Day 2
Woken up early to the sound of an alarm clock that was inadvertently set at the wrong time. So went for an early morning run at 0630hrs. It was light however at a much later time than I expected. The streets were empty and the air chilly. The terrain made the run more challenging than it should have, however, it was a good healthy start to the morning.
In the afternoon, we made an excursion to the town of Kandersteg. This was a small mountain ski resort a little more than half hour out of Spiez by train. The round trip costs 33 francs per person. The scenic route runs out of Spiez, making a total of 4 stops and there were 2 sections of tunnels, which on exiting, allowed us a view of the magnificent mountains of the Bernese Oberland. We did not have much time there however in the 3 over hours we had there, we took the Oeschinensee cable car. The cable car ride was short and costs 15 francs one way. We decided to walk the return leg of the journey. From the Berg station, it was another 20 minute hike along through meadows, alpine forests and all the way accompanied by views of the mountains and the sounds of the roaring river.
We were rewarded at the end of the hike when the end of the trail opened to the Oeschinensee surrounded by mountains and cliffs. The Oeschinensee is a spectacular deep, blue water mountain lake. The sky was blue and numerous waterfalls accentuated the already magnificent and rugged landscape. The water was cold and crisp and it stung your face even in the bright afternoon sun.
For the return journey to Kandersteg, we decided to walk down the road along the river through the Oeschiwald. The return walk took about an hour, along steep mountain gravel mountain trails with bridges criss crossing the roaring mountain stream a couple of times.
See this link for a detailed look at the route.
*work in progress*
Friday, August 20, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
LOAC @ Spiez, Switzerland
Day 1
Met my traveling partner Austia at Changi Airport terminal 3. We were on the flight SQ 346 direct to Zurich on an Airbus A380-800 aircraft. We managed to get a seat on the upper deck row 81D which as right at the end of the upper deck.
Inflight entertainment was reasonable. Watched the following movies
1. Ironman 2
2. Shrek: Happily Ever After
3. Clash of the Titans
4. Sprinkling of other documentaries
Total flight time was 12 hours and we arrived at 0730 hrs at Zurich airport. Customs clearance was fuss free and in typical swiss efficient fashion. we collected our baggage was out of the terminal in half and hour. The temperature was a chilly 15 degrees when we stepped out of the terminal building looking for the train station.
Our connecting train ride to Spiez was scheduled for 1100 hrs but we found out that the ticket we got online was from Zurich HB which was the main train station in Zurich city. We paid another 4 francs for the connecting ticket from the airport station to Zurich Hauptbahnhof (HB). We then browsed around the terminal looking for good data SIM card deals. A prepaid SIM card form Swisscom costs an initial 20 francs. Data charges were 1 franc per MB capped at 5 francs per day. I opted not to buy the SIM card initially as I have yet to check out the internet arrangements and options at the accommodation. But seeing Austia happily surfing away on his iPad is making me reconsider my decision.
It stuck me that the cost of living here is extremely high with a McDonald breakfast costing me 11.10 francs for a Filet o Fish meal. My conservative budget of 20 francs per day has just been busted…but a lot.
We waited on platform 4, section C/D looking out for any signs of where seats 175 and 176 would be as the train pulled into the station. The train arrive right on schedule, really on the dot and they stay at the station for 3 minutes flat. They are extremely quiet and clean. Seating is assigned and there is a designated area at the end of each cabin for luggage.
In typical swiss fashion, our ride was waiting for us after we disembarked from the train at Spiez. We were brought to the Ausbildungszentrum or ABZ for short. This was a short 5 minute drive from the train station. We took as short walk to down to the water's edge of Lake Thun and round trip on steep slopes round to the train station and then back to the hotel was a pleasant 2 hour walk, including a couple of stops at the supermarket for groceries.
This brings the first day to a close. Eventful but tiring as I am still coping with the jet lag
Met my traveling partner Austia at Changi Airport terminal 3. We were on the flight SQ 346 direct to Zurich on an Airbus A380-800 aircraft. We managed to get a seat on the upper deck row 81D which as right at the end of the upper deck.
Inflight entertainment was reasonable. Watched the following movies
1. Ironman 2
2. Shrek: Happily Ever After
3. Clash of the Titans
4. Sprinkling of other documentaries
Total flight time was 12 hours and we arrived at 0730 hrs at Zurich airport. Customs clearance was fuss free and in typical swiss efficient fashion. we collected our baggage was out of the terminal in half and hour. The temperature was a chilly 15 degrees when we stepped out of the terminal building looking for the train station.
Our connecting train ride to Spiez was scheduled for 1100 hrs but we found out that the ticket we got online was from Zurich HB which was the main train station in Zurich city. We paid another 4 francs for the connecting ticket from the airport station to Zurich Hauptbahnhof (HB). We then browsed around the terminal looking for good data SIM card deals. A prepaid SIM card form Swisscom costs an initial 20 francs. Data charges were 1 franc per MB capped at 5 francs per day. I opted not to buy the SIM card initially as I have yet to check out the internet arrangements and options at the accommodation. But seeing Austia happily surfing away on his iPad is making me reconsider my decision.
It stuck me that the cost of living here is extremely high with a McDonald breakfast costing me 11.10 francs for a Filet o Fish meal. My conservative budget of 20 francs per day has just been busted…but a lot.
We waited on platform 4, section C/D looking out for any signs of where seats 175 and 176 would be as the train pulled into the station. The train arrive right on schedule, really on the dot and they stay at the station for 3 minutes flat. They are extremely quiet and clean. Seating is assigned and there is a designated area at the end of each cabin for luggage.
In typical swiss fashion, our ride was waiting for us after we disembarked from the train at Spiez. We were brought to the Ausbildungszentrum or ABZ for short. This was a short 5 minute drive from the train station. We took as short walk to down to the water's edge of Lake Thun and round trip on steep slopes round to the train station and then back to the hotel was a pleasant 2 hour walk, including a couple of stops at the supermarket for groceries.
This brings the first day to a close. Eventful but tiring as I am still coping with the jet lag
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