Backpacker’s Diaries – The Hike along the Lakeshore

14^th September 2018

Waking up to another breathtakingly mesmerising sunrise, I was slightly disappointed to leave Interlaken soon. The past couple of days had been the most eventful, and I really wished I had the luxury of more time. I had only about six hours until my Flixbus to Munich, and I intended to make every second count.

The night before, I had reached the Villa pretty drained after a long day of exploration. “No point in continuously overexerting yourself” Rafael advised as I pondered over my last few hours in Switzerland. “Take it easy before the travel – if you like nature I know just the thing you will enjoy” he said, while suggesting me to take a bus to Iseltwald village, followed by a hike to the Giessbach Falls.

Coming back to my last morning in Interlaken, I decided to take it really easy and enjoy the sumptuous breakfast buffet (certainly the best breakfast spread I had seen during my trip). Considering the long walk that lay ahead I decided to stuff myself. Having multiple Nutella sandwiches never felt guilt-free before (and the blueberry yoghurt demanded that I help myself to multiple servings). To save time later in the day, I decided to complete the check-out formalities and lock my belongings before I left for my mini-adventure (which in hindsight proved to be a really smart choice).

Walk from Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof to Casino Kursaal

I waited in front of Casino Kursaal for my 10am bus to Iseltwald. It was pretty fascinating to see that the pets were welcome on public transport as well – the dog curled up under my neighbour’s seat looked just adorable. With the privilege of the window seat, most of my time was spent gazing at the beautiful vista outside (which ended up deepening my newfound love for Interlaken with every passing second). Almost thirty minutes of an eventful journey later I disembarked at Iseltwald, more than excited to begin my solo hike. Everything about the day had me smiling – right from the kind hospitability of the Swiss to their attitude in general. The amount of enthusiasm people have towards maintaining a healthy lifestyle is just admirable – and not just the people, the pets seem to enjoy it as well!

Iseltwald Village

Everything about the tiny village appealed to me – right from the breezy fresh air to the Swiss architecture of the houses to the perfectly manicured lawns replete with lawn ornaments.

Iseltwald. The tiny flower bushes liven up the already beautiful Swiss architecture!

The balconies lined with tiny flowering bushes kicked the aesthetic beauty up a notch. The wide trail at the end of the village marked the beginning of my hike.

Starting point of the hike

It was just a normal forest trail – a walking lane under the canopy of trees, rocky at some places and muddy at the others.

A welcome break from monotony of the trail… rock-tunnel!

The mini rock-tunnels, wooden bridges and occasional sight of mushrooms acted as a welcome break to the monotony of the hike.

Here are the mushrooms I spoke about

I loved the idea of putting up rock and wooden benches en route (for some reason I could visualize my mom sitting there enjoying the view and capturing its splendor on her canvas).

And that’s the bridge with the crystal blue glacial lake in the background…

The thing that set it apart from the usual forest hikes was that the entire trail was along the shore of the lake Brienz. The bright crystal blue hue of the lake was certainly the cherry on the cake.

A glimpse of the trail….

The picturesqueness of the place accompanied by the slight wind chill was certainly an experience to relish. I realized that the route was somewhat popular among the local population there some of them were even riding their bicycles on the trail.

My trail was full of surprises – got a taste of Swiss hospitality yet again! 

Having begun my journey a little later than I should have, I was concerned if I would have enough time to complete the hike. With my bus to Munich departing at around 3.30pm I reckoned I had a little over 2.5 hours. I planned to return to the Villa an hour before my bus and grab some lunch on the way. Slightly concerned about the situation, I decided to speed up as much as I could (at one point I was almost sprinting) and ended up breathless after a while. I ended up reducing the pace a bit after ensuring that I had more than enough time on my hands.

First look of the waterfall after an hour worth of hiking. The fruits of labour are really sweet!

My heartbeat raced a bit as the sound of gushing water grew louder. Tracing my route along the course of the falls, I walked up the slope until I was as close to the falls as I could be.

And that’s Giessbach Falls… in all its glory!

Standing inches away from the strong force of the water, I was awed by the feeling of droplets splashing onto my face. The deafening roar of the falls and the misty droplets instantly made me forget my tiredness.

