Grüezi Switzerland; cowbells, hiking intense and beautiful mountains and falling in love with the locals.

Wednesday June 28

I arrived in Zurich to meet my friend Priscila. For anyone who has read my blog about Bali from last year, I wrote about Priscila then. Priscila is my Bali best friend. After us knowing each other for only a day and getting on like a house on fire, on my second day at our surf camp, a beginner surfer ran in to me and I had 45 stitches in my head as a result of it. Priscila came with the other girls from the camp and stayed with me as the Doctor laced all the stitches on my face over about an hour and a half. Priscila is someone I would love to hate as she is so beautiful, worldly and intelligent but she is also really kind, so instead, I love her.

It’s really lovely to stay with Priscila and her Mum, as I have been told so many stories about Priscila’s family from our two weeks together in Bali. Priscila’s Mum is a natropath and Priscila studies science, so you can imagine how interesting their approaches to life are.

It’s so great to just spend time with Priscila. We always talk about the deep stuff very quickly; politics and relationships as well as spirituality. Priscila is only 22, but I always forget that, as I think we are both old souls in many ways.

Thursday June 29

Today, Priscila and I headed out to hike up Ultilberg with Edit, a girl who emailed me back on 'couch surfing' when I emailed to see if anyone wanted to hang out in Zurich. I freaking love couch surfing, I wish I would have found this sooner. Edit is originally from Romania, is living in Switzerland and hopes to move to Australia soon. On the way to Utilberg, we got to walk by the Zurich Lake, which is shiny with a beautiful backdrop of hills and the city. A lovely family of swans were crossing the path ad we came by. Priscila is familiar with this family of swans and has given them all names.

Priscila and her Mum live in this lovely complex by the forest entrance.

Utilberg is ace, it takes about an hour to hike up through the forest and at the top, and you have a beautiful view of the city and the mountains. We caught a lovely sunny day and had a picnic on some rocks at the top, chatting for hours.

Edit talked about wanting to move away from Romania not only for economical reasons, but because of the culture. Edit talked at length about how much she loved Australia, the landscape but especially the culture. She talked about loving how much people smile and the ‘no worries’ attitude. I love everywhere that I go in the world, I love all of the different cultures and I believe that all countries and cities do different things better in different ways and that we have so much to learn from each other. Australia is not perfect, but I still think it is the best country in the world. I’m so thrilled to see how well received Australians are received when traveling and how fond other people are of Australia, who have never visited before. Australia is a magical far away place, and aside from our bogans who live there, I am so proud to be Australian and I am so grateful for what my life is, because I live there. We talked about Australian native history and upon request, I shared the webpage of my father’s books with Edit and Priscila that are about the history of many indigenous Australians and their country. I think what I envy about Europe, is that all countries here have kept so many ancient traditions. I spoke about it with Dad, and he said that he feels as though Australians have not kept any traditions, due to sensitivities of our difficult history with native Australians. I think it is a shame too, especially as we do not really keep any traditions of the native Australians either. It’s as though we live our life in Australia as if there was no past.

From left- Priscila, Edit and Rasa.

Priscila and I enjoyed a pricey and delicious hot chocolate and cupcake in the old town after.

An old town with a moo cow is a good town.

At night Priscila and I made dinner together with her mother Daniella and drank the Swiss drink 'Jugo' prosecco with syrup from the 'Sambucus' flower.

Friday June 30

Today Priscila had to go to work so I had the day on my own. Daniella’s boyfriend had a mountain bike he could lend me so I went on this epic bike ride through the streets, the forest and by the lake. Another beautiful sunny day, what could I complain about?

I was happy to catch this cyclist sleeping in the sun.

Swiss culture is interesting. I do dig this place.

The Swizz are organised, tough and serious. Everything is super expensive but people get paid well. The public transport is awesome, the hikers really are ‘Swiss machine’s and amazingly, amongst the serious nature of people (it can take a while to break some people open a bit), the custom here is to give 3 kisses on the cheek! More kisses for me! I’m stoked. The city is clean and it is a bit ‘Canberra –esque’. I’ve decided quickly that I have to treat Switzerland like how my friend Lewie talks about London; ‘once you don’t worry about how much you are spending you will enjoy yourself’.

 It’s different too because the people of Switzerland get paid a lot. I guess in some respects, it is like Australia in that Australia is also expensive, but we have a high minimum wage, so the cost to live is relative to what people are paid

When Priscila finished work, we met up with Vince, the boy she is seeing and Priscila’s friend Sebastian in the city to go to a street food festival.


