Ricola!

Welcome to Switzerland, where the men wear scandalously short shorts and, next to chocolate, rollerBLADES are the popular item.

With the exception of my layover in Amsterdam, I have never been to Europe. So, naturally that would be my next stop before coming home. My friends Misha and Ashley are ou pairs in Geneva. I had the joy of chilling with these ladies for a long weekend. 

I love my friends :)

I was greeted at the airport with an American flag and a sign with my name. It felt like a scene from a movie. I loved it! We hopped a train and then a bus to get to Misha's family's flat. I was completely confused and extremely grateful they knew what to do. I would have gotten lost for sure. After indulging in a delicious swiss yogurt we went to tour the city and grab some bread and fruit for our camping trip to Interlocken.

 

The Swiss love their chocolate, and for that, I love the Swiss.

Going from African prices to Switzerland prices was overwhelming. I constantly felt ripped off. Geneva is the 8th most expensive city in the world. Swaziland, may have been the most affordable country in the world. My train ticket from Geneva to Interlocken was $65. One way. That's more money than I spent for a weeks worth of travel in Swaziland. Yikes! 

On the train we saw Swiss country. It was beautiful! The adorable country cottages beckoned me to move in. I was captivated by the Swiss Alps. There were cattle with the stereotypical Swiss bell. I could even hear the faint echo of a true Swiss yelling, "Ricola!" 

We sat by a group of rugby players on the train from Geneva to Interlaken. They were a rambunctious group...I'll leave it at that. It was about 10:30 or so when we arrived in Interlaken. After traveling for 24 hours I was extremely tired. We camped by the lake. In a boy scout tent. I didn't have a blanket so I layered my clothes and used Misha's towel. I woke up freezing in the middle of the night. Just in case you didn't know, a towel is not as warm as a blanket and not recommended for cover when camping. But, you make due with what you have. Plus the view we woke up to see was remarkable. So, it was worth a few chills. 

I could wake up to this view everyday.

That day we made our way to Outdoor Interlaken to sign up for the canyoning adventure...yay! We also signed up for white-water rafting. It was a packaged deal, but no one had to twist my arm. I was up for any adventure I could afford. I desperately want to go back for skydiving, para-gliding and hang-gliding. Not in my budget this trip. 

Repelling off a rock and then swinging around to the other side. SO FUN!!!

Canyoning was an adrenaline junkies dream! Our group of 12 went cliff jumping, repelling, floating through the Swiss Alps. I had to remind myself to take a moment to absorb the beauty encompassing us as I quickly became enthralled with the excitement of throwing my body into the raging river. I became a kid again and for three hours had no fear. With one foot in front of the other I would leap into the water with the faith that I would resurface. I know with a lifejacket it doesn't sound like much of a leap of faith, but with the fighting current it definitely was.

We barely had time to get back before we left site again for white-water rafting. The guide placed me in the front with the other experienced guide. Hey, I can't help it if I have bulging biceps. Misha and I were in the same raft with another family that was hilarious. The dad didn't like to paddle. I placed bets that he would be the first to be ejected from the raft on a rough rapid. To my surprise he did not fall out. He was a bubbly man and the family was a joy to ride with. I do wish that we would have forged some more extreme rapids, but it was still a great adventure. We ended by moving the raft from the river to the lake. Our guide allowed us to swim the last 100M in to shore if we desired. Of course, Misha and I rolled into the water. It was warm and Caribbean blue. A fantastic way to end the day of our tour with Outdoor Interlaken.

We took a train back to Geneva later that night. The next day was mine to adventure the city. I got lost a few times, talked with some street vendors, tried on a few over-priced dresses and soaked up the sun and the city. I sat in the park by the boardwalk and journaled. It was perfect. I was asked to help a camera crew out with a video shoot, but with my lack of French wasn't able to do so. Later that day I went back to the flat to meet Misha. We met up with some of their friends that night and toured some more of the city. It's very chic and expensive. The parks are fabulous and I love the cobblestone streets in Old Town. Very charming. 

Tuesday morning I got up and went for a run in a nearby park. People don't greet one another in Geneva. I come from the midwest. We say hi to anything that moves. So, naturally I greeted everyone I passed with a smile and a bonjour. Many people we surprised to be greeted by a stranger, but they returned the gesture. By my last lap in the park I had a fan club. I felt like a local celebrity as I ran past an elderly man on a bench who would stand up, clap, and with a wide grin say something in french. Honestly, he could have been saying some really offensive and obscene things to me and I wouldn't know the difference. But, I like to think of him as my fan club for the morning. 

Misha, Peter and I in France!

After my run I helped Misha clean the flat and then we went to tour the United Nations. I have a lot of respect for the UN and all they are involved in. The tour turned out to be full of information on the building rather than current projects and outreaches, which is what I was hoping for. Afterwards, we took a bus to France. Now I've been to two countries in Europe! We met a friend from the UK as we waited in line for the bus. Peter, works at the UN but lives with a family in France for now. It was a joy to talk to him. His accent was fabulous. I doubt he thought the same of ours. 

We made it back to Misha's flat in time to have supper with her family. They are wonderful people and extremely hospitable. Dinner with the Swiss is an all night commitment. It lasted three hours. I guess the joke is that you can pick out the Americans because the eat fast and greet everyone. I don't think I eat fast, but I know I eat at a more intense rate than three hours per meal. And, I do greet everyone. Guess I'm an American.

After dinner we were on our way to meet Ashley when we found a lost German wandering the rainy streets of residential Geneva in search of a hotel. "Sprechan Sie Deutsch?," asked the wandering German. Translated, "Do you speak German?" I did take one year of German in high school. More for the social aspect than anything. I remember the phrase he asked, how to count to ten and how to say, 'out of here,' and 'dance.' I had a hunch that wouldn't be helpful in this situation. We wandered the streets with him desperately trying to find him a hotel. We found him a room at a rate of $850/night. Welcome to the 6th most expensive city in the world folks. The hotel clerk was very helpful and called a taxi and gave him directions to a more affordable hotel. 

Ashley, myself and Misha at the pub.

After this adventure we three girls roamed the streets and stumbled upon a pub with a dance party. We decided to join. There were only six of us. It was a blast! Like our own personal dance party. A fabulous way to end my stay in Europe.