Goodbye Germany, Hello Switzerland

well..since there is no wireless on the train, ill write this in word and post it ot the internet when i can connect.

So, here i sit, in my little box on the night train. im in a single person cabin. its actually the size of an aircraft toilet, plus the size of a single bed. cosy but nice.

so herei sit for the next 12 hours. but at least i can lie down. i can only imagine this is what the bedroom cabins on the new A380 will be like. very nice.

the power from th epowerpoint is intermittent so im not really sure how long my battery will last. hopeflly it will come on long enough to watch a dvd or play a game.

it was so nice that Jan came to the train station to see me off as well. So Bert and Janwere both there. i felt like i had really connected to some people in germany, and it has now become a second home to me. i tried to thank bert for all he had done but he didnt want me to say too much. i know he probably would have gotten too emotional.

it has actually been very painful for me to leave, knowing its the last time i am in hamburg for a long time, and have made some really nice friends here.

ill sign off now and try to play a game...will report in during the trip if the power lasts.



well typical to all european trains, the power plug just didnt work, so i ran out of power after about 2 hours.
managed to settle in and try to sleep, but woke up at 1am, starving and thirsty and dying for a cigarette. thats when i discovered that i was really travelling on the stalag 13 prison train. i went to the bar to at least have a cigarette, but when i asked for an ashtray, i was told quite rudely that the bar was closed, which meant no smoking, and i coudlnt even get somehting to eat or drink. so i was confined to my little prison cell. you would think that the night train would provide an open bar overnight, as not everyone is going to sleep the entire way, or if someone wanted something to drink....even water.. they should be able to have access to it. i would recommend that no one take the swiss night train, unless you bring your own food and drink and smokers should probably avoid it altogether.

finally i arrived in zurich, and had access to the basic human needs once more. although the breakfast that was servced to me in my cabin was a god send. a tiny bread roll and a croissant, with a pot of jam and a cup of coffee.

decided to grab a cab to marius` house as i was way too tired to wrestle with the luggage on publuic transport, and within moments i was settled in his place. had a good sleep then went to the supermarket to do the weeks shopping.

Marius had planned for us a trip to Zermatt 2 days later. This is where the Matterhorn is. it took us about 4 hours to get there. but the drive though switzerland is so beautiful. although now i think i have seen everything....including lesbian cows. yes, you just read correctly. we drove past 2 cows, one was trying to mount the other (well had actually succeeded and was going for it) but after several double takes (was so like an old comedy routine) i could see this big old udder swaying from the undercarriage of the one on top. im not excatly sure what she throught she was going to do up there, but hey even gay cows have rights. must have been like a cow prison or something and she was top dog.

after 2.5 hours of driving we then had to put the car on a train to go thru a tunnel in a mountain. very very weird. you drive your car on to these special carrigages and then stay in your car for a 15 min train ride through a tunnel in a mountain. Then on the other side we had another 1.5 hours drive before we had to leave the car altogether and catch another train up through the valley, to Zermatt. They have no normal cars there, only electric buggies. the air was so clean and fresh, and its all very quiet. although you often get a big shock to turn around and see a buggie right behind you as they are almost silent and you dont hear them sneak up on you.

Anyway, on our first day we took the gondolas up to the peak of the little matterhorn (who knew there were 2) the real one was shrouded in clouds but we lived in hope that it would clear. you need to take 3 separate gondolas to get to the top, as you go higher, it gets colder and colder, til when you get to the top you need to be well wrapped up. it was supposed to be only -2 but with the wind chill factor of the storm that was blwoing in it was probably about -15 to -20

very stage to go from being at the bottom, in only a tshirt and 20 degrees to an hour later being in a thick jacket and beenie. i kept asking marius if i shoudl buy gloves.. and he said no, which now i know never to listen to him because it was so cold i couldnt feel my hands any more and taking pictures with the camera was a very rushed process.

at the top there is a glacial cave you can go in, but as soon as we got there, they closed the whole mountain due to the weather being too severe..typical. the ride back down was a little scary but at least the gondola didnt sway too much. i can imagine it could get a lot worse. poor marius, he was so disappointed as he really wanted to show it to me.

anyway we spent the afternoon in the pool area playing with all the hydrotherapy devices and staying in the pool and spa will our fingers and toes looked like prunes.. we met a friend of his that works in the hotel, for dinner, and had another swiss traditional meal.. this time it was Raqulet (not sure of spelling)
basically its a huge round of cheese that they place under a hot oven so that the top melts then they scrape the melted part onto a plate and serve it with baby potatoes. and you can have as much as u want. plus they serve it with pickled onions and gerkins.. not really sure why. i ended up eating so much iwas virtually sick all night..well just overfull.

the next day was better weather.. typical, and we decided to stay an extra night. decided to go hiking in the mountains and visit this picturesque gorge (theres that word again) and have lunch in this little restaurant hidden on the hillside.

went for thai food that night.... in this funny little restaurant that was like the inside of a galleon ship. the waitress was thai, and was funny to hear her mix english and german.

funniest thing was she said she also spoke cantonese.. so when i asked her in cantonese where the toilet was.. she was like "what????" prob wasnt expecting a whitey to speak cantonese.. so then i asked in german... wo sind der klo (translates as where is the closet...one ofthe words for toilet)

anyway she directs me to this door.. the one straight ahead... but on the left i can see a door with a mens sign on it.. i point to it and she says.. no the one straight ahead.. i open to the door.. and in the darkened room i can see coat racks.. oh god, she sent me to the closet.... note... the swiss dont call the WC a klo in german.. hahahaha.

went out drinking after dinner.. and sat on a balcony overlooking the street and gave commentary on all that passed. i had been told by alex, marius friend, that agnetha from abba lives in this town... so had spent all day scrutinising every blond woman i saw.. i hope i could see my childhood idol. wonder if she would be impressed if i had told her that when i was a kid, and we played abba, i always wanted to be her.

back in zurich now.. spending mornings with marius... and then afternoons on my own as he is on late shifts this week.

been speaking to kyle a bit on msn.. and getting excited that he is coming to meet me in san fran, we have booked the hotel at fishermans wharf,a nd are trying to arrange an alcatraz tour now.
keep trying to catch chris online.. as havent spoken too much to him and im staying with him in Washington... but i know when i see chris it will be like old times and feel like no time has past since he left sydney... although its going to be hilarous to be able to share commentary of the inane americanisms i will see.. apparently he lives in an interesting area.

he is going to teach me how to chew tobacco, and hopefully go shooting (targets only i couldnt shoot any innocent animals) so new adventures await there.. thank god coz its going to break my heart to leave europe but i have lots to look forward to in USA..even though it means the adventure is coming to a close.