so a lot has happened in the last few days since i last updated. before i begin i really can't believe that i've only been here for 5 days. i've done so much incredible stuff thus far, that it seems like i've been here for weeks. and i talk with people who have been on the road forever, and they can't hardly believe that i'm just starting. its the strangest thing ever.
so the last time i updated, i was planning on going to interlaken, and i did, but not with a stop in montreux. actually, i got up early, and showed up for a free walking tour of lusanne, which turned out to be just me and this nice little old lady. we walked and she talked at length about the bernese, and other such swiss history. really quite interesting, she was very nice.
after that, it was off to montreux, just down the road (rail) from lusanne, as i had seen a picture of a castle there, and i wanted to see it. so i decided to stop on the way, and it was soooo great. out on this little island on lake geneva, simply stunning.
from there, off to interlaken, but little did i know, it was on this all-glass panoramic train through the alps. i had to transfer 3 times on the 3 hour journey, but wow was it amazing. the train rode through these valleys with gigantic mountains all around, and lakes and little villages. wow.
so i arrive in interlaken at about 7pm, meet these two canadians, jim and vanessa at the station, cause we're all three confused as to how to get to the hostel, balmers. we wonder around and eventually find it, and it pretty much is like stepping into another world. well, actually its like stepping back into america. the hostel is CRAZY. we walk through the back gate, everyone's outside lounging around, drinking, laughing and having a good time. and there's people EVERYWHERE. check in, meet vanessa and jim back downstairs after getting settled in and we cook up some pasta they had. pretty aweful 4 cheese sauce, but it only cost me the $1 needed for the stove, so i wasn't complaining.
at night the place gets even CRAZIER, as it sits on top of a bar. basically the place is a bar with beds. oh, and everything is english, they don't even ATTEMPT to speak german or french or whatever freaking language they speak here. fun times, meet tons of people, etc, etc.
yesterday, soooo much fun. jim, vanessa and i take a train about 20 minutes to lauterbrunnen, and then hike from there through this AMAZING valley, for about 2 hours. sheer cliffs on both sides, more waterfalls than you can count. mountains all around. finally get to a small town, then take a cable car up even higher, to gimmewald (the only town rick steves even mentions in all of switzerland, he loves it that much). its wonderful, you can see forever, and it feels like you could reach out and touch the mountains. take some freaky cable train thing back down, and train back to interlaken. phew.
well i'm out of time now... more updating later. off to milan tomorrow, though i'm not quite sure when. i may leave in the afternoon, so i've got more time here. jim and vanessa are soo much fun, probably will meet up with them again in south france in 2 weeks or so, who knows. off to cook up some more pasta now.. mmmm..