Tempe, AZ (Home Base)

USA

Interlaken, Switzerland

I’m not Rick Steves. I’m not even going to get close to how much information his books provide about the cities he visits. But I can write something Mr. Steves doesn’t and that’s this - Interlaken, Switzerland changed my life forever.

It could have been the people I met while there, the delicious chocolate that encompasses every street corner and fat cell on my body, or the fact I bungee jumped over a Swiss lake off a tiny gondola . . . did I mention this place changed my life forever?!

This country deserves my complete respect and my week in Interlaken played out much like I was a character in a Lewis Carroll book. In fact, that’s how much respect I have for it. I’ll write a short story with chapters and everything . . . the title of my story: Calluses In Wonderland (okay, the one flaw is the blisters you get from walking!!)

Damn you Rick Steves, the blisters are somehow you’re fault :)

Chapter One: The hostel.

Balmers Herberge
Hauptstrasse, 23-25
Interlaken, BE 3800 Switzerland

cimg1907.JPGIt was a friend of a friend who introduced me to the idea of going to Interlaken and staying at Balmers Herbege. She’d gone there a couple years before and stated it was the most fun she’d ever had and I wanted my turn. Interlaken was the last city I’d actually planned on staying in as I was leaving everything else to spontaneity.

Balmers is the oldest private hostel in Switzerland and is celebrating 60 years of successful business. It is an ideal adventurous traveler location as it’s accessible to so many wonderful activities. The hostel is clean, fairly priced (around 22-28 francs) easy to get to from either Ost or West station, and a hotspot for meeting lots of fellow travelers looking for the same adventures.

The first thing I noticed was there weren’t any locks on the doors. Put your mind at ease: nothing I ever left in the room was disturbed, including my good ‘ole laptop. Like in every city, I always had my credit card, my passport, and a bit of cash securely tucked into my travel belt that I then tucked into my underwear (see Ali’s blog on Barcelona). But if you’re super paranoid about your I Love Swiss People t-shirt and dirty socks, there’s security lockers you can use.

Balmers is close to pretty much everything you’re going to need - restaurants (try My Little Thai right next door!), grocery stores (CO-OP) to use in the downstairs kitchen (bring some change!), bars (happy hour from 6-7pm @ Balmers), and of course, places to sign up for fun activities (you can use Balmers or walk the two blocks down to AlpSurf).

When I was there, WiFi was a thing of luxury and Balmers didn’t provide it. I believe it was a firm try to get people to get out and live. Which I and others certainly did. They have it now by the way, but don’t get carried away. Computers will be the last thing you’ll think of while in Switzerland. That takes me to the next chapter . . .

Chapter Two: The hikes.

cimg1935.JPGRick Steves. I hate to keep name dropping him, but he’s an incremental part of a lot of cities’ successes for getting more appreciation and visits. The question is though, can a quaint, humble village in the Alps remain “off the beaten path” after being featured in a television travel series and popular budget guidebooks?

This isn’t a yes or no answer. To me, the answer should be, it doesn’t matter. I kept picturing Mr. Steves hauling ass up the side of Gimmelwald and the more I did, the more it seemed important to share it with everyone. Hell, that’s what I’m doing. Every travel guide/book/website will tell you to ‘hike the Alps.’ I’m not demanding it, I’m not even suggesting it; I’m simply promoting it. Like a politician running for president, I’m campaigning for the Swiss Alps.

I’m not trying to be deceiving; the hikes are long, arduous, and certainly not all of them are climbable if you’re out of shape. But, bum knees, extra body fat, whatever. You’ve got to hike at least one mountain! As for me, I went on three. All different levels (although I didn’t know that at the time).

Sub chapter: Gimmelwald and Murren

Both of these towns are hikeable, even for the “non-hikers.” An option is to stop in Lauterbrunnen (a municipality that lies in Lauterbrunnen Valley, but is in the Interlaken district), which is beautiful as all Switzerland is, but I personally suggest continuing on to Gimmelwald. There isn’t any spot or walk you’re going to take that isn’t picturesque as the people take great pride and care of their country, but the entire point of being somewhere like Switzerland is to KEEP GOING!

cimg1837.JPGYou have to take a train from Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg (sounds like I’m gargling) and an even smaller, slower train to Gimmelwald that seems expensive, but the reward benefits the purchaser more than a few Francs saved for an extra chocolate bar. Trust me, you’ll get back home to discover you have random foreign money from all over and then you’ll say: “Ah! I should have kept going up to Gimmelwald!” For example, I still have four pounds in my drawer at home that means two things: One, I hesitated and missed out on something in the UK like an ice cream treat or an extra bus ride, and two, in America, I’m a millionaire, due to the ridiculously high value of pound to dollar.

