Trip to Channarayanadurga and Devarayanadurga - 26th Sep 2020

Trip to Channarayanadurga and Devarayanadurga

We left home at 6.25 am, a few mins later than planned but still more or less on time. The weather was wonderful, and everyone was looking forward to the trek. We were headed to Channarayanadurga, which is near Dobbaspete and is one of the nine durgas in that part of the world. 

The drive was uneventful, and by about 8.15 we had reached in the general vicinity of our destination. We then stopped to have some breakfast so that we could start climbing immediately after reaching our place. The road all the way to the village of Channarayanadurga is quite nice, and we parked a little way from the village. Someone mentioned that there is a small path a little away from the village that is an easier way to climb the imposing hill. 

Channarayanadurga is around 3700 feet in elevation, with a fort at the top. The first part of the climb is considered the difficult bit, and once at the fort the rest of the climbs & treks are on flat terrain. We found the path leading up to the base of the hill, and started our climb. It wasn't an easy affair, which we found out soon enough, as there are no markings or directions, let alone a clear path or things to hold on to. The climb was just on the stone. 

After we had done perhaps about 100 metres in elevation, Shoba and Johnny became very uncomfortable at the idea of climbing further, and after some deliberation, we decided it was best left to another day. We were about half-way from the base to the fort, but the second half was sheer rock so it would not have been an easy affair for Shoba and Johnny. We then came down the same way, and very soon found the small path that brought us back to the main road. 

The little we had climbed still gave us some fantastic views of the surrounding country, and one can only imagine that the view from the top would have been even more exhilarating. 

Since we were now down, and it was only around 10 with no sign of the sun, we decided to head for Devarayanadurga which was about 30 kms from this place, on the route back to Bangalore. The good thing about Devarayanadurga is that there is no climb - the car could go all the way to the top. We set the navigator to this place, and by 10.45 we had parked at the hilltop, from where a set of steps led to the temple at top. The road had been a very winding one, and from the parking we could see expansive views of the valley below. 

We then walked up to the temple steps and climbed the 100-odd steps to the Narasimha temple at the top. There is a very old temple at the top, with idols of Ganapati, Narasimha, and Lakshmi. This is an active temple, and there was a good crowd of folks coming in a steady stream. A small pond at the very top had greenish water but a few brave folks could be seen venturing in to take a dip. 

After finishing our round of the temple, we then headed back down, stopping only to take a few photos from some vantage points, all the while wary of the monkeys which had no fear and were trying to snatch ladies' purses & anything that was not nailed down. 

We stopped at a quiet place on the winding drive back down to grab a quick lunch. 

Our next halt was at a lake called Nayakanakere which is near the base of the Devarayanadurga drive. Shoba remained in the car, but we three spent some time at the lake, trying to see who could manage the most with the skipping stones. 

By about 12.30, we were back on our way to Bangalore. The toll booths were the only points of delay, but we still got back home by about 2 pm. 

Shoba feels we could have climbed all the way to the top of the fort, but that's now for another day.  

Swiss trip - day six

Day six - 31st May, Tuesday

We bid farewell to Deeps & Prashant in the morning. We had decided to skip breakfast at the hotel and instead get something at Zurich airport or on the plane. Ranga had organised a taxi to the airport so we got in time to check-in and spend some time buying chocolates. The flights back to Glasgow via Amsterdam were uneventful and we landed back in Glasgow at 1430.

Overall the trip was really very good - even though we were travelling almost every evening, it never came across as hectic. Most of our day trips had been fairly relaxed affairs. The group also made a lot of difference - together we had more fun than if we would've taken this trip on our own. This journal will hopefully remain as a long-term record of the trip - one to read when in sullen mood to bring the smiles back!

Swiss trip - day five

Day five - 30th May, Monday

Today was to be our longest & the most hectic day of the trip - we were to make a trip to Mt. Titlis in the morning followed by a visit to the Rhine Falls in the afternoon. Along the way we also had to shift from Lucerne to Zurich which was to be our halt for Monday night.

