on the train.

The train ride from Paris to interlaken is beautiful and gets better with each passing mile. Soon the mountains came into view, I felt myself losing my breath. The natural beauty overwhellemed my senses.

My intenuaray is to go to gimmelwald for a night, hike then go to the jumgfraujouch (highest train station in Europe, viewing platform at 11,300ft), stay a night in grindelwald and then off to cinque Terra, Italy.

Upon arrival in interlaken rick steves had told me there was a great travel center. I went to get my train ticket to cinque Terra, Salzberg and frankfurt. While the French had almost ruined my image of backpacking via train the Swiss swooped in for the save. Both agents I worked with were amazing. Making jokes and very helpful, I bought my tickets and was on my way up the mountain.

To get to the mountain hostel I had to take a train, bus and finaly a cable car. The mountains are so big and close. Amazing.

Not only are they huge, snow capped and close but feature waterfalls. I felt like I was in a dream and that this all could not be real.

The hostel was a short walk ( 30 seconds) I could already tell I was going to regret only staying one night. The staff was so friendly. I got my room set down my pack and was back outside in 2 minutes. I got a beer and fresh homemade pastry and picked a table to sit at.

Little did I know yet another magical moment was about to happen. As I sat enjoying my amazing food and gawking at the mountains, so close it felt like I could touch them I said hello to the 3 girls at the table. I quickly found out they were from Oregon and go to UofO! But wait it gets better. I found out Steph was a junior in the journalism school. I decided to play my favorite game when I meet people from UofO that are in the J-school, Greek system or die-hard sports fans; do you know Kate Flowers?

The reaction was perfect. “Yes! Wait….you’re that Paul! This is blowing my mind” my mind was blown as well as I took a second look at Steph and once she took her sunglasses off it was clear her and i had seen each other mutliple times before. Crazy! What are the odds? The one day I’m there, in the middle of the Swiss alps. We gave Kate a call later and when I quickly passed the phone to Steph I could hear Kate’s loud suprised reaction. Awesome.

I kept meeting so many great people. Piort and Michelle, many texans, an old British dude and a bunch of German students.

I joined the girls for a quick walk to the local cheese maker. I selected a 2008 and it was delicous. Again the walk though the town did not feel real. This is a place you think only exists in movies.

I had an amazing pizza cooked by the host. So good. We then sat outside and talked and regualry commented on how unreal our surroings are. Pictures do not begin to do it justice.

As night fell more clouds rolled it but the forecast called for it to be clear tomorrow. It stayed warm and light for a long time and we enjoyed watching the colors change on the nearby mountains. Shorty after it got dark the moon found a way though the clouds slighly lighting the mountains.

As we headed inside we were greated by two guitars, one of whom was playing a hermonica as well. Our French Canadian friend soon brought out a snack plate complete with two local cheese, salomi and olive bread. His friend had been learning the drums somewhere in Europe and another person over heard this and soon a drum was in his hands. This time it was the guitarists turn to make a comment about how unreal this all was. I can’t wait to return to this place and you are all invited. Please please come.

There was a little drama as 90% of the hostel was still up at midnight when “quiet” hours start. At around 12:30 some lady came down and asked us to be quiet, our table was prety quiet. But the Germans playing jenga was another story. The guitar did a ssssh and in a mocking tone eveveryone else joined in. It worked thou, for about a minute and a half. The rest of the night about every 7 minutes someone would start a sssh and everyone would join in. Pretty funny. Did not stop the lady from coming down again. Since we were closest to the stoats we caught her wrath.

I went to bed around 130. With an alarm set for
8:30.

Loving travel,

Paul