+ switzerland

Au Revoir, Genève!

noreply@blogger.com (Jude Tibay) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 04:00:00 +0000

It's snowing lightly in Geneva, and my flight leaves in less than 4 hours. I've stayed up all night to get my body back on Eastern Standard Time. If you're too lazy to check out all the photos, below is a YouTube video recap of my trip. Merci, for following along. What's next? Lake Tahoe!

Darker Side of Geneva

noreply@blogger.com (Jude Tibay) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 01:08:00 +0000

Train back to Geneva

Yet another lazy morning and most of the day spent taking the train back to Geneva. As the train left the high altitudes, the blue-bird skies turned to manic-depressive grey. I didn't get back to Geneva until 17:00, and by the time I made it to the downtown area most of the shops were closed. Nevertheless, I thought to visit the tourist drags of downtown before I left in the morning to make the day worthwhile.

I stepped out of Gare Cornavin, the train station in downtown Geneva, heading towards the lake-front. Several dozen cops clad in bullet-proof armour swarmed the station. At the edge of the perimeter, one of them checked underneath a parked car for some hidden danger. I paced on with a casual pace so as not to attract attention to myself.

With the exception of brightly lit signs advertising luxury brands and the names of banks, there wasn't much hustle-and-bustle near the lake front. I crossed the waterway on a narrow bridge to make a brief pit-stop through Geneva's equivalent of "5th Ave". Again, everything was closed but at least I can say I've been. So far the day had been uneventful.

View Larger Map
I took the pedestrian walkway along Pont du Mont Blanc. It was a larger bridge with passing cars, and there were several pedestrians crossing it. I saw a young couple heading in the opposite direction appearing distraught. They looked back at three men several yards farther down. They were circling. (Internal dialog: "A fight? No.") I hesitated, thinking of turning back, but one of them seemed to walk away and the other two just loitered like two drunk frat boys. ("Maybe it was nothing. Just keep walking.") The previous couple's troubled body language kept me more alert of my surroundings.

From Train back to Geneva

I saw their faces when I got within 4 feet of them. One of the two guys locked eyes with me. My face was emotionless as I walked passed him. He seemed to skip backwards as I passed him and said something in French. I didn't stop walking and gave him a quick glance of "I don't know WTF you are talking about." Feigning drunkenness, he walked alongside me and tried to wrap his arm around my shoulder and dig some silly soccer celebratory dance while singing "Futbol! Futbol!". He urged me to join him, but I maintained my soldier like march hoping to send a passive-aggressive message that I was not interested. His friend suspiciously looked on and maintained some distance. Something did not seem right when the "drunk" guy's arm seemed to wrestle mine with his hand above my shoulder and his elbow locking mine... then a reach toward the wallet. I re-positioned my arm to block. He did not relent with the singing and dancing, and started doing a cossack dance. His adjacent left seemed to try to lock mine. The last time that I found myself in this position was in a martial arts-based self-defense class. Things seemed to add up. His dancing took on a more aggressive undertone. (Internal dialog: "You're trying to knock me off balance, aren't you?") I stood my ground and used my weight advantage to reverse the position, positioned my right foot behind his and shoved HARD at his shoulder. ("Maybe they were waiting for me to fall before taking my wallet... the second guy as backup. Who knows...")

He looked back confused. I glared back silently, F'ing pissed and continuing to march on. Other pedestrians were gradually approaching us from both sides of the bridge, and these guys seemed young - just looking for quick cash. I would not have escaped this if the 2nd guy joined in, or if they concealed weapons. Were they pick-pockets or muggers? I'm glad I didn't find out.

From Train back to Geneva

I steamed bitterly as I walked toward an area near the train stations full of restaurants. Geneva was beginning to leave a bad taste in my mouth. The cure? Binge on some good food. (Amanda, contrary to popular belief, I didn't go for the Asian food.) I found a Moroccan restaurant /hookah bar called Al Manzil. The waitress was nice but only spoke French. My Italian and Spanish didn't work with her, so I did my best to assemble the 13 French words I knew and my understanding of French phonetics to order. Great food - chicken with a citrus confit and a variety of vegetable "pastes?" that you eat with a type of thick flat bread. 19:00 was still early for outside dining, so the restaurant was only sparsely populated. I opened up Facebook on my iPhone for dinner company. (Yes, sad.)

I made it back to the airport quite safely. The later it got, the more (non-dodgy) people there were roaming around. The great thing about "shitey" experiences is that it gives you a story to tell on even the most dull of days.
(If my parents read this story, they'll probably be hesitant to let me visit the Vatican on my own... even if I've hiked in New Zealand wilderness alone.)