Would certainly have hiked to the point where the couple is standing if I had the luxury of time…

Having some time, I just sat by the waterfalls allowing myself to get completely lost in its beauty for a solid twenty minutes. Post that I began walking down to the point where the waterfalls met the lake (which coincidentally was one of the stops of the ferry ride back to Iseltwald). Passing by the Grandhotel Giessbach, I caught a glimpse of the Funicular during my descent.

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Waiting for my ride and chatting with a fellow tourist, I saw the ferry pull in.

And there comes the Lotschberg, my ride for the afternoon to Iseltwald!

As I walked stepped into the Lotschberg, I realized that I had chosen a befitting end to Swiss leg of my journey. I was rather fortunate, as the ferry wasn’t very crowded and the weather was really pleasant for an afternoon.

Titanic mood anyone? 

I would certainly recommend the ferry ride, as the 15-minute journey offered a view of the Brienz from a completely different perspective.

The view!!! Felt like the clouds were closing in on us!

Although ecstatic for the amazing morning, I couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed as my time in Switzerland and my backpacking trip drew to a close.

Back to my starting point – Iseltwald! Just loved how I could drink straight out of the fountain, and how the bus back to Interlaken was waiting for us to jump in!

I really enjoyed every second I spent in Switzerland – right from the heartwarming Swiss hospitality to the enthralling landscape to the crystal blue glacial waters and fountains I could drink right out of without the least bit of worry. Special thanks to the Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof team for making my stay really enjoyable. I wish I had the opportunity of meeting Rafael again and thanking him before my departure. I hope I get the opportunity to visit Switzerland again in the near future (probably to go skydiving or checking out the Reichenbach Falls).

Backpacker’s Diaries – The Treasures of the Alps

13^th September 2018

The morning had been dreamlike – travelling in Eurail to the Top of Europe, frolicking in the snow, interacting with lovely people and finally enjoying amazing chocolate truffles. It was time to say goodbye to Jungfraujoch, which had me head over heels with Switzerland’s beauty. Thanks to my early bird ticket (which needed me to leave Jungfraujoch latest by 1.13pm) I learnt that I had more than enough time to explore other places on the way back to Interlaken.

View from Jungfraubahn

The bright afternoon sun did justice to the picturesqueness of the Swiss Alps – I was just as lost in the beauty of the scenery as I was in the morning, if not more. I didn’t intend to spend much time in Kleine Scheidegg. However, as fate would have it, I bumped into my roommates from Lucerne and we ended up having a nice 20-minute long hike.

My mini-hike at Kleine Scheidegg… and that’s my roomie from Lucerne!

The weather was perfect – it wasn’t very hot even though the sun was overhead, and the cool afternoon breeze added to the pleasantness of the afternoon. I sprinted from the hill as on seeing the bright yellow Wengernalpbahn approaching in the distance. Having skipped one train, I was reluctant to miss another as an ambitious plan for the day awaited me.

When I saw the train pulling in… Rushed to the Bahnhof!

It took me a little bit of time to plan my journey once in Lauterbrunnen. The conductor in the 141 bus suggested me to check out the Schilthorn first. I found myself purchasing a ticket at the Stechelberg Station about 20 minutes later. To be honest I hadn’t done much research about Schilthorn – just the thought of an adventurous adrenaline-filled cable car journey had gotten me intrigued.

Waiting for the Cable car ride at Stechelberg to begin…

The cable car journey to Schilthorn has multiple legs – and the journey gets more and more immersive with increase in altitude. The first leg is from Stechelberg to Gimmelwald, followed by a switch to Murren. The final leg of the journey to Schilthorn starts at Murren, with a change of cable car at the intermediate Birg station.

And that’s one of the cable cars… frankly speaking, the journey to Schilthorn was the real adventure 

The cable car was an insanely captivating experience to be honest – there was room for about 50 passengers to stand at once, and the spectacle of the view elevated greatly with the altitude.

And the view gets better with altitude…

The weather was pleasant at first, with a little drizzle as we left Stechelberg (here is the video). Temperature dropped from a comfortable 17-18 degrees to about 11 as we reached Birg and the rain had become a little stronger.

The craziest part of the journey… the infinitely long 2 minutes with near-zero visibility… pure adrenaline if you ask me!

The journey from Birg to Schilthorn was the most intriguing part of the afternoon – the worsening weather coupled with zero visibility and rocking cable car sent adrenaline pumping through my veins, while eliciting worried glances and occasional screams from my co-passengers. Our heartrates finally normalized as we docked and alighted at Schilthorn.

