It goes without saying Switzerland is the most attractive country for tourists across the world for its beauty. Geographically, sitting on the European alps where snow-capped mountains could be seen from a distance throughout the year. Its forest view of tall pine trees, blue turquoise lakes and clear crystal rivers that magically cascade downhill captivated our minds and hearts.
In Switzerland, apart from beautiful landscape of mountains, lakes and pine trees, green meadows and fields spreading like huge carpets, man-made structures like houses, buildings and bridges are blending very well with the beauty of the nature. This land of milk and honey put a challenge against the stereotype of the ideas and practices of modernisation and development which usually represented by sky-scrappers and big buildings. Walking along the street gave us time and opportunity to see, observe and ponder how Swiss modernises and develops its towns and countryside. We found none of high rise buildings and the common design of shops here are simple but elegant and delighted our eyes when we looked at them. Stores facade designs mainly built from wooden frames and clear glasses windows seemingly welcome you as you can clearly see what items were on the display inside the shops. We also observed how they adorned and embellished the streets. Each and every single store and business premise creatively designed its outdoor space, whatever small it was. Naturally, flowers are their favourites. You could see variety of them; hanging flowers at the balconies and windows and some in the full blooms in beautiful vases. Nice weather permits customers to enjoy a peaceful moment; drinking and eating outside restaurants or sitting on benches and looking people around them. Nothing beats the beauty of simplicity!
We couldn't help but our minds remembered the motorcycle parked in front of the shop while strolling on the main street between Interlaken West and Interlaken Ost. As biker lovers, we are sensitive of motorcycle's brand, design and its engine capacity. Albeit in Switzerland as the rest of EU countries people prefer a car to motorcycle due to cold weather factor and affordability to own it, we could observe a few popular brands of motorcycles used by locals. One in particular was the tan colour Royal Enfield Classic, 500cc with a single black seat with a rattan basket at its real, below it was a pair of two brown leather saddlebags. Unlike modern-looked motorcycle, this classic or retro model comes with spoke rim makes it looks vintage and elegant. Its chrome engine with air cool systems and exhaust look stylish and masculine. It came as no surprise why British motorcycles including this brand took the world by storm in their heydays in the 1950s to 1970s before taking over by the Japanese and US motorcycles which looked modern and stylist. This 500cc motorbike can easily cruise at 120 kilometres per hour at its rider joy or delight. It is not a big bike like Harley Davidson motorcycles and Sport bike like Kawasaki but rather in the middle range in terms of power, but to have classic motorcycle like what we saw was a privilege. Once a rider always a rider and one of the famous sayings is by Vin Diesel “It wasn't until I went to College and I Got the First Motorcycle that I Understood the Thrill of Speed". But now after leaving colleges for a few decades the thrill of speed is secondary but the feeling a freedom what we enjoy is the most. Rewarding ourselves with a dream bike after working for over some time is another reason to possess it.
The bus that ferried us to the opposite side of the Lake Brienz of Interlaken stopped intermittently to drop and pick passengers up at the bus stops. Suddenly, when the mild late afternoon drizzle stopped, we saw the amazing view of the skyscape; an arch of rainbow brightened up the sky above us. We were amazed by the nature's colours on the rainbow in a spectrum of red on the top and violet on the bottom where orange, yellow, green, blue and indigo sandwiched between them. We noticed other passengers also didn't want to miss this rare opportunity; shooting this magical phenomenon with their hand phones before this spectacular event faded, at the same time gesturing to their partners who sat behind them. We believed everybody on board was mesmerised. What a lucky encounter, unexpected moment to be remembered in our short visit here. Soon the bus with full of passengers, almost all tourists passed a small road on the edge of the lake. The good looking, middle age and heavily moustaches bus driver confidently negotiated the hairpins and in a number of occasions stopped on the roadside and allowed other vehicles from the opposite direction to pass. When he couldn't see incoming road users at the sharp curved, he pressed the horn and for us it was the first time we heard a unique sound of horn. It was melodious, like a sound of music which in the contrast with harsh sound horn in Malaysia and elsewhere. Travelling open up your minds and enrich your experience about the nature that unfold before your eyes on how people do things differently. The mesmerised rainbow and the musical sound of horn of bus here hardly to be forgotten. All these, surely, bang for your buck and once you get hook on travelling, hardly you can stop. Only travellers really understood this.
