Interlaken Day 2

My second day in Interlaken started off pretty normally..................................................... 

LOL NOT! I WENT SKY DIVING! 

Honestly, the details on how this came to be are still a little hazy. 

The day before, the girls in my dorm said they were going canyoning and invited me to come along. 

Like, sure why not! Not really sure what "canyoning" means but it seemed cool and I was down for some activities. 

I made my way downstairs to the activity desk to make the reservation, and then *BAM* I was swiping my credit card and I had somehow scheduled SKY DIVING for 8:30 am the next day. APRIL WTF HAVE YOU DONE!!! 

The night before I was so nervous I didn't sleep a wink. 

Finally, morning came and it was GO TIME. LET'S DO THIS THANG!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The man strapped to my back (not sure what to call him) was named Andy. He was KIND OF an asshole but in a really funny way that after a little while was more funny than asshole-y and made the jump way more fun.

Like for example, my first question to Andy was: "So, do you have any advice for a first time skydiver?" Keep in mind how NERVOUS I was!!!

He goes: "Ya, try not to get me killed". 

Hooooooooooookay THANKS ANDY for that SUPER HELPFUL advice!!! I don't even know how to try to not kill you so ya thanks for that.

Anyway, here's me and Andy giving the thumbs up before we got on the plane! Wooooo! 

Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!

Looking back on this experience, the whole thing seems so surreal. 

I tried to take it all in, live in the moment and be super present, but it's like I blacked out or something! I remember asking how high we were jumping from, and I remember hearing an answer, but what that answer was I cannot say. 

The views were SPECTACULAR. I see that now from looking at the photos. But honestly, I was too preoccupied with the fact that I WAS ABOUT TO JUMP OUT OF AN AIRPLANE to really appreciate them. I was like "ya ya ou ya so pretty guys mhmm" but didn't really mean it haha. 

The ride up to the top went by pretty quickly. We were crammed in there like sardines. Everyone else was so calm, I have no idea how. Andy told a few jokes, and then it was go time.

I put on my safety glasses, shimmied my way to the open door, and sat on the ledge of the airplane.  

I don't remember pushing off or jumping really.

Probably because, I didn't hahaha. 

I vaguely remember just sitting there, and then all of a sudden we were flying!!!!!!!!!!! 

Geronimo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IT WAS SO AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The free-fall was the best part. 

I didn't think to look up or down, so I have no idea how fast we were falling because I had no point of reference, but it was like being blown by a giant fan while floating in the sky. 

It's really hard for me to describe the feeling more than that! 

My mind shut off. 

I wasn't aware that I was falling towards the earth, but I WAS aware that I was completely surrounded by air and NOTHING ELSE. 

Such an amazing feeling!!!!!  

One thing: just LOOK at how cool Andy is. Blowing kisses to the camera and flexing his muscles. Whatta show off!!!!!

Then there's me, I don't think I stopped screaming, like at all.

I have the EXACT same facial expression in almost every photo!!! 

Before we took off, I remember thinking to myself "oh I should give the thumbs up or some gang signs, that would be cool" LOL YA OK APRIL nice try tho hahaha.

Once the parachute opened, I remember feeling one thing: relief. 

I WAS SO HAPPY!

I DID IT! 

HURRAY!!!!!

GO ME!!!!!!

After landing, there were two types of people. 

Type 1: the zombies. In complete shock. One girl could barely take off her little skydiving suit even!!!

Type 2: the psychos. All high on life and ready to kick ass. On such a rush I swear some of the girls could have killed a man or performed an armed robbery and wouldn't have thought twice about it.

I, was a type 2. Shit got weird. I told Andy that I loved him and I'm pretty sure I ran laps around the field. But what a rush!!!!! I loved every minute of my skydiving experience. I thought this was going to be a once in a lifetime thing, but I already can't wait to go skydiving again. Perhaps go get my license and dive solo???? We'll see :) 

Since I didn't really sleep the night before, originally I thought I would just take a little nap and chill out for the rest of the afternoon.

BUT, my circumstances had changed. With this new found kick of adrenaline, I was ready to take over the world. I thought screw it, IMMA DO MORE ACTIVITIES!!!!! 

I met a couple a few days earlier who had mentioned they did a hike up to a beautiful lookout and restaurant. 

2.5 hour hike you say???????? NO PROBLEM! 

So after getting back to the hostel, I grabbed a bite to eat and decided to hike Harder Kulm, Interlaken's local mountain. 

IMMA RUN UP DIS BITCH! (I thought.) I. AM. UNSTOPPABLE!!!!!!!!!!!

...

SO not really surprisingly, the hike turned out to be way more challenging than I anticipated. Hahaha, damn that over self-confidence. 

But it was a beautiful hike nonetheless! So peaceful, and I finally saw that Swiss landscape I had been hoping for! There's also a 10 minute ride in a cable car that takes you to the top, but for me, that made the hike just that much more rewarding. I burned cals AND saved like 20 francs. Suckaaaaas.   

Emerging from the trail and finally making it to the restaurant/bar/lookout was kind of funny. 

As I approached the top, I started to hear this funny stereotypical Swiss music and people's voices. 

The trail started to thin out and then BAM there was this American family sitting in these lawn chairs right in front of me. By the looks of things, they took the cable car up. Like just out of nowhere, there's this family, chillin in lawn chairs like a metre away from me. I've been hiking my ass off for about 2 hours, in the depths of the Swiss wilderness in complete isolation, and then so suddenly, there's these people, straight relaxing, out of nowhere, with all of this tourist stuff around them and a restaurant in the background. I don't know why, but it just made me laugh.

Then the dad goes: "Congratulations! You made it. Now you deserve a beer." 

So, I wandered around the look out, and got a beer. 

And then I hiked back down. 

Worth it.

Interlaken Day One

I was finally able to slip away for a weekend. 

I originally planned on doing SO MUCH more touring of Switzerland... I don't know how I let so much precious European time slip through my fingers!!!!! 

But whatcha gonna do.

So for my first weekend voyage, I wanted to go somewhere superrrr Switzy.  THE EPITOME OF SWITZERLAND!! What do you think of when you think of Switzerland?? I think of tall grassy fields speckled with yellow wild flowers, deep blue lakes and the alps dusted with snow. I've also been missing the outdoors quite a bit lately (get me outta dis concrete jungle!!) which led me to my weekend destination: Interlaken! 

I booked a trip with bus2alps, a tour company designed specifically for students studying abroad. They pick you up (from either Rome, Florence, or they give you the option to "fly in" and pick you up at a nearby airport), book your accommodations, and get you there ON A BUS (GO FIGURE!). They set up little optional activities, and have guides kickin around in case you have any questions or need a bit of help. It was perfect because I didn't have time to research hostels or make travel arrangements. I was PUMPED! But then, THE TRIP GOT CANCELLED. NOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO. PURE DEVASTATION!! They didn't meet the required numbers for the "fly in" group leaving from the Geneva Airport :( HOWEVER I was given the option to continue with the trip, I just needed to arrange my own transportation (TAKES THE BUS OUT OF BUS2ALPS DON'T U THINK??) but that was okay cause trains are way cooler anyway!! WOHOO. Interlaken imma comin 4 u.

My train ride to Interlaken was funny. I got on in Geneva, which is deeply situated in the French speaking part of Switzerland. Slowly as the train moved further and further east, EVERYONE STARTED SPEAKING SWISS-GERMAN. Like now that I'm reading what I'm writing here this isn't that crazy, Switzerland has like 4 official languages, it's to be expected, but at the time MY MIND WAS BLOWN. It was the first time in Switzerland I literally had NO IDEA what the hell was going on. Like the train could have caught on fire and I wouldn't have had a clue. I never thought I'd say this, but I missed the Frenchness!!! But more importantly this made me realize how much my French has improved over the past few weeks (wewwww April u go gurl). 

I arrived in Interlaken pretty late at night, headed str8 to my hostel (shoutout to the old couple AND the Canadian couple who helped me get there!!) and went to bed. We stayed at Balmer's, the 1st and oldest hostel in Switzerland! Apparently the guy who owns it is like a Swiss celebrity, he acts like everyone's grandpa and everyone just loves on him. The beds were super comfy and the staff was super helpful when I was trying to plan activities! I'd definitely go back. 

The next morning, it was go time. I had a 10:45 reservation: mama was going PARAGLIDING! 

So I won't lie, when I made this reservation I thought I was going hang-gliding. WHOOPS. Turns out those are different things. Whatever tho this was fine too. 

Paragliding was AWESOME!! My lil buddy's name here is Fab, and he was awesome too!!!! 

I was a little nervous before take-off. It all happens so fast!! Paragliding Interlaken picks you up, whisks you off in a van up, waaaaaay up into the mountains, harnesses you in and then BAM it's take off time! Take off is actually the stupidest looking thing in the entire world. The instructor tells you to go, and you literally just start running down this hill, but you can't because you have a harness/diaper thing on so you take these tiny quick little baby steps until suddenly you are up in the air and you have no idea how you got there with that weird little baby jog but it's happening. One girl in my group sat down too quickly (didn't baby jog long enough)and her bum skidded along the ground and she didn't make it up hehe. But I was obvi a pro baby jogger and made it wohoo!! 

WE WERE SO HIGH!!!!!!!! 

Like holy shit I did not think we would go that high. 

And the view... OH BAYBAY god DAMN Interlaken you be good looking. 

We swayed back and forth, catching the wind and rising higher and higher with every gush of mountain air. I remember just looking around, trying to take it all in and immerse myself in my surroundings. 

It was time to head back to earth, and Fab asked me if I wanted to do some "turns". 

Ummmm, hell yea I do!! 

WELL WHAT A MISTAKE THAT WAS!

We spun around and around in these super tight circles that were probably just normal circles before finally touching the ground. 

And then, it happened. I barfed. In a big open field where other paragliders have to land. I'm not proud, but it happened. You live and you learn. No turns next time. But I'd still do it all over again in a minute!!! 

Since I'd just emptied my stomach contents it was probably time to fill it up again so I decided to grab some lunch! 

Feeling a little weak and woozy, I hit up the first patio I saw. Not a bad view if you ask me!! 

This weekend was all about doing "Swiss things", so I ordered rösti: grated potato that is fried and mixed with whatever (cheese, bacon, apple, onion, u kno) and is kind of in a patty form. It was like eating a giant hash brown in a skillet with cheese and bacon!! I approve. 

I literally have no idea what this restaurant was called (now that I look back I was pretty out of it after the paragliding incident, and that glass of wine on an empty stomach probably didn't help haha #yolo) but I really liked that there was a lil baby orange tree at the centre of each table. I remember when I was little my momma had a potted orange tree in our house. She used to crumple up the leaves and make me smell them. Sounds weird but it was nice and these lil baby orange trees reminded me of her :) so I crumpled up a leaf and smelled it! Love you mama!! 

After lunch I decided to wander around the town. 

It was cute!! A little too touristy for me but cute. So cute it almost seemed fake u kno?? Like it blows my mind that people actually LIVE in it! 

Souvenir shops, swiss army knife shops, watch shops, chocolate shops, all the stereotypical tourist traps by the dozen. But me no mind. U kno why?? Cause I'm a tourist!!! So why the hell not. I wouldn't spend more than a couple hours here, but why not. 

I like pretty graffiti! 

On a serious note: where can I find a deer like this to hang on my wall?? I WANT! #deerhunt 

I spent the afternoon wandering in and out of stores, picking out some postcards and watching the other tourists. 

Before I knew it the day had slipped away and it was time to head to THE CHOCOLATE SHOW!! 

Bus2alps organized a little chocolate show for us to attend. It was in the basement of one of the local shops. A real life chocolatier taught us about chocolate, cocoa beans and how cocoa beans --------> chocolate!! 

But I was really only there for one reason: to taste test. 

So although this probably looks disgusting (giant tubs of chocolate = not so photogenic) this had all of us DROWLIN!! At the end of our little chocolate lesson we got to make our very own chocolate lollipop by dunking it into one of these bad boys and decorating it in whatever we wanted. I chose sprinkles, sprinkles all da way!!  

All high on sugar (coocoo on cocoa you might say, hehehehe) I decided to wander around Interlaken a little further before stopping for dinner. 

Continuing with the theme of Swiss indulgence, I had fondue. 

FINALLY. 

It's like basically the only thing I've wanted to eat the entire time I've been here and I haven't been able to convince a SOUL to come with me. I've been too scared to eat it by myself because fondue is kind of an ordeal but I am running out of time so SCREW IT!!! I deserve it. And it was delicious!!!! 

It came with bread, potatoes, pickles, apples, and some hot pepper things. TOTALLY worth the wait!! I'm so glad I bit the bullet and just did it on my own. And I don't even feel weird about it!!! I saw all these people walking by, eyeing my fondue. They totes wished they were me. I can see how fondue is kind of a winter thing, but why discriminate against cheese like that I dunno??? Just doesn't make sense to me. 

P.S. What happened after the explosion at the cheese factory??

All that was left was de brie. 

Hehe.