We left Lucerne a tad earlier than on previous days and got to the railway station where we left our bags in luggage lockers. Unfortunately, they only had one train an hour for Engelberg which is the base station for the cable cars to Titlis. So we just waited in the train, played Uno and whiled away the time and when the train finally left, we continued playing Uno and whiling away the time. The journey to Engelberg took just an hour. We had purchased combined tickets from the Tourist Information office at Lucerne for the full journey upto Titlis - we did get some discount for the cable cars but Ranga was the happiest of us since having a child meant his family ticket for Vaiju, Aditi & himself was actually cheaper than the two adult tickets both Prashant & I had to buy!

On the train Aditi found herself a friend and very soon they were the best of friends. The other girl and her parents were on a short visit from India and were also headed to Titlis. Engelberg is a small village popular with skiers but in the summer is largely quiet. The cable car station was a short walk away through village streets past quaint hotels & chalets. A small but fast flowing stream marked the outer boundary of the village beyond which was the cable car station.

The four-stage cable car journey to Titlis uses only three cars. The first ascent in a small 6-person cable car crests a plateau to Gerschnialp and the same car then continues on another steep ascent to the small picturesque Trubsee. From here, a bigger gondola rises in a breathtaking journey to Stand (2428 m). From Stand we got into the Rotair which advertises itself as the world's first revolving gondola. During the 5 minute journey from Stand to Titlis, the floor of the gondola moves in a full circle, giving everyone a view of the vast Titlis glacier. Nice to know, except that when we got to Stand, the thick fog allowed barely a few metres of visibility. As the crowd rushed from the gondola to the Rotair, Shoba and I waited a few minutes to put on an extra layer of clothes with the result that the Rotair leaving us on Stand. This allowed us to view the surreal sight of the cable car seemingly disappearing into thin air within seconds! As we took the next cable car, it was like flying through clouds in a slow-moving plane - we could not see a thing and the revolving floor only drove home the point that the fog was thick in every direction!

Titlis is not as tall as Jungfraujoch but the cable car ride over the glacier still makes it very popular with tourists. At the top is the usual circus of souvenir shops, restaurants and the ubiquitous watch shop. We skipped these and headed straight to the Ice Flyer chair car, which was an open-air ski-lift over the Titlis Glacier. Sadly the fog only seemed to get worse and as we flew through the clouds, we could see little beyond the tips of our noses. The ski lift dropped us on a thick snow covered plateau across the glacier where there was the promise of snow sleds & toboganning. I am sure that on nice days the views from the glacier would be very rewarding but today we simply headed in the direction of the small slopes. At one of them, rubber tyre buggies were being used as sleds with the usual long queues. We waited awhile but just as it seemed we could go next, the fog closed off the circuit. We then trudged to another slope a short distance away where young & old were enjoying tobogganing down a small slope on sleds & improvised skis. Not wanting to give up on a good experience, Prashant & I found ourselves small sleds and had a good time, a few times over. Vaiju, Aditi & Ranga were already at this place when we got there, enjoying themselves, Aditi especially! The fog added to the fun - from the top point one could not see the end of the slope so it was basically sliding off into the mist, dodging any obstacles at the last minute!

We spent a good half an hour at the ski slopes after which the weather started getting really bad. We then walked back to the Ice Flyer chairlift and came back to the main circus area where, once again, the restaurant menu pointed to the popularity of the place with us Indians. There was a Spicy Indian Pizza on the menu and there was also a small buffet of rice, daal, etc. After lunch we took the cable car convoy back down, stopping briefly in Trubsee to wander about the place taking some photographs.

At Engelberg we had a few minutes before our train, so used the opportunity to buy some of the current stamp issues, including one of the Matterhorn which when inverted shows a map of the African continent. Novel.

From Engelberg we returned to Lucerne to pick up our bags and caught the direct service to Zurich, playing Uno all the way. By now our plans to visit Rhine Falls was in some doubt. When we reached Zurich at 1815, it was raining in the city. The Tourist office in the station advised us that while the Rhine Falls were a much recommended attraction, we might not enjoy it very much if it was still raining. We had also missed the direct trains to Schloss Lausen and everyone was a bit tired so the decision was made to proceed to the hotel first. Our hotel in Zurich was the Ibis and while it looked near on the map, we realised it was a tram ride away. The rain showed no sign of stopping so we had to go out into the rain to catch our tram. By the time we got to the hotel it was 8 at night and all of us were drenched.