It goes without saying Switzerland is the most attractive country for tourists across the world for its beauty. Geographically, sitting on the European alps where snow-capped mountains could be seen from a distance throughout the year. Its forest view of tall pine trees, blue turquoise lakes and clear crystal rivers that magically cascade downhill and find the valleys and green meadows come into play of its scenic landscape. How man-made structures which neither extravagance nor recklessness in development and modernisation, perfectly blended in with the nature added the beauty of the country. Here, physical development is carefully planned and designed according to the nature instead of against it. As for Swiss people whatever they build, nature must be included and it is considered as internality. As a result, no or less disturbance of the nature. You won't see mountains and hills are scarred here, buildings and houses seldom built on hillslopes and high rise buildings are not favour as they not only prevent landscape views but increase population density of any specific area. While in Malaysia we take nature for granted, Swiss people have a forward thinking and live in perfect harmony with the environment. We came across a pile of pine tree poles on the ground somewhere, but they log their forest sustainably. With the natural environment has been looked after, people here live in sustainable way. Simply speaking with its splendid beauty, this country is a dream place and no wonder tourists from faraway flock here. Could you imagine, how happy you are when you have a house here and everyday can see a picture postcard beauty through your windows. It is a heaven earth.
The short cruise ride on the Lake Brienz was an enchanted experience. Turquoise water, tall pine trees, Swiss cottages dotted the edge of the lake and mountains as the backdrop against the blue sky were absolutely amazing. While we enjoyed the cool breeze on the open deck, suddenly, it was raining cats and dogs, raindrops pelting heavily and all passengers on the deck hurriedly got inside to take shelter indoor except a few from middle east who still outside, enjoying themselves in the rain. We used the opportunity to explore the ship which was built by Escher WYSS & Co. in 1914, more than one hundred years ago. Its length about 60 metres and width nearly 13 metres, it can carry up to 800 passengers with top speed 25km per hour. What so special about this ship is it is operated by three cylinders’ steam engine where you can peep through the glass from the above deck to see how the engine running. We could help but amazed by its engineering marvel. When we raised our head, looking at the boat structure, we found everything was perfect, painted with soft green colour and no rust. Everything was well look after. As for Swiss people, when they built somethings they built for life and they are very proud of their invention.
We made it as a habit to jot down things that we came across and we also made a few simple sketches of the objects that saw in our journey. Combining both words and pictures were deemed effective to describe in details of the experiences in our travel. Since we had a short term memory, without words we could easily forget the details. The following was part of what we wrote on our note book in the early morning excursion to Blausee - "Round white clock pointing exactly 8.00 o'clock in the morning. Three women talking with one another. All bringing - traveller bags, two wearing long sport/traveller mountain climbing pants. One wearing a black shorts- snicker-branded. Soon the packed train, (white red-train arrived. At the same platform a young man-bespectacled, wearing a cap, smoking, a plume of white smoke spiral upward, a silver ring on his left hand- a cup of coffee on the railing....". When we left the scene we had a thick of sheaf of notes with us. Jotting down and sketching recorded what we had experienced was one thing but to weave them to make a story was an another and always a challenge for us. Of course we have no problem to write in our national language because we master and familiarise with the language since we were young. At school our essays or karangan usually got good grade and occasionally were used as the examples for other students in class. That make us very proud and we often bagged rewards and praises. However, our English composition was mediocre to say the least due to poor grammar and lack of vocabulary. How could we tell? How could we explain? But that was in the past, the different country. There is no use to cry on the spilled milk. We need to move forward and over time we can do it better. Hopefully, through a constant writing, bit by bit we can make our composition or narration better. It all about storytelling, but horning the said skill is never easy. Telling story about travelling can be a good platform, should be seized.