Today's Expenses

330.00 CHF - 2 nights stay at Hotel Allalin in Zermatt

33.00 CHF - 2nd class one-way train ticket from Zermatt to Visp

59.00 CHF - 2nd class one-way train ticket from Visp to Geneva Airport

7.00 CHF - All Day Geneva Transit Pass

71.60 CHF - 2kg of Swiss chocolate & misc. souvenirs

7.00 CHF - Random snackage for the train ride

50.00 CHF - Dinner and tip at Al Manzil

0.00 CHF - Your Ass Kicked

Matterhorn Glacier Paradise

noreply@blogger.com (Jude Tibay) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 21:48:00 +0000

Matterhorn Glacier Paradise

Breaking my tradition of waking up at sunset, eating an egg & cheese bagel sandwich and heading straight to the slopes for first chair; I slept in today. I rolled out of bed just in time to miss free breakfast at the hotel, and settled for hot tea and some cereal bars. I caught the gondola that starts just at the edge of town, which then climbs several thousand feet above Zermatt. Every sign along the way to the summit was crowded with messages in German, French, Italian and English. The cacophony from fellow skiers gearing up were there to match. It was lingual chaos, but everyone seemed to manage.

From Matterhorn Glacier Paradise

The scenery at mid-mountain was surreal: A winter wonderland of snowy mountains. I could only guess what was waiting for me at the highest point in the park. I spent 15 minutes at the first station just absorbing... and of course shooting photos like a madman. The slopes were "corn" - not the sexy powder that any snowboarder wishes for, but at least it wasn't east-coast ice. I eventually found my way to the mega-gondola, which rose above everything in the park to the area called "Matterhorn Glacier Paradise", and which resembled a diner-sized box on ropes that carried perhaps 30-40 people at a time. At its end, the gondola interfaces with a promontory that stands in the shadow of another "mount-strosity" called Breithorn. To get to the slopes, you walk through a man-made tunnel that runs through the peak. Optionally, there's an elevator that goes to an observation deck that offers a 360' view of snow and mountains.

There was a small group of mountaineers walking up the treacherous slopes of Breithorn. One of them appeared to have a snowboard strapped to their backpack. It must not have been windy because snowboards act like sails in high-wind and could probably knock you off your feet.

The scenery aside, the slopes I rode for the first few hours were underwhelming. Most of the off-piste (ungroomed) trails which offered the best powder and steeps were closed from access. Instead I dealt with flat so-called "intermediate" trails. It wasn't until I made my descent from mid-mountain back to town that I found a trail marked "Expert Skiers Only". I waited for a few snowboarders to take the trail before I followed - making sure mile-upon-mile of mogul fields did not await me. This trail turned out to be the best run of the day.

No McDonald's for dinner tonight, but no fancy restaurants either. I filled up on street food - crepes and sausage with bread - before calling it a night at the hotel.

Today's Expenses

75.78 USD - Zermatt All-Mountain Ski Pass

92.40 CHF - Premium Snowboard Rental with helmet

12.80 CHF - Over-priced Minestrone di Franco soup and hot tea

7.00 CHF - Apfelmus Crepes

8.00 CHF - Bratwurst und bröt from street vendor

Voyage a Zermatt

noreply@blogger.com (Jude Tibay) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 01:51:00 +0000

Zermatt, Switzerland

After taking care of some early business in Geneva, I hopped aboard the InterRegio line from Geneva to the town of Visp, which connects to Matterhorn Gotthard line to Zermatt. The whole trip endured 4 hours, but 1st class seating (a luxury I picked up on my trip to Japan) made it pleasant and the ride between Visp and Zermatt was the prettiest. The train shimmied along the narrow edges of cliffs, looked down precipitous gorges, cross rickety bridges, passed tunnels and caterpillar'ed its way through glacial valleys where steep mountains flanked it on both sides. The train car had super wide and high windows that facilitated viewing the alpine panoramas. This train clung to narrow-gauge tracks that you would more likely expect to see on kiddie trains at small amusement parks.

From Zermatt, Switzerland

I checked into Hotel Allalin, which Travelocity made it appear like an overpriced Best Western (no offense - I stay at BW's quite often on the road), but it proved to be a 4-star hotel just off the main drag of Zermatt. I was greeted with a bubbling glass of white wine at reception, gourmet snackage in the lounge, and hand-crafted chocolate in my room. It was expensive, but well worth the views and the comfort. The only downer was the reception lady during the evening shift who seemed to dislike either snowboarders or foreigners - because she did not give me nice looks when I returned to the hotel after dinner. I had been in Zermatt for almost 2 hours before I noticed the Matterhorn was just within view of the hotel.

Oh yes, and McDonald's was on the menu for dinner. Americans, don't shudder - this was the classiest McDonald's I've ever been to. Although it cost 20.00 CHF, I ordered tiger shrimp cocktail, a panini-like version of a hamburger, and Fanta. You can be assured, however, that their recipe for fries has not changed.

Today's Expenses:

153.00 CHF - 1st class one way train ticket from Geneva Airport to Zermatt

25.00 CHF - snackage

82.00 CHF - souvenirs (8 keychains and 1 t-shirt)

20.00 CHF - McDonald's for dinner

Comment allez-vous, didgeridoo?

noreply@blogger.com (Jude Tibay) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 23:56:00 +0000

From Switzerland: Miscellaneous

When Drew climbed into the front seat of a taxi cab in Geneva Switzerland, he was surprised by a long gourd-like instrument in the front-seat. Drew jokingly asked "Is that a didgeridoo?", but so it was. The cab driver was its musician. When the cab was caught at a red light, he took a minute to serenade us.

Visit his website: http://www.didg.ch/

The Geneva Office

noreply@blogger.com (Jude Tibay) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 22:47:00 +0000

Don't expect much of an update today through Wednesday. I will say that our meetings at work went very well today. But unless you enjoy subject matter related to finance and supply chain processes, you're better off waiting until Thursday for some news. The office has amazing views of the mountains and is just a stone's throw away from CERN - the machine with the particle collider that could potentially destroy the planet.

Below is a video dramatization should such a disastrous event occur... and I'd have front-row seats.

Montreux + Les Rochers de Naye

noreply@blogger.com (Jude Tibay) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 20:44:00 +0000

Click for Photos

I was running on less than two hours of sleep, and it was already 6:30 in the morning when we arrived in Geneva. An hour early thanks to speedy tailwinds. While everyone else wisely spent the first few hours on a refreshing nap, I fought the sandman for a few more hours with a hot shower, breakfast and arming myself with (expensive) Swiss-enabled telecommunications: a wifi account and internaional roaming plan. I was all set to roam the alps with my iPhone.

I met up with Drew to snack on some typical European breakfast items... some of which might not have been so kosher with the "Biggest Loser" contest at work. But, hey. It ended up paying off for the challenge we would later meet. We shuttled over back to the airport from the hotel, and bought some unexpectedly expensive (but worth it) tickets to Montreaux - a village on the opposite/eastern side of the very long Lac Leman. With the hot alpine noon sun warming my face through the train window, and the rhythmic song of the tracks, it did not take long for my eyelids to slide down like a broken garage door. I woke up somewhere between Vevey and Montreux to see the dramatically vertical walls that were the mountains that edged the lake on its southern and eastern sides.

When we got off at Montreux an hour later, Karin was already waiting for us with tickets for the cog-wheel train to Les Rochers de Naye - an exposed alpine bowl at the summit of a mountain overlooking Montreux, the valley and the lake below. It was chugged up steep inclines at a leisurely pace, passing by panorama after panorama - passing unguarded cliffs, crossing archaic bridges and chuting through tunnels... many elements of which were constructed about a hundred years ago. The journey ended at the base of a large exposed alpine valley, riddled with lines etched by skiers and snowboarders. With great gratitude from Drew and I, Karin narrated the scenery sharing details that most tourists would never know.

When we disembarked the train, Karin without much explanation marched on through the snow and toward a grand overlook at the edge of a cliff - protected by nothing more than a yellow cord and traffic signs with an illustrated stick-figure falling to its doom. Fortunately for me, I decided to trade in my loafers for hiking boots before I left the hotel. As we passed a few yurts that were available for hire, Karin pointed to the summit a few hundred feet ahead and above us. In my mind I thought: "... damn, that's where we're going?" but my heart pumped: "dude, let's beast this"... as my friend would say.

From Montreux, Swizterland

Karin was dressed perfectly for the conditions - attire that made her appear as if ready for ice climbing. Meanwhile, Drew in his jeans and I in my Brooks Brothers corduroy pants didn't appear to fit into the circumstances too well. Nevertheless, we trudged on and up... digging our toes and the blades of our shoes into the snowpack. With heavy breaths and determination (and still scoring no more than 4 hours of sleep that night before), we made it to the summit where a spectacular view of the alps awaited. Well worth the adventure.

From Montreux, Swizterland

We slid back down the treacherous slope by the seats of our pants. It took Drew and I a little longer than Karin to get down. However, when we finally arrived Karin met us with 3 champagne glasses and a bottle of white wine in hand. Cheers. We lounged on some beach chairs outside while we waited for the train for the return to Montreux.

Ensuring that we experienced every highest form of Swiss public transportation, we took the bus to Vevey where Karin served a delicious spread of meats, cheeses, tarts and wine. We talked and ate until stuffed and until the sun had set over Lac ("Lake") Leman. Karin didn't let Drew or I fall asleep the whole hour ride back to Geneva airport, ensuring that we get a good night sleep only when we go to the hotel. This was a good thing.

With this kind of first day in Switzerland, we were off to a good start. Much thanks to our hostess Karin for the tour around the lake and mountains.

From Montreux, Swizterland

Today's Expenses:

64.00 CHF - roundtrip train ticket from Geneva Airport to Montreux

32.00 CHF - roundtrip train ticket to the summit area of Les Rochers de Naye

3.00 CHF - bus ticket from Montreux to Vevey

59.99 USD - Boing Hotspot international wifi roaming plan

5.99 USD - AT&T international roaming + 0.99 USD/min

24.99 USD - AT&T international data roaming add-on

(yes, "holy crap", it's expensive)