The weather seemed to clear a bit… only to become foggy again moments later…

My trip to Schilthorn was more-or-less impromptu, and I hadn’t really seen many reviews before visiting so as to avoid expectations.

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Although the weather was pretty cloudy and foggy outside, I ended up enjoying the view. Schilthorn really did pique my interest a bit.

Rather interesting welcome-party don’t you think?

I was really interested in checking out the panoramic revolving restaurant Piz Gloria though, which completes a 360 degree revolution in about 55 minutes.

Piz Gloria – The revolving restaurant…

I wasn’t surprised to find out that the restaurant featured in the 1969 James Bond movie On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – the place is basically a shrine for James Bond fans.

Simulated rides… just one part of the James Bond shrine!

Right from the restrooms for Bonds and Bond Girls to time-bomb-themed countdown timers showing the time remaining till the next cable car ride, everything about the place literally screamed James Bond!

Usually people run away from dynamite sticks… especially when they are connected to timers

My journey back to Stechelberg was something I would have enjoyed more had the weather been pleasant. I would have definitely tried the cliff walk at Birg if the hailstorm had been a little kinder.

As much as I enjoyed seeing the hail, I was disappointed as the weather was too bad for a cliff walk…

 

Having finally alighted the cable car at Stechelberg station, I decided to check out the second attraction in Lauterbrunnen – the Trummelbach Falls.

Pure Power – Trummelbach

The part that makes the waterfall really interesting is that it alone drains the glacier defiles of Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau mountains, and that is the only glacier-waterfall in Europe which is inside a mountain yet accessible.

Am I the only one or does anyone else see the skull of the Ghost Rider?

Carrying more than 20,200 tonnes of boulder detritus every year, one can safely say that the Trummelbach Falls pack a serious punch. It is a series of 10 waterfalls, which can be accessed either by walk or a tunnel-lift.

The tunnel-lift mechanism

I particularly enjoyed the tunnel-lift experience as the dark, damp and cold lift was a stark contrast to the bright late-afternoon outside. Everything about the place was bewitching – the deafening loudness of 20,000 litres per second demanded my attention, and the nature’s wild rawness was beautiful beyond words.

Just staring at the force of the water is enough for a dose of adrenaline…

Enthralled by its beauty I ended up getting almost drenched twice and realized that navigating the way inside could be a bit tricky – the dampness of the stairs made it really slippery in a few places. Nevertheless, the visit was every bit worth the effort – especially the force of the water and the amazing views outside.

And then began my walk to Lauterbrunnen… as I had missed my bus

Having spent a little over an hour, I ended up missing my bus back to Lauterbrunnen Bahnhof and decided to walk instead of waiting for the next one (remembering Rafael’s suggestion back at the hostel). It turned out to be a memorable experience – the lush green plains and the occasional waterfalls appeared as though a jigsaw puzzle scenery just came to life.

Not another soul on the roads for nearly  half hour…. yet I wasn’t the least bit worried…

I was literally the only person on the road for as far as my eyes could see, and the only company I had in the amazingly lovely weather was of cows, calves, and their jingling cowbells.

And then there were cows, calves and their cowbells to give me company!

I am glad I chose to walk – I really enjoyed the beauty of the Staubbach Falls on the way to Lauterbrunnen station.

Arriving in Interlaken just in time for the sunset I decided to visit Harder Kulm. It out to be a really special experience– not only because I finally had the pleasure of the funicular ride, but also because I got another dose of the Swiss hospitality.

“Rush in – it seems I am waiting just for you!” joked the smiling motorman as I made my way to the bright red Harderbahn after purchasing the ticket. We chatted a bit as the funicular gained altitude.

Walk to the view point 

A short walk brought me to a restaurant and the viewing point.

That’s the restaurant in the background…lively music to compliment the evening

One can clearly see the crystal blue lakes Thun and Brienz on either sides of the town, and the alpine hills in the background.

And that’s the tiny town of Interlaken – sandwiched between the Thun and Brienz lakes

The mesmerising beauty of Harder Kulm was such that the hour spent staring at the panoramic view felt as long as the snapping of fingers.

And my day is finally complete…. with the glorious sunset! 15-hour-long finally draws to a close….

