Freezing in Interlaken

  Interlaken, Switzerland
Saturday, September 17, 2005

12.Freezing in Interlaken

Day 10. September 17th. Saturday.

After breakfast, we pack our stuff, check out, and walk to the railway station to buy a ticket to Interlaken. It's not too far away from Luzern, so I don't want to use up a travel day on my rail pass. Because of the recent flooding in the area, the train takes a detour via Bern. We have to change trains at Bern, and we have 5 minutes to find the right track and jump on the right train. We make a mad dash as soon as the train stops, and thank heavens for our light luggage otherwise we would have made spectacles of ourselves. The rest of the ride is uneventful and the views from the train are very beautiful. Interlaken is a small town at the base of the Alps, and literally means between two lakes. And that's exactly what it is, a town between the Lakes of Thoune and Brienz in the heart of the Bernese Oberland. The town also sits at the foot of three most famous mountains - Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau. It has two stations, and to get to our hotel, the Chalet Oberland, we have to get off at Interlaken West.



Cloudy day in Interlaken


It's a very small station, and I have absolutely idea where exactly our hotel is located. We walk towards where I think it should be and I'm pretty miserable because the weather is really bad. Its freezing cold, cloudy and now it has started to rain. My Montmartre umbrella is packed away somewhere in my bag, and I don't think digging for it in my luggage right in the middle of the sidewalk is a very good idea. So wet, miserable, and now wet, we forge on. I check the printout of the location of the hotel, and think it might be ahead. Just as I'm getting ready to pop into one of the souvenir shops to ask for directions, I see the crossroads mentioned in the map. The hotel is hardly a 5-minute walk (5 miserable minutes, I should add) from the tiny station. I am so glad to step inside the reception area, out of the cold. A group of people, probably from some tour company, has just arrived as well, and the tiny reception area is extremely crowded with people and luggage. There's hardly any place to walk. I am very glad for our small bags as I see the some old ladies struggle up the few stairs to the reception area. Fortunately our room is ready and we quickly head to the elevator for the ride up to our room. It is pretty huge, and even has a kitchenette. I look out the window and there's a huge mountain right outside. Pity its mostly engulfed by a thick fog, otherwise I'm sure it would have been a pretty sight. The weather has taken a turn for the worst, and I dread having to go outside to grab some lunch. I go get a small bottle of Bailey's from the vending machine to warm me up (and to help me muster enough courage) to head outside again.


Godwin

The rest of the day is spent eating a very late lunch, exploring the town and then eating dinner. The hotel is right in the middle of the town, with lots of souvenir shops all along the main street.



Jungfrau marathon start line

Coming up:
13. Trummelbach Falls
14. Jungfrau - the top of Europe
15. Venice - water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink...