Interlaken, Switzerland

Getting to Interlaken was the first foray into trouble with transportation systems in different languages. I came very close to getting on the wrong train in France, but stunning wit prevailed and I captured the proper train just in time.
Interlaken, is a pretty cool town nestled between two lakes in the Swiss Alps. It has roughly 15,000 inhabitants and is picturesque as all hell.

A few interesting things happened here. On the first day, I went hiking in the Alps - the antithesis of the hyperactive urbanite life I generally prefer. It’s good to get back into nature and be reminded of her pure power, inspiration, and beauty. As humans we tend to distance ourselves from nature. We often consider ourselves the more powerful of the two, but hiking in the Alps puts you back in your place. Or at least it did for me.

Interlaken was also home to a brief sampling of the vagabond life. I was locked out of my hostel for five hours, alone, in the rain, with no money, and no warm or protective clothing. It was a bad couple hours, and I couldn’t help but feel a tiny bit closer to all the beggars of the world.

Fortunately getting trapped in the rain was followed by the absolutely surreal experience of paragliding. Paragliding is basically flying for humans. You’re strapped onto a special parachute with controls on either side, and you run down a sharp hill, and suddenly, you’re lifted off the ground flying and gliding above the trees and lakes, surrounded by the Alps.

I flew through some low flying clouds and it gave the entire experience a very ethereal feel. It was pure zen, and well worth the 6 days of food money that I dropped to do it.

Next Stop: Gimmelwald.