Personally I enjoyed every second of watching the sun disappear into the western side of the horizon.

Would love to go to Interlaken again sometime in the future… and to Harder Kulm just for this spectacular view

Nothing else seemed to matter as I stood transfixed against the railing – it was almost like a trance. Finally reaching the hostel at 8pm, I decided to retire to my dorm earlier than usual – 15 adventure-packed hours had come to an end, with tiredness and sleeplessness finally catching up with me.

Backpacker’s Diaries – Top of Europe

13^th September 2018

Putting on the snow boots, I rushed out the door of my hostel Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof. Being aware of the lack of public transport at the early time of 6.10am, I had no choice but to sprint to the Interlaken Ost Bahnhof a kilometre away. On my way out I was fortunate enough to find Jan, a fellow hosteller from South Korea, who had a similar itinerary planned. Having really limited time and trying to make the most of it, I chose a really ambitious approach to planning my itinerary.

My day had begun at 5.45am, after oversleeping my 5am alarm and going into autopilot mode as soon as I woke up. My early bird ticket meant that I had to take either the 6.35am or the 7.05am train to Jungfraujoch, and that I had to leave the hill top latest by the 1.13pm. After making it to the railway station with a couple of minutes to spare for the 6.35am train, Jan and I settled into our seats. I was really psyched about another Eurail experience – and the journey to the Top of Europe was divided into multiple legs and was going to be a couple hours long.

 

It started getting brighter as we completed the first leg of our journey in the Berner Oberland Bahn– from Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen. I was grateful to the adrenaline from the sprint, for it kept me more than awake.

Once there, we changed coaches and made ourselves comfortable in the Wengernalpnbahn, which would take us to Kleine Scheidegg.

I enjoyed every moment of the ride – the snow-clad alpine mountains left me awestruck.

My eyes fell on the picturesque village of Wengen en route and I wondered how the entire sight felt like something straight out of a fairytale.

My excitement peaked as we ascended the hills in the bright red Jungfraubahn during the last leg of the journey.

Gaining altitude, we passed by a really picturesque lake.

 

The fifty minute ride had me spellbound for the entirety of its duration, making me wonder if the entire episode was real or just an unimaginably beautiful figment of my imagination.

 

Reaching Jungfraujoch early had its own benefits and drawbacks. Although I got more time to explore different attractions before it got too crowded, I was slightly disappointed as the food options available were really limited (the staff had just arrived and were setting up the food stalls).

 

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After a quick bite I headed out to explore the different attractions that the unrealistically beautiful place housed. My first stop was the Sphinx Observatory, which is one of the highest observatories in the world.

I enjoyed looking at the observatory, even though I couldn’t stay out for long as it got cold and visibility reduced drastically.

 

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Following the path ahead led me to the snow fun area at Aletschgletscher.

The twenty minutes I spent there were certainly the part of the day I relished the most – it took me some time to get acquainted with walking on ice.

The terrain was a little tricky for me at first. I enjoyed every bit of the experience – every slip and stumble, the powdery texture of the snow

(which interestingly wasn’t as cold as I had expected) and the footprints that my lovely baby pink boots left on the ice.

 

I met some really interesting people during my journey too – the most memorable and inspirational of them were Koruth and Jeemol, who literally were the definition of relationship goals. Just talking to them made me so positive and happy – I would love the opportunity to meet them again soon.

Although tempted to stay and enjoy the glacier a little longer, I decided against it as there was a lot to explore and I was running out of time. My route took me to the Alpine Sensation, which is a 250 metre long projection tour between the Sphinx Hall and the Ice Palace.

A shiver ran down my spine as I came to know about the effort that went into building the Jungfraubahn, and the number of people who sacrificed their lives to make Jungfraujoch accessible to the people. The other part of the Alpine Sensation experience was a moving walkway full of romantic paintings that captured a longing for the Alps and recount the story of tourism (here is the link to the video).

 

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The oversized snow globe was the loveliest sight – the changing colours of the lights made it really visually appealing.

The Ice Palace was exactly as cool as it sounds. I highly recommend giving this attraction a visit – the level of detail on the ice sculptures is just impeccable.

The penguins and the eagle seemed to just come to life. With a temperature of -3 degrees Celsius, my fingertips felt a little tingly as I walked through the long frosty tunnel. Needless to say, I didn’t spend much time there.

