I ate an ice cream bar and enjoyed the rushing water, then hiked back up the hill to the train station. I spent the night at a hostel in Zurich and ended up eating at McDonald's because nothing else was open by the time I got around to wanting to eat. Switzerland is SO expensive- a "value" meal was about $15. Oof. Upon returning to the hostel, I had good conversation with one of the many engineers I met on the trip, and we walked around town and drank hot chocolate by the lake.The next morning I headed towards Interlaken/Murren/Gimmelwald, the part of the trip I've been most excited about since decided to wander around Central Europe. I even thought ahead and reserved a bed at a hostel. Indeed, it was a beautiful place.
That night there was a little rain that evening, but a beautiful rainbow!
However, the next morning the fog rolled in. And while I was planning to hike all day long, I soon realized it would be both treacherous and stupid to wander around slippery, unfamiliar landscape with little visibility and sudden dropoffs all over the place. 
So I sat around aimlessly, having finished all my books. I quickly tired of the typical hostel conversation: "Yeah, I was in that city... I was so drunk that I barely remember..." I wasn't impressed. And it was kind of hard to break into conversations- most people were traveling with others, and you didn't want to interrupt their vacations. All in all, it was an extremely frustrating day. I considered staying in Gimmelwald another night, hoping the weather would clear, but I had researched an English speaking church in Geneva and knew I needed some Christian fellowship. So I hopped on the gondola Saturday morning, the mountains still invisible in the fog.But God kindly provided for me- I struck up a conversation with 2 Americans who were also heading down the mountain, and it turns out they're Christians and were excited to hear about what I get to do in Kenya and to talk about all sorts of things. It was so good to run into them! God encouraged each of us through that "chance" meeting. We visited a nearby waterfall together, and decided to continue traveling together for part of the day- we got off the train in Bern, ate fondue (not a one-person meal), and saw some of the weird sights of the city, including a fountain of a giant that eats children. 
Chris and Becky, my fondue friends (fondue friends forever? FFF?) 
I arrived in Geneva in the evening, uncertain of where I would stay that night- the only hostel I knew about was full according to the internet. I went there anyway, hoping for a cancellation, but there was a music festival in town and all their beds were taken. They pointed me down the street to a more institutional hostel- all tile, everything locked with a keycard, but showers and breakfast included. I fell into bed and got the first good night of sleep in a while.
The next day held another "chance" meeting with a Korean woman named Grace, and we explored Geneva, especially its rich and varied statuelife (it's like wildlife, but more, um, solid). I really like this duck-billed dragon.
After a good visit to the Evangelical Baptist Church of Geneva, we visited the Red Cross Museum and the UN headquarters- this is an anti-mine statue. Can you see the missing leg? 
And of course in Switzlerland, timekeeping is important enough to make a clock out of flowers. 
The rest of the day was spent eating more good food (still trying to run that off...), hanging out at the music festival, and generally enjoying Geneva. I like that city. I wouldn't complain if that were my next international school posting, though it was GOOD to head home to Nairobi over the next day or so.
So there's the trip! Fear not; food post yet to come.
3 comments:
Eww! I don't like that giant! Why is there a big chair at the UN? Everyone has a seat at the table at the UN?
Yay for Bern and Interlaken! I was there myself two or three months ago! However Interlaken was a little lost on me because the only day I could make it there it was rainy and foggy. Bern, however was great! In true nerd fashion, I made sure I visited Einsteinhaus, that is, the apartment Einstein lived in when he penned his Special Theory on Relativity.
Interlaken etc. was breathtaking even in pix. The statue was a good move on the part of Bernese - makes it much easier to keep their kids in line if there's a kid munching giant around. I found the chair to be Escheresque from that angle - if you don't look t00 closely it appears as if the bum leg disappears into the trees.
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