It was very hipster and cool. I got given a grand description of Swiss beer by the bar made, so how could I say no to whatever she was giving me? Again, particularly when traveling, try everything that you can and that is reasonable, accept all of the food (and the drinks), and if the food is ever free (including on the aeroplane) GO TO TOWN. You don’t always know when or what you will be eating again, or the cost. I took a photo of the eco toilet, but now I don't know where that photos is, what a pity. I’m that person that loves taking photos of the different toilets and bins there are in the world. I think I could write a book ‘the different toilets and bins of the world’. I feel a bestseller approaching.

Bollocks. The only photo I got of me Priscila, Vince and Sebastian and my eyes are bloody closed!Q I'm posting it though as the rest of the group look lovely and it was such a good night! I look nice too, just a bit sleepy.

It’s true that the night s that you never plan on being big end up being huge. This night was a perfect example of that. A few drinks turned in to many, and then hitting up bars in the city and then it was 3am and we were in a Spanish Regatton club, dancing and drinking exotic cocktails.

 I got to try ‘Ferment’ I have no idea what this was, maybe some kind of herb traditionally drunk with coke? I loved the taste so I decided to drink it mostly straight. Priscila and Sebastian warned me that it is ‘very strong’, I said I was fine. Halfway through the drink I was like ‘wow, that is really strong’ and I was very drunk. Priscila was heading to work the next day so she left at 2am with Vince (what a trooper). I literally did not sleep.

 Priscila was heading to work the next day. I literally did not sleep. Do you know, I repeated that sentence twice, but I'm leaving it here, as this is how your brain works when you don't sleep... where is my train...oh wow, I did not sleep..oh there is the train....maybe...I did not sleep.

Saturday June 1

I barely have big nights out anymore and I literally do not remember the last time that I went out and did not sleep. I thought I was going to vomit but I had nothing to give, so instead I was just dry reaching over the toilet. I had already arranged to head to ‘Stans’ today, a little country town of about 8000 people in Switzerland. My friend Anita is another Achilles guide like me in Canberra (a volunteer organisation that trains runners and walkers to guide people with visual and other disabilities. I forgot that Anita was Swiss. When I told her I was going to Europe, she asked me if I was going to Switzerland. I said that I was and she paired me with her sister Judith and husband Xaver in Stans, Switzerland.

At this stage, I was not even sure if I was going to be able to make a short bus without vomiting. I really wondered how on earth the Swiss people would respond to someone vomiting on their transport system But, I made a promise.

I came back to Priscila’s Mum’s house and had some bread and cheese with Daniella and her boyfriend. Everwhere you go here, bread and cheese, bread and cheese!

 

On the train to Stans, I was delirious. It didn’t look like many seats were available in second class (which is what I paid for). I thought that maybe carriage 1 could still mean economy class, and that it was just the number of the carriage. After sitting in carriage one, it seems more clear that this was first class. I was so tired and confused that I decided just to stay there and see what happens. By the way, first class on the train here really doesn’t seem much nicer than economy. I got scolded by the train attendant in due course, and slowly made my way to second class. I think I was really slow, because in my mind I was moving fast, and then the attendant said ‘if you really want to stay here you can pay 20 francs’, so I think I was actually moving at a snail’s pace. I was too tired to feel embarrassed, so I trudge my way through to economy.  When I first arrived in Zurich, I asked a guy if there was a meeting point at the station. He almost snorted, ‘This is a big station, and there are many meeting points’. I couldn’t help but giggle at how serious he was.

I arrived in Stans; this is how I always imagine Switzerland to be. You’ll hear me repeating that line through my blog ‘this is how I imagined this place to be’. I’m going to keep using that line, because when I say it, it’s because it feels like all of my dreams are coming true; I saw this place in a dream as a magical, faraway place, and now I can see it with my own eyes.

Stans is small, only about 8000 people. It is mountainous and I can hear the cowbells from my bedroom and where I have a shower. Judith came to meet me at the station which is about 2 minutes walk from her house, it’s a small place and so pretty. I may have missed a previous memo here but Xaver speaks no English. I was welcomed in to the house where Xaver was happily peeling away kilos of beans bought at the marker while Swiss folk music was playing on the radio.

It was a big change from Zurich. I kept double checking my directions with Judith, but I quickly found out that Stans is very small!

A local airport worker at Shetland said to me when I asked for the wifi password when I arrived ‘modern travellers are so lost and stressed without wifi’. I explained to him that wifi is really helpful to be able to get around when you don’t have a phone. When Judith told me she had no wifi I did freak out a bit, I guess the guy in Shetland was right. I’m a bit sneaky though, as I have the wifi password for one of the restaurants nearby, which manages to connect without me even going in to the restaurant. I don’t know if I have every met anyone as proud or excited by where they live as Judith is about Stans. It’s so beautiful. Judith has so much energy and enthusiasm, that I can’t help but say yes to every suggestion of an activity that she suggests.  Judith shows me all around town, teaching me about all the detailed history of every shop and object and the significance behind it. For such a small town, there are many churches and I think I have been to all of them.