My last stop at Jungfraujoch was the Lindt Swiss Chocolate Heaven, which is perfectly described by its name.

For chocolate lovers (like me) it is the definition of paradise. Mountains of Swiss chocolate truffles awaiting to be just filled into bags – and the flavours had me spoilt for choice.

There was no dearth of sizes or options either – I ended up filling my basket with literally whatever I could set my eyes on. The only thing which made me stop was the capacity of my rucksack (I had a long day planned ahead, and Jungfraujoch was merely the beginning!).

For those on a budget, you are in luck as the chocolates are available at a discount at Jungfraujoch. The sweetest part of the experience was at the billing counter, where they let me taste a couple of complimentary chocolates. This was a pretty smart move, as I was tempted enough to go back into the store and fill another bag with chocolate truffles before I made my way back to the railway station (speaking of which, the really sweet conductor handed me a couple more chocolate truffles for my journey back to Kleine Scheidegg.)

For those who intend to visit Jungfraujoch in the near future, here are a few tiny bits of advice.

1. Do check out the passport at the beginning of your Jungfraujoch experience (and get it stamped if you like). It has everything you need to get an idea about the attractions Jungfraujoch houses, and you can choose to allocate your time accordingly.
2. If you are a solo traveller like I was, be prepared to witness a huge Asian crowd, comprising of mainly Chinese travellers and Indian honeymooners.
3. Ideally, I would suggest going with friends or making friends on the way – snowfighting at the Aletschgletscher is so much more fun than being there alone.
4. I strongly advocate going for the early bird ticket. Try to beat the rush, as you tend to just get lost in the crowd at times.

Backpacker’s Diaries – The Town Between the Lakes

12^th September 2018

I had learnt to trust Akshay’s choices by now – especially when it came to food (and travel…and pretty much everything else). Needless to say, I was pretty satisfied with the Egg Canape and the Berliner (a bun with a gooey strawberry core) he chose for me at the Bachmann Bakery.

The sumptuous breakfast at Bachmann Bakery on my last morning in Lucerne

Although slightly disappointed that he wouldn’t be joining me for the Interlaken leg of the journey, I was excited for the Eurail experience that awaited. Akshay and I reached Luzern Bahnhof well in time for the 12.06pm train to Interlaken Ost Bahnhof. After a brief struggle with the ticketing system I made myself comfortable in the second class compartment waved goodbye to my dear cousin.

The 12.06pm train from Lucerne to Interlaken

I was mighty impressed with the train. Although it left my travel card significantly lighter than I expected (approx. 30 EUR for a journey less than 2 hours in the second class coach) I really didn’t mind – the train coach itself was a class apart (check out the video here).

Honestly, I have had my share of train travel… and this DOES NOT seem like a second class coach! Which got me thinking – what would the first class coach be like then!

Adding to that the kindness of the co-passengers and the enchanting Swiss scenery outside, I was completely floored.

Hello Interlaken!

Relying on my trusty old friend Google Maps, I began my kilometre-long journey on foot to my hostel from the Interlaken Ost (which basically translates to Interlaken East in German).

Beginning the kilometre-long walk to my hostel – Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof

Although it was pretty bright outside, it wasn’t as hot as I anticipated. As I wasn’t packing much luggage, the walk turned out to be comfortable as well.

Finally reached the Villa! The first impressions look pretty promising

I was in awe of the Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof from the very moment I stepped in. This was hands-down the coolest hostel imaginable (and rightfully voted one of the best in the world) – the beds were nice and spacious (I got to choose my bunk as I was one of the first people in my dorm).

And the rest of it is pretty awesome too! Can you believe this is the view from the dorm room window!

The sight out the window was breathtakingly beautiful too – snow-capped alpine mountains that one could just spend all day looking at!

My dorm room balcony. Honestly I could stand here for just hours drinking in the view. Just imagining what the winters would be like!

What’s more, they gave a complimentary breakfast buffet, a bus pass for exploring Interlaken for the duration of the stay and “Villa Coins” so that one could avail services such as high speed internet and laundry. They even had a HUGE rack full of snow boots that the hostellers could borrow! Last but not the least, for those interested in a free walking tour, the Villa was one of the starting points.

And that’s me and my roomie Masumi!