The popular quote “it is not the destination but the journey” it is not necessary true in Switzerland. Here with the excellent and reliable transportation system and its second to none infrastructure and facilities, a journey from place to another is so convenient and easy. With all the information that you gather online earlier you can plan your travel; you know how much it will cost you, what types of public transportation you will use, which bus or train and which station you will go and how long your journey will take. And your real experience in the journey is the exactly as your plan and expected before. Nothing more, nothing left. Here its transportation is systematic, mechanise and in order. We can say it is so predictable. Time is the essential, but if you missed a train or bus, you just need to wait at the next service at the time scheduled. On the contrary, in developing and under developing countries to visit touristy places with public transportation is never easy. If you board a bus, it is not likely to leave a station according to the schedule and you will see how local people use their transportation in their daily life. It is common to be in a crowded bus and you not necessary got a seat and when you got one it is common for locals to look and stare at you, because they curious, they usually ask where you come from and want to know where you are going. If you are lucky, they will invite you home for tea. That kind of situation enriches your travel's experience. Here the journey is nothing, compare to the destination. After the bus and followed by a train ride from Blausee, we arrived at Kanderstag, a sweet little town with beautiful views against spectacular mountains. Kanderstag is popular for its mountain coaster and Oeschinensee Hiking. A stroll at the quaint town itself indeed was a joyful moment. If you ever wanted to escape from the hectic life of a city and relax? Well, you may want to visit this place.
Switzerland is a tiny country famous for tourism due its beautiful landscapes. Ice-capped mountains, pine clad slopes border lush valley pastures and blue turquoise Alpine lakes. During winter, many people flock here to play ski when lakes turn to natural ice skating rink and its steep slopes are the ideal courses for adrenalin sport of ski jumper. But for many of us from Malaysia and from tropical countries that kinds of sport are not in our list as we are not familiar with snow. We arrived in the early autumn where leaves were still green and yet to turn yellow. From the top of Kanderstag mountain we could see greenery of the landscape of grass and pasture lands dotted with houses. With the bird's eyes view we could see the sprawling little city of Kanderstag fringed by the mountains against the deep blue sky and adorned with white clouds. From a distance we saw a herd of cows grazing. But with all the quaint sceneries we felt somethings missing. We saw cow grazing but too far to hear cow bells sounds, a musical tink-a-tonk when they walk and move their heads. We didn't see Swiss peasants in the fields, let alone to see how they milk their cows. Perhaps the things what we dream off were in the past. While the landscapes were mesmerised and we enjoy them at fullest, the ambience and rural Swiss live experience what we missed in our visit.
A must-do adventure in Switzerland is Kandersteg mountain coaster pipe ride. And for some they opine that the views of the alps are the best seen while riding and sliding on this 750-meter-long coastal which perfectly nestled in the peak of the mountain. Prior to the ride, a cable car lifted us high into this magical place. Alternatively, you can hike up to the top and at the same time enjoy the scenery along the way up to the hill. This will be a memorable adventure as you have time for you, family and friends to enjoy the untapped treasures but having a stamina and strong feet are important for you if you wanted to do so. The feeling of the joy would be a different if you take an easy way. We chose to ride a cable car instead, as we didn't have time and stamina for a hiking. Unlike other places, here we could enjoy the cable ride at ease because we had the whole of it for ourselves since it was off peak season. Taking pictures from various angles and how we wanted to be pictured won't be a problem. The same thing went for the coaster ride, no queue and after we got the tickets which affordable and we soon on the small coasters and ready to slide down. The weather was great with the morning sun shone brightly above our heads. What was the thrill of freedom and restful experience when you were alone or in a small group and experience all these things at the fullest and forgot the hustle and bustle of busy life and temporarily relieved stress as it replaced them with overwhelmed good feelings and fresh experiences? You are on the top!