In the underground level of this church, you can see human skulls stacked neatly.

 I help Judith to make dinner; all local produce with vegetables, potatoes and about a million types of cheeses (very Swiss)! Xaver and I communicate with hand gestures, it’s very funny. At first I feel embarrassed but we get by. I think it’s special when you feel you can still know a person’s nurturing personality, even if you can’t speak to each other verbally.

Anita told me before about an epic running track in Stans that I should do. Again, I think I missed a memo or got lost in translation but this running/hiking trail will actually be an official running and hiking event held tomorrow morning. It’s a 10.9km trail with 1500 meter elevation. I'm not good with distances, is that right? ‘I’m in’ I say a after a lovely dinner together with Judith and Javer and not having slept for 24 hours, I go to bed.

Sunday June 2

Here you can see the group getting ready for the Stanserhorn Berglauf 10.9km rmountain run/hike. About 500 people enter the even each year.

Here are some details about the event:


Start: Dorfplatz Stans (452 ​​m above sea level)
Destination: Rondorama Stanserhorn (1,868 m above sea level)
Length of the route: 10.9 km / difference: 1'416 m

https://www.scstans.ch/berglauf

So as usual, I had done no research. This was one of the toughest events I have ever done. I ran for the first 3km and then had to run and hike as the path was  narrow, muddy, uneven and slippery (it rained the hole way through and was about 0 degrees celcius at the top). Of course my Australian sport shoes are crap in Switzerland, they have no traction. I was pretty scared about spraining my ankle through the event/falling of the side of a mountain. The Swiss hikers are so prepared, they know how it's done. I always thought the guys with those walking poles were silly. Not true, many of them overtook me and they didn't slip at all. Here's a bit of an indication of how hard the event was. Most runners would run about 10km in an hour, I've been running for years and my best time for a 10km run is 46minutes. Judith told me that finishing this event is an achievement and if I could finish the event in 2 hours, that would be 'a good time'. It was too slippery for me to run all of it, the track gets steeper and steeper and about 98% of it is steep uphill. I completed the event in 2 hours 6 minutes, and it was a huge achievement. Judith, being the true organised Swiss, convinced me to pack extra clothes for the top (of course I was not going to bother). I am so grateful that Judith convinced me to pack extra stuff as at the top I was freezing. As a part of the entry fee, we got  to have a discount price of traditional macaroni and cheese at the end (Swiss style) and a thermas drink bottle that apparently costs 58 Franks in the shops. Who would pay nearly $70 AUD for a drink bottle I ask? It's a nice and expensive drink bottle, which means I will probably lose it, no matter what I do.

Like a drowned rat..so happy to get to the top!

Hot tea after mountain run=win.

Best meal reward ever!

Judith and Xaver are such sweet people and I think it shows in this photo. I can't help but think of Anita here, Judith's sister who lives in Canberra who I know. Judith and Anita have the same eyes, smile and laugh and are both organised in volunteering. At home, Anita would be wearing a yellow bib for volunteering like Judith is here!

In the cafe at the top of the Mountain, local hikers/ runners dance to the live Swiss band.

Here is an adorable hand drawn map of Stans.

This  Swiss band were fantastic!

I got taught the Swiss card game 'Yass' similar to uno. It is very popular and played on television. this is good for me and Xaver due to our limited abilities to communicate  with each other in the same language. I've also been able to learn about the Swiss wrestling 'Schwingen' and have watched it on the TV with Xaver and Judith.  Wrestlers are dressed in leidehausen andwwrestle on sand. The winner brushes off the sand off the component's back. I have been told that this is a competitive and serious sport, I love it!

The wildflowers in Switzerland are beautiful.

How to stack your hay when you have too much.

We snorted tobacco on the cable car on the way home, apparently a Swiss tradition. I loved it! I was told to try not to sneeze. I think I sneezed about 7 times.

Views from the cable car of 'Stans' on the way back from the run; amazing. I got a free ride as I was a runner, yippee! The cable car attendants are sweet and dressed traditionally. Apparently the cable car here in STANS is the only one without a roof (which is amazing) and is known for how friendly the staff are. I could work on a cable car! The lady at the tourism office even gave me a free postcard on the way back. :)

Judith takes me on a tour of the wildflowers after the run. I'm so knackered but it's awesome. Here is a sign for the 'flower of the week' for locals and tourist to learn about. The ranger, if you see him, can teach you more about the flowers.