Feeling too lazy to cook something in the kitchen downstairs, I was reminded of the salad and the sweet croissant that Akshay had packed for me back at Bachmann’s.

Using Masumi’s suitcase as a makeshift lunch table! Already missing Akshay and the fun we had in Lucerne!

My new Japanese roommate Masumi and I bonded over it (using her suitcase as a makeshift table nonetheless). She was in Interlaken to try out adventure sports and had just returned after a skydiving session, and planned to explore Europe over the next few weeks.

Being in Interlaken for only a couple of nights, I wanted to make the most of the little time I had. After a brief chat with Rafael at the reception, I reckoned that the best way to spend my first evening would be checking out the town through a free walking tour. I was pretty much in luck, as the walking tours started in less than an hour. We were a decently sized group – about 15 of us from all over the world. Our guide for the evening was an enthusiastic guy called Gianni, who was just out of high school and was to begin college the very next day! After a brief round of introduction, we began our mini-adventure.

Beginning of the free walking tour

It didn’t take me long to fall in love with the tiny picturesque town. Every tiny thing about it fascinated me – right from the absence of traffic signals in the town limits to the brilliant blue water (which I later learnt was owing to the glacial minerals).

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Belonging to the Canton of Bern, Interlaken is a peacefully rare place – probably one of the only places where one can see the Catholic and Protestant Churches right next to each other.

The old Coat of Arms – Interlaken

After learning a little bit about the coat of arms at the Interlaken Castle, we hiked a bit to get a look at the animals local to the area – the marmot and the ibex. Marmots are really cute creatures – they look a bit like squirrels. One of them even posed for us.

Someone loves posing! That’s the photogenic marmot!

Ibex, on the other hand, are mountain goats with really long horns (incidentally, the ibex is the animal on the Interlaken coat of arms). We hiked a little further to a point from where we could see a panoramic view of the town a little before the sun set. Sitting down for a bit, we discussed a little about the local treasures while passing around a packet of homemade chocolate nuggets.

Hiking to a nearby point to get a panoramic view of Interlaken!

Pointing to the valley below, “You will definitely enjoy Harder Kulm if you like this view. The sunsets are pretty spectacular,” Gianni remarked as we were about to begin our descent.

En route to the Harder House Mountain. Just love the deep blue hue of the waters. Interestingly almost all the water in the public water bodies is drinkable (Honestly, I tried drinking from the fountain, and it was sweeter than packaged water!)

On our way to the final point of the walking, we paused a bit to look at the Harder House Mountain. Gianni tried to help us visualise the face of Hardermann in the mountain. Legend has it that a monk molested a young girl, who then jumped to her death. The monk’s punishment was to look down at the scene of the crime and repent for thousands of years. “Interlaken has a population of 5500, who all know the story. Now that you all do, you are one of us too!” said Gianni. On January 2nd every year, Interlaken is haunted by the masked figures of the Hardermann and his followers who run through the town screaming and pulling the spectators spreading mock fear. A lot of effort goes into the procession – the carving of the masks by hand is an arduous process. After the event the people socialize in pubs in a congenial atmosphere.

We walked along the water channel connecting the lakes Brienz and Thun, and through the lanes of Interlaken, discussing the local food and culture for a little longer.

For those looking forward to trying the local cuisine, Gianni suggested the Fondue, Raclette and the Älplermaggaroni. I found the town limits pretty interesting – by walking across the bridge on the water channel, one enters the adjoining town of Unterseen.

It is possible to be in 2 places at once haha! I am in the town limits of Interlaken AND Unterseen at the same time 😀

The Convention Centre and Casino Kursaal was the last point of interest of the free walking tour. The place piqued my interest for a number of reasons.

The first one was the modernistic convention centre itself, which hosted the Swiss Economic Forum not long ago. Although it was designed to showcase the stunning Jungfrau (the second-highest alpine peak in Europe) the view was blocked by a number of really tall trees.

Convention Centre

The second most interesting point that caught my eye was the Hooters restaurant nearby – it was probably the only one in the world which was literally outside a 5-star hotel! The last thing which I really was interested to find out was that the ambassador of the tiny alpine town was someone from my own land – actually from my own city – none other than Late Mr. Yash Chopra! Turns out, Bollywood was instrumental in making Interlaken a popular tourist destination among Indians (I guess DDLJ was shot in Interlaken!).