In Switzerland, the hikes are real hikes, but for the most part, I forgot I was hiking. The air is Outkast (so fresh and so clean) and if you’re like me, you’ll take forever to get to the top because every twenty feet is a “photo opportunity.” But if I’d lost my camera or dropped it in German beer (see my Munich blog), I’d remember these mountains. And I’ll remember with whom I shared such an incredible experience.

Chapter Three: The people.

cimg1820_2.JPGIt was the morning of August 21st and I was tired, but set my alarm so I wouldn’t miss breakfast (served until 10am @ Balmers). I accepted my free breakfast of juice, oatmeal or dry cereal (I love cereal), and either an orange or toast (carbs over fruit anyday). I was somewhat lonely after instant messaging Ali and not actually getting to hear her voice tell me a funny joke or laugh at one we retell over and over for a chuckle. But then I remembered where I was and then realized it was time to be brave again.

Target: two girls sitting at a table, eating the same breakie and speaking in (gasp!) English. Bingo. I gathered my almost empty tray and asked clear as day, “Is anyone sitting here?” The rest goes as follows:

Have a seat. Thanks. I’m Emily, this is Amanda. I’m Katie. Where you from Katie? Arizona. Sweet, I’m from New York. Me: I totally want to go there! (more people enter from upstairs). Emily: Oh these are our friends, Paul, Sarah, and Lucky. Me: You all traveling together? Amanda: Nah. Just Paul and Sarah, everyone else is on their own. We all met at happy hour last night, got pretty schnackered. Paul: Everyone up still for canyoning? Everyone: Yes! Paul: Katie, you in?

Sub chapter: Canyoning

Of course I was in. I didn’t even know what the hell canyoning was (taking pictures of canyons?) but I wasn’t about to lose these awesome new friends. And awesome is a dumb word that underwhelms how great these people turned out to be. Paul and sister Sarah from Tampa, Luciano aka Lucky the Italian, New Yorker Emily, and birthday girl Oregonian Amanda. Then the Phoenician Katie. We were the new millennium Euro Breakfast Club. They made it feel like I was home again, except none of us wanted to be home.

Interlaken became the standard I compared all other upcoming cities to, and my Breakfast Club still sets the bar when comparing new people I meet. They were that essential to my wanting to go on, try more things, visit more cities, and be more myself.

Some solo travelers like to remain solo and I get that. I myself was constantly in and out of wandering the cities I visited alone, and casually meeting great people at hostels.

But of course, I prefer the company of my best friend, fellow TGTG Ali because sharing something as beautiful as traveling around new cities can be best relived over a cup of coffee with someone who knows what it’s like to want to go back.

Chapter Four: Bungee Jumping.

cimg2142.JPGI went bungee jumping. Whether or not it was in me my whole life, who can say. I know I can’t. But at the time, in Interlaken, Switzerland, over a lake surrounded by Alps mountains and 200 alpine peaks of the Simmental valley, off a shaky gondola 450 feet above the water, in the cold and drizzling rain, staring into the distant fields where cows stood at a slant eating nature’s best grass, it was me.

I leapt for nobody else either, which is, if you decide to go, the best and only way to do it. It’s not for everybody. Neither is knitting or buying lottery tickets for that matter. I hate to knit, so it would anger me if someone was telling me, you have to knit, it’s an experience you’ll never forget. That was bungee jumping for me. It was something I can’t forget - it was scary for cripes sake - but was a jump I don’t regret taking.

My mom (who practically forbade me to bungee jump before I left) took the news fairly well. She said it must have been quite a leap - scary, heart wrenching, and terrifying in its own way. I told her so was marriage. So what? People do it. Some do it twice! For me, it was its own entity and I’ll forever treat it that way. An alien force I encountered and conquered and, although fond of its qualities, can bear not doing again.

Why am I telling you this? To promote bungee jumping? To say do something crazy while traveling? Not at all. My solemn vow while in Europe and is everyday is simply to be myself and try new things. Every second of every minute of every hour of every day for the rest of your life, be yourself and be open to new experiences. If it leads you to bungee jumping, all right. If it leads you to knitting, excellent.

If I try to explain it any further, I’ll bore both my readers, our site regulars, fellow TGTG Ali, and myself. I shared it to make a point and now that it’s out there, I feel happy to have shared it.

Swiss Recap:

TGTG Apology: If you need some extra warmth, buy a kickass Balmers hooded zip-up sweatshirt. I owe them one! I didn’t have a coat and the English hostel worker lent me her sweatshirt and when I came back late at night, she was gone. So sorry British lady, thanks for your kindness.

TGTG (Katie only) recommendation: If you aren’t afraid of heights and my story made yourself think, ‘I want it too!’ then go to Alpin Center and say, “I too want to jump over Stockhorn Lake!” I tried to explain it to you, but there’s really only one way to feel it. . .

TGTG Photo Op: Switzerland :)

TGTG Advice: Take your time.

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