We were all very hungry too, so Deeps & Prashant and Shoba & I set off once again back to the town centre to see if any restaurants were open. Vaiju & Ranga had got a pizza from the station so we guys took the tram back to town. As we wandered the streets of Zurich town centre looking for a restaurant, I couldn't help notice the Paddington bear display in one of the streets. Every few metres there was a metre high bear made out to represent popular motifs, cultural icons, etc. The entire street was lined on both sides with these models - I even noticed one made out as Ganesha. I didn't have my camera with me otherwise we would have had a nice snap here! On the food front, the only place open was McDonald's so a quick burger later we were back in the hotel where we decided to watch the highlights of the trip captured through the camcorder. All of us gathered round in V&R's room and had a nice time commenting on the recordings. It was our last evening together in Switzerland before the Glasgow gang headed back home the next morning while D&R made their way to Geneva.

Swiss trip - day four

Day four - 29th May, Sunday
It was a nice & crisp morning in Interlaken and we went down for breakfast at the usual hour. Breakfast was the usual affair of a selection of juices, a selection of breads, croissants & rolls, some fruits and a coffee or tea. We would usually get through one of each variety, to keep us going till the late morning. So far on this trip food had not been a problem. Tourists, like an army, march on their stomachs and nothing can ruin a trip more than food (or the lack of it!). To complicate our situation, all of us were vegetarians with yours truly being a rather fussy eater but Switzerland proved to a happy hunting ground. Even though the restaurants were a bit on the dearer side, we still went to bed each night with that reassuring feeling of having eaten well.

After breakfast at Interlaken, Shoba & I were tasked with the job of finding out how to get to Jungfraujoch, the highlight of our trip to Switzerland. Deeps & Prashant went away to get themselves a pair of sunglasses while Vaiju, Ranga & Aditi were still having a leisurely breakfast. We knew that it would cost us some money but what the Tourist Info office told us still made us reel. Even with our Swiss Pass, this trip would set us back well over a 100 francs per person, but after a quick discussion we all decided that we would put it down to incidental expenses and enjoy the trip. The alternative would have been a cheaper cable car up the Schilthorn, which just didn't have the same appeal.

To get to Jungfraujoch from Interlaken meant taking 3 trains. Our first train was from Interlaken Ost (East) to Lauterbrunnen, from where we were to take the mountain line via Wengen to Kleine Scheidegg to change to the final train to Jungfraujoch. Most of the gang & the luggage went by a taxi to Ost but Ranga and I had to walk - it was a nice pleasant walk through Interlaken which took about 15 minutes. At Interlaken Ost, the others had already purchased the relevant tickets and stowed away the bags in convenient luggage lockers so we were all set for our train journey.

As we waited at the Ost station, Aditi provided us with good entertainment with an impromptu song-and-dance sequence with Barbie Girl. At the start of the trip, Vaiju & Ranga had been a little sceptical of their ability to stick to our planned schedule because of Aditi. But right from the beginning Aditi started enjoying each day & each activity just as much as everyone else and also got along wonderfully with everyone. There was never a dull moment with her around. Given that we were all on holiday, Aditi's pace also ensured that we took a relaxed approach to the holiday rather than the typical rushing around from place to place that characterises most of our trips abroad.

Our trip to Lauterbrunnen & from there to Kleine Scheidegg took us through lush countryside initally before climbing up through Wengen's mountain pastures before breaking the treeline at Kleine Scheidegg. The views on both sides kept the cameras whirring all the way! Kleine Scheidegg at 2061 m is little more than a few buildings huddled together at a dramatic location at the foot of the north face of the Eiger. It is a small but busy terminus for trains from Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald - all day, it is a hubbub of activity as tourists rush from one train to the other. From Kleine Scheidegg, the trains tunnels for most of the way through the Eiger emerging at a couple of intermediate indoor train stations from where large windows provide a taster of the views from the top.

The final stop of this tunneling adventure is the indoor station of Jungfraujoch which at 3454 m is the highest railway station in Europe. The station complex leads to a perennially snow covered plateau. There is also an Ice Palace - a hall of ice-sculptures that is popular with the tourists. The main draw is the Sphinx Terrace - an observation terrace & weather station at 3571 m offering panoramic & heart-thumping views towards Germany's Black Forest in one direction and the Italian Alps in the other. Directly below is also the vast Jungfraufirn glacier - it can be quite headspinning when you look down through the latticed floor of the observation platform!

After we got off the train, all of us got split up somehow. Deeps & Prashant went into the Ice Palace, Vaiju, Ranga & Aditi were in the main hall while Shoba & I headed out into the plateau. With clear blue skies above and snow all around us, the sun's glare would have been really painful without sunglasses. As was not surprising the plateau was chockfull of Indians. Young couples smartly dressed accompanied their parents in ill-fitting monkey caps, woollen sweaters & canvas shoes but nevertheless as excited as little children at seeing the snow, eager to have snowfights while ensuring that the cameras & camcorders captured every moment. We had mixed emotions witnessing the hustle & bustle of Indian life at what is intended to be a magical serene location! We savoured the moments and then went back to catch up with the others in the main hall. On the way, we stopped at the Ice Palace to view the sculptures - they were okay, just like any other ice palace though the location must surely have helped!

Unfortunately all was not well in the main hall. Deeps' visit to the claustrophobic Ice Palace had brought about a sudden bout of anxiety. I guess hunger also played it's part but the Indian restaurant was full with tourists & there weren't any free tables. Deeps was not feeling very comfortable so Prashant & Deeps decided to head down to Interlaken in the next train. The rest of us then decided to use the Indian wriggle technique to get seats in Bollywood, the Indian restaurant. The food was simple and limited in choice but the quantities were unlimited so we had a fantastic meal of simple hot rice & daal with a couple of sabzis. The place was full - the enterprising restaurant manager was constantly on his toes seating people, getting the food from the kitchen to the buffet tables, taking payments, etc.

After a good lunch, we then headed out to the Sphinx Terrace. This is accessed via a short lift ride that takes us 100 m to the observation platform at 3571 m (11715 feet). From here there are dramatic views on all sides. This is probably the topmost point in Europe that is so easily accessible.

On the way down, as we got off at Klein Scheidegg to change trains, we found Deeps & Prashant waiting at the station enjoying the views. Our trip back to Interlaken was via Grindelwald. It was a rather steep descent to Grindelwald via typical Swiss countryside. From Grindelwald we then took the train to Interlaken. After collecting our bags from the luggage locker and a quick coffee, we then took a train to our next destination - Lucerne.

We reached Lucerne rather late at 2030 and it was a short bus ride to our hotel, the Polish sounding Drei Kronige. It was a cornerhouse hotel in what seemed to be a typical residential part of town, set away from the main road. The rooms were nice and comfortable. Shoba wasn't feeling very well and Vaiju had to take care of Aditi, so the rest of us went downstairs to get some food & some takeaway. This part of town seemed to have closed down for the day and after an unsavoury attitude from the restaurant below the hotel, we then went out to see if there were any restaurants open. A 5 minute walk from our hotel brought us to the banks of the River Reuss which cuts through Lucerne. On our side was a nice cosy restaurant with tables laid out by the river bank, soft lights and a very welcoming atmosphere. Ranga suggested that Deeps & Prashant have dinner by the riverside to lift up Deeps from the morose mood she'd been since the afternoon trip. We then took away pizzas from another restaurant back to Ranga's room for a light dinner. Aditi had gone to sleep by the time we returned, so we sat up till midnight generally chatting away.

In the meantime Deeps & Prashant had had a nice dinner and went for a stroll along the riverside. The place was apparently very lively in the evening and there were a number of small cosy restaurants. Their walk took them past several small bridges across the river, each of which had been named after a local king with a brief history of his reign inscribed. They returned back to the hotel around midnight.

Swiss trip - day three

Day three - 28th May, Saturday

The original plan for the day was to go up to the Klein Matterhorn by cable car from Zermatt, but this was closed for repairs so the tourist office recommended the ever popular train to Gornergrat, offering excellent views of the Matterhorn. Everything in Zermatt is about the Matterhorn. This impossibly pointed peak, in the minds of a lot of people, stands for Switzerland. In reality it is only one amongst the 30-40 odd peaks around the Zermatt area but it is the only one that can be immediately recognised by anyone.

The Gornergrat Railway runs on metre gauge cogwheel tracks from Zermatt to Gornergrat which at 3130 m is Switzerland's highest open-air railway station. The route is winding & twisted, like all the mountain railways in Switzerland. It hauls tourists a distance of just under 6 miles but climbs almost 1500 m (4900 ft) during the 45 minute journey. The views are fantastic - we got into the front car which allowed us to stand next to the driver's cabin and enjoy excellent views. We started climbing almost immediately after leaving Zermatt. The Matterhorn was a constant feature on the journey, but the lesser known snow covered peaks all around also added to the beauty.

In the winter this is a very popular skiing area but there was still a lot of snow when we got to the top. Gornergrat has little beyond the station, a part of which doubles up as a viewing platform for the nearby peaks & the Matterhorn. Like most of the peaks around us, Gornergrat is also covered with snow throughout the year and in anticipation we had taken along a pile of warm clothes. But strangely, the temperature at the top was still above zero and with hardly any wind, just a light fleece proved sufficient to keep the cold away. This was a constant feature of all the peaks that we went up during this trip - the weather was actually better than here in Glasgow!

The draw of a snow covered field was too much for all of us and very soon, we were having our snowfights while Aditi & Shoba were making a tiny snowman. We must've spent an hour at the top but with little outside the station, we were very soon headed down on the same railway. Our next stop was at Riffelberg, which has a restaurant & is the food stop on the route. We had picked up some sandwiches from Zermatt but virtually everyone in the train got off and made a beeline to the restaurant. At Gornergrat we had seen maps of hiking trails from Riffelberg to Riffelalp but the station crew at Riffelberg cautioned us against this walk for reasons that the language barrier prevented us from knowing. We then decided to walk down from Riffelberg to Zermatt, which would still get us down to Zermatt in time for our direct train to Interlaken that evening.

At Riffelalp (2200 m) the walking trail was clearly marked out. Vaiju & Ranga decided to continue in the train to Zermatt. The four of us - Deeps & Prashant and Shoba & I - set off alongwith a small group of other hikers for the 90 minute walk that would take us about 600 m down to Zermatt. It was a lovely walk through wooded countryside, through a narrow & often steep path with tall coniferous trees on both sides. It was a well-trodden path though I cannot imagine anyone but the exceptionally fit heading in the reverse direction to us. We stopped at a few spots on the way, primarily to record clips for Prashant's video diary. As we got near Zermatt, the woods gave way to small brown chalets set in green fields with small yellow flowers and surrounded by the Alps - it was the exact picture that I had built up in my mind about Switzerland.

We got to Zermatt with about 30 minutes to spare for our train to Interlaken. Vaiju & Ranga, after returning to Zermatt in the train, had spent some time in the shops, got refreshed at the hotel and arranged for the bags to be brought down to the railway station. We met them at the station and set off from Zermatt at 1630. After a couple of changes we reached Interlaken by 1930. We spent the journey part sightseeing and partly playing Uno, a card game that Deeps & Prashant had got with them.

Interlaken is a small picturesque town of little interest but provides a very convenient base from which to explore the tourist points of Jungfrau, Lucerne, etc. This location has made it popular with all the tours from India, with the result that a visitor to Interlaken can be forgiven for assuming that the town has been colonised by Indians. As we walked the few minutes to our hotel, we felt the warm familiarity that comes of seeing so many of the same colour! There were further indications - small signboards in Hindi outside shops advertising Cheese Fondue, others saying in Hindi that they will accept Euros. As we checked in, our hotel owner mentioned that as if regular Indian tourists were not enough, that night Interlaken was also playing host to President APJ Abdul Kalam who was on an official visit to Switzerland.

Just as we checked in the skies suddenly opened up and unleashed a fury of rain & hail that would do an Indian downpour proud. All of us watched from our windows as the rains lashed the town set to a fast & furious rhythm of thunder & lightning - the spectacle lasted almost 30 minutes after which it ended just as quickly as it started.

That evening since India seemed to be the overriding theme, we had dinner at Spice India. If I had closed my eyes and not looked at the streets outside, I would've said I was at a restaurant in Bombay or any Indian city. The food was excellent and after a sumptous meal, Deeps, Prashant, Shoba and I went on a walkabout in the main street. Vaiju & Ranga had had dinner in the hotel room since Aditi had fallen asleep soon after getting to Interlaken. Interlaken town is really just a long street with the usual souvenir & watch shops - the only establishment of any interest was Hooter's, a restaurant/pub with a rather amusing reputation (Ranga's story ;-)). After a short walk we came back to the hotel and called it quits for the day.

Swiss trip - day two

Day two - 27th May, Friday

We had arranged to meet down for breakfast at 7.00 so we could get away on the 7.50 bus to the airport to take the train into town. A rather expensive taxi ride from the train station got us & our bags to the Mont Blanc pier from where we were to take our ferry to Montreux. The La Suisse was waiting for at the pier and we quickly hopped on. This 70 metre steamer built in 1910 for Lake Geneva could hold 1200 passengers, but today there were only about a dozen, most of them in the first class section on the upper deck. We relegated ourselves to the more comfortable & sparsely populated second class open deck.

Unlike our experience at Loch Ness, Lake Geneva turned out to be a very calm body of water with only a light breeze that did virtually nothing to bring down the temperatures. As we left Geneva, we had excellent views of the waterfront & the fountain. Some of the more famous Swiss watchmakers are based in Geneva - the names written in tall letters on top of the waterfront buildings a clear indication.

Our ferry ride was to take most of the morning, getting us into Montreux past the lunch hour. In the duration, we were to call at a few ports with riviera-ish names like Nyon, Lausanne, Vevey, etc. What we didn't realise was that some of these ports were actually on the French side of Lake Geneva. There was some excitement when we arrived at our first French port - the little village of Yvoire. We didn't really believe it until confirmed by one of the crewmen that it was indeed France. There was little evidence of any border control - people just seemed to walk off the boat and into the village. At Evian, Shoba got off the boat to take a photo while standing on French soil - that's another tick on her countries visited list!

Montreux is a picturesque & colourful little town very similar to the others on the shores of Lake Geneva, on both the Swiss & the French sides. It is built on two levels with convenient public escalators & lifts joining the two. We had a couple of hours before the train to Zermatt and since lunch had been had on the ferry, we decided to explore this town. The only attraction apart from the picturesque waterfront was a short bus ride away to the Chateau de Chillon (which was incidentally in the adjoining village of Villeneuve!). This castle was originally built in the 12th century and has since been added to regularly. It sits on a small rocky island on Lake Geneva with a drawbridge serving as the only entry point. We didn't go in - seemed pointless & anyways the entry fees were a bit steep, but instead we spent about an hour in the gardens, enjoying the view of the lake & the French Alps while having some delicious icecream. There was the usual gang of Indian tourists who arrived in two busloads - enthusiastic fathers with camcorders & digital cameras, bored mothers overdressed for the Swiss summer and the kids more interested in the conversation with friends they had made on the trip.

Back in Montreux, we took the 1640 train from Montreux to Visp from where we caught the famous Glacier Express on it's way from St. Moritz in the east to Zermatt. The route from Visp to Zermatt takes just over an hour, but the train climbs almost a kilometre (~3300 feet) in altitude. The route twists & turns it's way up the Alps and the views at every point in the journey are excellent. Deep valleys on one side & high peaks on the other kept us peering out of the windows on both sides, cameras & camcorders in full flow. The stations on the route were also small villages, with names like St. Niklaus, Randa & Tasch.

Zermatt was only a remote mountain village at the turn of the previous century, until the Glacier Express started bringing in the tourists. Now it is a car-free little town that has still managed to retain it's old-world charm, with old brown chalets and twisting alleyways. As we came off the train into the main square, the hotel's electric taxi - a modified golf buggy - took us & our bags the couple of hundred yards to our hotel. The very helpful lady at the reception sorted out the rooms for us - Shoba & I got a view of the Matterhorn (& a craned neck in the process!), Deeps & Prashant had views of the street while Vaiju & Ranga had the large room also with a view of the Matterhorn.