Mr. Yash Chopra – the Ambassador of Interlaken!

After returning to starting point and saying goodbye, I returned to the Villa and spent the most of my evening charting out my next day with Rafael’s help. I retired to my dorm a little earlier than usual, pushing myself to get some rest for the crazy ambitious adventure that lay ahead.

Backpacker’s Diaries – An Idyllic Town

7^th September 2018

After the dinner adventure the previous night I couldn’t really sleep (and the fact that I had a road journey coming up in a few hours didn’t help my case either). My brain went into hyperactive mode as the morning neared, and I jumped out of bed an entire hour before my scheduled alarm. As I checked the room to see if there was anything I had forgotten to pack, a million thoughts occupied my mind. Staromestska had been a real delight in the past couple of days, and the thought of leaving so soon made me a little sad. There were so many things I wanted to do and places that I wanted to visit – the tiny medieval town of Cesky Krumlov, the Terezin Concentration Camp or Kutna Hora would have definitely been on my list had I the luxury of even a day more. That being said, I was more than happy I explored Prague to my heart’s content and made some crazy yet amazing memories.

Pushing myself to be as early as I could, I grabbed a satisfying goat cheese panini sandwich (which happened to be one of the only vegetarian options) at the Caffe Milani downstairs. The solo leg of my journey was coming to an end, and my excitement for what lay ahead in store was climbing by the second. Having had a taste two vibrant countries – Hungary and Czech Republic, by myself, I was more than excited to meet up with my cousin Akshay at Regensburg. The plan ahead was to go for a week-long road trip together.

My ride to Regensburg was a Flixbus. Interesting story how I came across the pocket-friendly travel service – while checking out the various activities to try out in Budapest, I had happened to see discount vouchers at the hostel reception. Although a discovery by accident, keeping an eye out for the pamphlets and vouchers in the hostel reception turned out to be a valuable backpacking life-hack. Speaking of my impending journey, I managed to reach the Florenc UAN bus station well before the scheduled departure.

The Flixbus experience turned out to be more impressive than I thought – with comfortable seats, charging ports and a pretty decent toilet. I had more than enough room as the bus was running almost empty (there must have been barely 10 passengers in a bus meant for 40!). The two-hour ride from Prague was soothing to say the least – although I tried my level best to not take my eyes off the breathtaking scenery outside, I ended up dozing a bit. I woke up refreshed as the bus stopped at Regensburg Central Station. Picking my stuff from the luggage hold I called Akshay to come pick me up. He did so in a bit, and we reached his home after a ten minute drive.

I loved Akshay’s apartment. It was a lovely place – bright and airy with lots of open space outside. Well, he and his flatmate Ankith are pretty cool – they had made the house a perfect bachelor pad, complete with a PS4 and mini-fridge in the living room just to chill “beverages”. We shared a nice long laugh about how crazy the planning phase of my trip had been – the 3-hour-long discussions on an almost daily basis, unending confusion about the itinerary, and my desire to visit every single place he suggested in my rather limited 17-day tour. We ended up discussing almost everything under the sun over a bowl of hot Maggi noodles.

As the blazing afternoon faded into a sunkissed evening I decided to go for a nice long walk, realizing that I might not get the opportunity to visit the tiny town again (Akshay and I were about to commence our trip the following morning). Another strong motivating factor for the exploration was that I was averaging 10km walk for the past week and didn’t want to break my streak. I was mesmerised by the glorious evening and struggled to listen as Akshay gave me directions to the riverbank. “Never mind – Google to the rescue” I thought as I pulled out my phone and navigated to the Danube.

The evening turned out to be a lot more than I had imagined – probably the most light and relaxing evening I had had in a while. I ended up walking quite a lot, crossing a large bridge and reaching a small riverine island. Although appearing a little secluded at first, it turned out to be a real delight.

The quiet and nearly still Danube with a backdrop of the setting sun was certainly a sight to behold. The tree leaves donned the autumnal hues of golden, red and brown, complementing the beauty of the evening.

The tiny park was filled with people of all age groups and walks of life – children enjoying a sunset football match, youths on a cycling trip, young parents enjoying a picnic with their toddlers, and the health conscious individuals on their evening jog. The moment was picture perfect – like something straight out of a movie.

