I began my journey to Europe by visiting Switzerland, not exactly a good idea if you plan to save the best for the last.
I took almost:
1 day to arrive at my destination, transiting at
2 different airports & using
3 seats to make a bed to sleep on the flights.
Day I
Upon arriving, I was partially awake and exhausted. It was 9am in Zurich. While queueing to get my passport stamped, I overheard the immigration officer asking detailed questions to the person in front of me. I mentally prepared my speech, all i know was I am here to visit this gorgeous country after my graduation. When my turn came, the lady took a good look at my passport and stamped it and said “Enjoy your stay here”. No questions asked! It got me thinking if I looked innocent or was it just the power of my passport? Hint: I ended up at the police station(not so innocent after all), which I will elaborate later on.
This was the first thing that entered my stomach.
Switzerland is surrounded by 3 countries, which explains the multiple languages you see in the wrapper(French,German and Italian). Don’t take my word for it, but Swiss (German, French or Italian) sounds different from their original languages.
I had the whole day to explore the city before my cousins arrive later that evening.
I did no prior research on their transport system, so I approached a lady at the information desk to enquire. After asking a few questions, she told me rather brutally that I had to leave. You must know that I was partially awake and it sounded brutal, but upon reflecting, I respected her honesty as she had others to attend to. It was definitely an excellent “wake up call.”
After taking a nap at the hotel, it was time to head out back to school physically.
ETH Zurich, where I can be close to my favourite physicist of all time, Albert Einstein. 
~It felt surreal, where I can be alone with my thoughts~
I went back to the airport to welcome my cousins to our temporary home. The next few days would be a memorable & unforgettable experience in Sweet-zerland.
Day II
The 10 of us, plus a baby, fit perfectly in a mini-van, thanks to me and my lovely slim ladies(cousins)
We head to Engelberg, located in the middle of Switzerland, just one of the many destinations to choose from this stunning country.
Along the way, we stopped by a small rest area and we discovered a small kitchen and a small restaurant that was closed. Turns out it was an Indian restaurant. My uncle had a chat with him and he decided to cook up some dishes just for us. “Unexpected Indian Food” for lunch!
What are the chances of finding Indian food in the alps without having any prior knowledge of its existence?
~Poori, Fish curry & potatoes. Feels like home, in our newfound home.
The journey continues, and we are headed to the hotel to check in. The road trip was pleasant for the most part…until we were stopped by a traffic police officer. As we were pulling up into the station, I realized that my cousin seated at the front beside me did not put on his seat belt. Turns out we broke a few rules.
– 3 of us did not put on the safety belt
– Only 9 adults were allowed in the van
-Infants or toddlers should have a car seat.
The officer only spotted the first two offences, as the baby was out of sight, wrapped in the arms of my aunt at the back seat.
I made the sacrifice to wait at the police station, only because it was on my bucket list to be detained overseas. Fortunately, the hotel was only a 5 min drive away.
I was told to wait inside the station, where I could see no one else but a reflection of my pitiful self.
On the brighter note, I get to travel on the trains for the next few days, where the views are scenic and calm.
Day III
Time to climb a mountain, not by foot of course.
Fast forward to the night, we went to visit a festival by the lake, recommended by the hotel owner. According to him, the festival is held twice yearly and again, what are the odds of us being there at that time 😉
We took a walk along the lake, taking beautiful pictures except for me, because I prefer absorbing the moment and picturing the view in my head.
~The kind of picture I love to take~
Day IV
After sending both my Uncle & Aunt to Lucerne train station(they had to attend a wedding in India), we went for a drive to Kandersteg.
The drive was relaxing. We then came across a beautiful lake, not knowing its existence as usual.
We had a blast riding the mountain coaster. We did it twice just in case.
~Reckless journey
We were reckless, hitting each other till one of us got ejected from her seat. Thankfully, she had a good grip and yes, we definitely received stares from the law abiding citizens.
To steer slightly off topic, the public transport system here do not check tickets regularly. Out of the 10-15 rides I took, I did not have to show my ticket to anyone. The point I am making is not about this loophole, rather, the level of integrity that is being practiced here.
It was a great start to my Europe trip, stay tuned for the next adventure!
Spoiler alert: Switzerland is probably the most beautiful country I’ve visited.
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