There was still some daylight left so we used the opportunity to walk around the small town. With it's winding streets and no cars, Zermatt has a very romantic feel about it. Even though it nestles 1600 m (5260 ft) above sea-level (Ben Nevis is 4400 ft), there was only a cool breeze about. As in every village, town & city in Switzerland, the only souvenirs available were cow bells, Swiss army knives, Swiss chocolates & Swiss watches. Zermatt is also a rare example of a town without a single Indian restaurant, so we got back to our hotel and to it's Italian restaurant.

If I had had any concerns about our accomodation before the trip started, it was about Zermatt.
We were in a hotel that boasted the only disco in town and advertised itself as the most happening place in town, hardly the place to go for a good night's sleep. But I need not have worried - the disco was in the cellar and the summer season meant that when Vaiju & Ranga went to check it out, they were the only folk in the place. So Aditi had to make do with the piano in the passage outside their room for entertainment, while we fell asleep to the quarterly chimes from the nearby church clock.

Swiss trip - day one

Day one - 26th May, Thursday

We almost didn't make it. The previous night I forgot to set the alarm before going to bed - in fact I'd just fallen asleep when some subconscious reminder brought me back with a start to the real world to set the alarm clocks that will create the early morning cacophony to wake us up from our Kumbhakarna slumber.

We were at the airport by 5 a.m. My tickets hadn't yet been paid for so we headed to the KLM counter to pick them up. I was quite excited not just at the prospect of the trip, but also because it would be my first trip abroad on the new British passport. I had my first joy of the trip when the lady at the ticket counter asked me to pay roughly 80 pounds less than what I had been told earlier. Now, that's how I like to start my holiday!

Vaiju & Ranga had already checked in before us, so after checking in we proceeded towards the gate. We were in the line at the security check when we had the second surprise of the day. Shoba spotted her cousin Nishant who she had not seen for almost a decade. Nishant was on his way for a month's holiday in Cuba (wow!) and was travelling with us upto Amsterdam from where he was to take the long haul to Havana. Shoba's and Nishant's conversation went into the catch-up mode we all slip into when we meet up with long lost acquaintaces. We met Vaiju & Ranga at the gate trying their best to keep Aditi in check as she entertained herself with a box of jingles & critters.

At Amsterdam, we bade goodbye to Nishant & boarded our flight to Geneva. We had our first glimpse of the Alps on the flight into Geneva. All the peaks were snow covered and all of them looked like my idea of the Matterhorn. The entire range was glistening in the sun. The Alps run all through Switzerland and three days of our trip was to be spent on some it's highest peaks.

Geneva, for it's reputation & name, seemed quite a small city. The flight path gave us a nice bird's eyeview of the city & of it's main tourist draw, the 140 metre high Jet d'eau fountain. The airport itself was quite compact - the first plane we saw when we landed was an Air India jumbo which fitted well with my impression that we Indians now constitute a significant proportion of the visitors to this beautiful country.

The temperature in Geneva was a stifling 32 C. This was all the more apparent as we walked back from the hotel to the airport that afternoon to catch a train into town. Vaiju & Ranga were still at the hotel but Shoba & I decided to spend the second half catching the sights of the town. Geneva is a small compact town with the usual array of souvenir shops selling cuckoo clocks, Swiss army knives & Swiss chocolates. We walked to the waterfront guided by the beacon that was the Jet d'eau. This fountain shoots a half cubic meter of water per second about 140 metres - the force of the water can only be felt from up close as a column of water about 6 inches in diameter gushes out of the exit pipe at almost 200 kms per second. We spent the afternoon wandering around that area, admiring the floral clock & the English gardens (Jardin Anglais) and then finally we got to the Tourist Info office where a bored looking fellow gave us a couple of maps of the city.

In the evening, Vaiju & Ranga came into the city and we met them at the railway station before heading off to the UN building. I think that was the disappointment of the day - to begin with, it was closed and then there were roadworks going on right in front of the building leaving only the small footpath and the huge gate to stare through. This wasn't much fun though the bus loads of Indian tourists didn't seem to mind. We then came back to the city to soak in the evening atmosphere, once again close to the waterfront. Dinner was at the local McDonald's where they still serve veggie burgers (unlike their UK counterparts which serve up a horrible quorn alternative).

I was so exhausted by the time we got back to the hotel that I cannot even recall Prashant calling me when they got in at 11!!