Point of Entry: Switzerland

So I decided to do a short backpacking tour of Europe... even after having watched the movie Taken 3 years ago (starring Liam Neeson). Thanks to the Swiss Consulate of New York, I was able to do the tour. But the waiting period for the issuance of a visa was the most stressful seven days of my life. During the interview at the embassy, the officer was like, "You're traveling alone? And you don't know anyone from any of the places you're going to? And is that all the money you have?" She was probably gonna add, "Didn't you watch the movie Taken?!"

They gave me a visa, anyway. So, thank you, Switzerland. But I am more thankful to friends who thought I was crazy and perhaps stupid for almost giving up on my Europe backpacking tour all because of visa application problems. To make the long story short, these problems were all due to my negligence and my friends patiently helped me sort things out. I love you guys.

So, my point of entry in Europe was Switzerland. I arrived in Geneva on the 17th of May and stayed there until the 19th even if I wanted to stay one more day. But I couldn't because Switzerland was gonna make me bankrupt if I stayed any longer. Their Starbucks coffee costs about twice as much as NYC's. I have a lot more to say about how freaking expensive it is in the Land of the Alps and how I had the worst hostel experience there, but in the end, I forgive you, Switzerland.

So the not-so-funny thing is I didn't actually research where to go in Switzerland. But I knew its famous cities - Geneva, Basel, and Zurich. And so I decided to go to those cities all for petty reasons. I chose to land in Geneva since the flight cost was cheaper. I wanted to go to Basel because that is where the Bank of International Settlements is located (and also because I was called a "Basel II Reporting Analyst" in my first paid job). And, finally, I wanted to walk around Zurich for the sole reason that Jason Bourne went there to retrieve some cash before knocking out the less competent CIA operatives who tried to assassinate him. If I didn't enjoy myself in these cities, it's partly because of jet lag and mostly because I did not really do my research, so I just walked around and got lost. But I think I loved Switzerland mainly because the Alps were just beautiful. Staying in Interlaken somewhere near the Alps was the highlight of my Switzerland tour. All in all, it was a good trip. I'm actually glad Switzerland was my point of entry.

May 17 - Geneva
May 18 - Basel, Zurich, Interlaken
May 19 - back to Geneva

I fought the temptation to sleep when I arrived at my hostel. My backpacking tour had not even started and I was already tired. So I went out at 9 in the evening and walked around the city. At the airport, I bumped into a fellow Filipina who lived in Geneva for more than 10 years already, and I asked her: what's a nice place to see in Geneva? And she said, "Ay sus day, lake ra gyud. Ambot wa na man siguro'y lain." So, off to the lake I went.

People were drinking by the lake. I was thinking of doing this too, but I was afraid someone might push me into the lake and I don't know how to swim and it was still very cold! (I didn't want to die on my first day in Europe, you know.)

Since Switzerland was the first European country I visited, I was amazed to see so many bikes and motorcycles parked everywhere. Yes, I think some locals thought I was crazy for taking pictures such as this. By the time I reached Amsterdam, it was only then that I realized there are probably more bikes and motorcylces than cars in Europe.

 I went to Basel the following day after surviving my stay at the worst hostel in Europe. Thankfully, my roommates at the backpackers' hostel did not turn out to be axe-murderers. One is Chinese and she was on a career trip to the United Nations. The other one is American and he was a fresh graduate from Columbia University who has never been to the Bronx. Poor guy.

 Anyway, Basel has a lot of museums. And of all the interesting museums out there, I chose to visit the most ridiculous one - the Spielzeug Welten museum. Well, they had me at "world's largest teddy bear collection" and I don't even like stuffed toys.

 I don't think I've ever seen a doll dressed up as a nun before. When I reached this part of the museum, I knew I just had to get out. Dolls scare me.

 I've come to realize that reading maps is a skill acquired through experience. I would lik to believe that I got better eventually, because honestly I got so lost in Basel that I was not even able to see the Bank of International Settlements - which was seriously one of my reasons for visiting the city. I just wanted to take a picture of the building, post it on Facebook, tag my ex-boss, and add a caption: This is where it all started!!!" Thought maybe he'd appreciate it. Or maybe not.

So, I didn't really have all the time in the world to explore Basel. I had to catch my train to Zurich so that I could at least arrive in Interlaken by 9 p.m. From Zurich, I had to take a train to Bern and then from Bern to Interlaken.

 Half the time, I was just train-hopping in Switzerland. And I'd have to say, in terms of overall train ride experience, the Swiss trains were the best. It all went downhill from there.

 So, when I arrived in Zurich, I just decided to look for the nearest exit and walk out of the station without bothering to go to a tourism office or even getting a map (because that didn't help me in Basel). That's Fraumünster’s (Church of Our Lady) blue clock tower and ... I don't know the name of the other one.

 I was walking past the bridge over Zurich Canal when a police car pulled over right in front of me. Oh no! Perhaps, they suspected that my humongous backpack was filled with cash withdrawn from Swiss bank accounts. What would Jason Bourne do?? Anyway, to my relief, the policemen stopped the guy who just walked past me and demanded that he show the contents of his bag. I didn't stay long enough to see what ensued so I just took a photo of this police car as a souvenir. Whew!

 Trams are so cool. If I could be someone else for a day, I would be a tram operator.

Then, I had to leave Zurich - Switzerland’s largest city, with a reputation for being a boring banking center. I boarded my train bound for Bern then Interlaken. I was not prepared for the beautiful scenic landscapes that I could see from my window.

It was almost 9 in the evening. It had been a long day and I was tired. But just a glimpse of the Alps made me peaceful inside, as if I was just meditating the entire day.

I finally arrived at the backpackers' hostel, hoping that somehow it would be better than the previous one. I was surprised to find the building empty. Not joking. It was eerily quiet and dark inside. A few minutes later, someone emerged from the reception.

 In principle, one certainly gets what one pays for. But I was lucky. I paid for a single bed in a mixed dormitory room, but no one else was booked in that room.

It was almost 10 p.m. and I decided to take a stroll. I had hoped that this man actually caught something.

I was about to buy myself a Swiss knife since I've always wanted one. But I remembered that I could not check-in my backpack on my upcoming Ryanair flights, so.. sadly, I moved on.

The perfect excuse!

No, I did not travel all the way to Switzerland just to have McDonalds for dinner. But look at that ridiculously expensive Mickey D's burger meal. Note: 1 CHF  roughly = 1 USD.

This was how I put myself to sleep. I am no beer connoisseur but this brew was actually quite good.

Good night, Mr. Alps.

The following day, I had to continue my backpacking tour to Paris where friends were waiting for me. I am certain I will be going back to Switzerland, preferrably during the summer. Next time, I'll skip the cities and head straight to the lakes and mountains.