I've had such amazing luck. Just over these last few days there is an 'open air' concert in Stans every night where wonderful musicians play. People set up picnics and wine and settle in.

I have dinner with Judith and Xaver. Judith makes mote that we have done so many things together that it feels as though we have had a week together, I agree. Judith tells me she is proud of me for completing the event today and going for such a big trip solo through Europe. I am proud of myself too. And I am so grateful for Judith and Xaver welcoming me in to my family. I was even so blessed as to be able to have my first bath in over 2 months.

Monday June 3

A girl Jane, responded to my post on couchsurfing and offered to take me hiking. Jane is from Australia and has had a lot of difficult things happen to her in her life.

Jane has been estranged from her family from about aged 13 and worked on farms, survived cancer, has nearly finished a medicine degree in Australia and is hoping to complete her studies in Germany or Switzerland. As Jane does not have an EU passport, and the medical registration process is more difficult that she initially thought, Jane is now looking for English students to teach and helps out on local farms. Jane has some much energy and resilience. We meet with Rodeng, who is a now Swiss local from Kazakhstan and  came along today to learn English from Jane.
‘Wildspitz’. With a lot of things, especially things involving exercise, I am often the person  who is trying to convince the others to keep going. Not with Jane, this woman is a machine, a sneaky machine. At every peak I would say, ‘Jane I think we can have lunch here’. And Jane would say ‘It’s just a little further’. I think I’ve met my match with Jane. Again, I slip and slide through the mud up a mountain for 7 hours. I fall in cow poo, I lose the lid to my fancy new drink bottle. It's been an amazing day. Here are some photos from our hike today in the area of 'Arth Goldau'. 

 Jane is winging it a bit here in Switzerland, she is super resourceful and adventurous, I love it. Again, I slip and slide through the mud up a mountain for 7 hours. I fall in cow poo, I lose the lid to my fancy new drink bottle. It's been an amazing day. Here are some photos from our hike today in the area of 'Arth Goldau'.

Rasa, Jane and Rodeng\.

It is tradition to write in the book at every cross that is found at the mountain points. Here is a message from Jane.

Chickens entering their house and Spring water accessible to all hikers on the way up the mountain (far right).

This guy is here to build a fence on the trail. Not a bad view hey?

Tuesday June 4

Today I head back to Zurich a day early as I want to spend more time with the good people I have there. I've been blessed in having so many invitations here; to go hiking on couchsurfing from another traveler or go hiking and camping with Judith. To be honest though, I am quite sore today, so swimming in Zurich lake with friends will be good.

Today was a special day as I got to spend the day again with Priscila, Sebastian Vince and some new friend by Zurich late. Priscila and I  had a beautiful swim in the lake, the temperature was perfect and we continued our usual conversations about the ‘deep stuff’, spirituality and how we both felt that everyone has the ability to contribute good things to the community (and about relationships, as that is a pivotal point of conversation for people all over the world). Then we traded, Priscila went to Yoga and Sebastian and I spent more time by the lake and got to see the …. Sculpture move, as there are certain points in the day when it operates. It’s a bit steam punk/Edward Scissorhands like. It was Sebastian’s first time seeing this move too! You can experience new things even when it is a place where you live. Then, we all met again together at the lake with a picnic and met with Priscila’s Spanish friend (who she met at the lake another time) and a German fella who met the Spanish girl at a party and had met with her to talk about other engineering job prospects. Isn’t that great that we could all meet together like that as new friends from all over the world?

The funny thing I think with Zurich, is that there are so many rules, but I pointed out that a guy in the park was just pulling out a bong and not even trying to hide it. Some of our group joked saying that ‘he would only use the bong a particular way if he is Swiss’. I found out later that the Swiss Government have not exactly legalised illicit drugs, but that no one will make a big deal about it if you smoke a bong in a park. In addition, there are actually places set up where people test the drugs to make sure they are safe and supply new needles.  From a Nursing perspective, I think this is great. Many of the problems that we have with drugs, are because they are illegal; it means that things cannot be monitored.  The approach to helping people with drug additions often is ‘harm minimisation’. That means, that in a perfect world, we can help people to stop using drugs, but in a realistic world, we need to accept that it is really hard for all of people to quit, and that some people don’t want to quit. We cannot turn a blind eye, but you can try and help people to reduce risk.

Wednesday June 5

With little sleep but a heart full of love for the world and the people around me I make my way to Cologne in Germany, to meet my dear friend Sonja, who I met at the Lithuanian intensive language course in 2015.  As always, I am sad to leave but excited to keep exploring and experiencing a new place.

Dankeshuen  to all my beautiful friends in Switzerland, I love you and I love Switzerland.

Love,
Rasa