The view of the blue turquoise water of Oeschinen Lake bathed in noon rays of the sun and above white clouds covered half the deep blue sky was indeed captivating and no words could describe. A half hour walks; up and down on the gravel path and sore feet were nothing when we were greeted and rewarded by the beauty of this magical lake. It looked joyful with throng of visitors who arrived earlier than us, mainly concentrated at the area where cafes and souvenir shops perched on the low cliff. People came here because they wanted to see this beautiful fairy lake; surrounding by ice-capped mountains which sparkling in the sunshine and their images were reflected on the surface of the water. Avoiding other visitors, we descended downhill on the grassy slope strewn with stones and wildflowers which were moving gaily in the winds. At the shore littered with gravels and small stones we snapped photos of the lake and ourselves against the beautiful views. Ascending the hill, halfway we met a middle- aged European couple sitting on a big rock with their rucksacks, we asked the man to take photos with us but he extended his hand instead to grab our phone, mistakenly thought we asked him for help to our photos and later smiled when we repeated our invitation. Feeling satiated of the breath-taking views and a little experience gained; we walked jauntily back to catch a cable car to go down the meadow. As for a poet, this magnificent lake and alps would be sources of a poem, and as geographers who had a strong inclination of physical geography, geomorphology of landscapes always captivating us, here glacier is the significant change agent in this temperate region.
With its elevation of close to 3,500 metres, Jungfraujoch is the highest rail station in the entire Europe. Its top, Jungfrau is always blanketed with snows, a world where everything that your eyes can see is dazzling white. You need to put on your sunglasses to see the fascinating views from the top of the mountain. Many people flock here to see the breath-taking panorama. The red colour train carried us upward through the steep slope tunnel. We couldn't help but admire Swiss people gut and determination in conquering the mountain. They started digging the tunnel with hoes in the late nineteenth century and later in the early twenty century railway line completed and the train carried passengers here. With this train service it carries passengers to the highest accessible point. We were truly enveloped by white scenery around us and indeed lucky when suddenly snows were falling from the sky; like tiny cottons, gently covered our clothes and our bodies. It was an unforgettable experience on the top of Europe. You should include this hilltop and its station in your bucket list when you have an opportunity to visit this country. It would be once in a life time experience.
Apart from reaching at the summit of Junfrau, we never dream of going on the iconic place captured beyond our imagination. It was like a dream, when we entered inside the ice tunnel, we were soon greeted by the magical snow globe that captivating our sights and sounds. The tempo of the music on the background in tune with the changing colour of objects and their beautiful movements inside the snow globe tell the story of the country. All traditional and not so modern elements were there; ice-capped mountains, cable cars, funny cows, Swiss in their traditional dress, snow fall, moving trains, to name but a few. While the temperature inside the tunnel was freezing, below zero, we didn't feel cold. It didn't hard to admire this ingenious invention, and our eyes stayed and hardly moved from the object. It was a magical moment and it was like in a fairy tale story. When we left it, the sound lingered and the sight stayed with us.
We wished we had time to stay longer, hearing a vibrant medley of sights and sounds of the ice globe but time didn't permit us to do so. Walking carefully on slippery ice floor of the tunnel until we were greeted by 'Scrat' the speechless sabre-toothed squirrel, frozen in a block of ice on the wall of the tunnel. If you watched Ice Age; the computer-animated comedy film first released in 2002, you would remember of this funny little mammal. Though his character was minor, he never failed to captivate us. While the plot of the story revolved around the three characters: Manny, the wholly mammoth; Sid, the sloth and Diego, the Saber toothed cat, Scrat who was busied with his acorn, searching for a place to bury his precious wealth in the ground gained our attention. Inadvertently, creating ice crack. What a funny little creature with his small black eyes staring upward with his hands holding his acorn inside an ice cube. The temperature minus zero, meeting face to face with this poor little squirrel warmed us. We couldn't help but smiling. We didn't expect to find you here!