The journey back to Akshay and Ankith’s place turned out to be a hilarious experience. It’s rather interesting how “Villsstrasse” became “Villastrasse” (courtesy of the autocorrect feature of the GBoard), and I ended up walking a lot farther than I intended.

I am not complaining though, as I got to enjoy the beautiful town and surpassed my 10km target at the same time. The best part of the evening walk was that I got to enjoy Regensburg. It looked straight out of one of a watercolour painting – idyllic and vibrant, yet peacefully balanced. I felt a tiny bit bad though, as my 3-hour disappearance had Akshay slightly worried.

Perhaps the most eventful part of my evening walk was wandering through the city. The idyllic town of Regensburg reminded me that the beauty lies in the simplest of things, most often in the places we tend to overlook.

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The rest of the evening was pretty cool. Ankith, Akshay and I chatted for a bit before heading to an Indian restaurant named Namaste for dinner. The restaurant was an interesting one, although far too “Indianized.” Every aspect about the place literally screamed India, right from the Madhubani paintings adorning the walls to the Taj Mahal like décor and the old Hindi music that played in the background. The food was pretty good and filling – the mango lassi they served tasted almost like the one mom prepares back home. We ended up getting most of the main course packed, as we were stuffed with the entrée. The light yet eventful day ended with several rounds of Gang Beasts on the PS4, aiming to throw each other’s respective characters off the roof, while slurping on the piping hot masala tea that Ankith prepared. The day certainly had its own lovely charm – I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it and wondered what all treasures the following week held

Backpacker’s Diaries – Last Evening in the Fairy Tale

6^th September 2018

I couldn’t believe my time in Prague was drawing to a close. There were so many things I wanted to do and I was almost out of time. I decided to keep it simple for my last day in Prague. Having had a dose of the architecture, history, nature and desserts, I wanted the last evening to be about exploring the modern-day perspective of the city. Although I didn’t have a concrete plan in mind, I did know a couple of places I wanted to visit.

The first attraction on my mind was the shapeshifting sculpture of Franz Kafka designed by the artist David Cerny. It’s an enormous mirrored bust of the author in a busy marketplace and aims to draw attention to his metamorphosis during his time in Prague. The cool part about the statue is that it is made of 42 independently rotating layers of stainless steel, weighing about 45 tonnes!

I spent a little time exploring the marketplace after that and ended up shopping for a few souvenirs.

The only other place I wanted to see was the Dancing House, which I had somehow missed out on the day before while walking back along the Vltava promenade. The building turned out to be an interesting sight to look at – for a second it had me wondering if such a structure was even logically possible! I planned to go to the top and enjoy the sunset there. However, considering how crowded the roof appeared to be, I decided to enjoy the sunset from Strelecky Ostrov (Shooter’s Island), the second of the three islands in the middle of the Vltava.

The walk to the island was pretty picturesque, and I truly enjoyed the confluence of different architectural styles. Fortunately for me, it was a weekday and there were only a handful people there.

A brief two-minute walk across the island later, I sat cross-legged at the western bank of the tiny riverine island. My eyes darted to the Petrin Tower in the distance, and I was reminded of the fact that there were quite a few places I couldn’t visit due to lack of time.

Strelecky Ostrov – Shooter’s Island

Deepika Padukone’s words from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani echoed in my head as I sat glancing at the setting sun– however hard we try, we end up missing on something or the other – let’s just enjoy this moment right now. The sun’s beauty was just enchanting – everything its rays touched glowed in a soft golden hue.

Sunset at Strelecky Ostrov

The most charming of them all was the Vltava, whose simple beauty was beyond words. The twilight took the reins from the setting sun, and made the whole thing seem like a fairy tale come to life.

I began to wonder if it was all real, or just a part of a perfect dream. I snapped back into reality as the light faded into darkness at about 8.15pm, reminded of the impending dinner plans by my growling tummy.

The plan had been to walk to a nice local restaurant called U Magistra Kelly and have one of their specials for the evening. It was one of the highly rated restaurants by locals and travellers alike, and I was really looking forward to enjoying local cuisine on my last night in Czech Republic. A short tram ride and 600 metres of power walk later, I found myself hunting for the quaint little restaurant, trying to make sense of what Google Maps was trying to say in the darkness. Fortunately, I found the restaurant without much of a struggle.

U Magistra Kelly is a delightful little place with a simple yet impressive ambience. I just loved that the staff served the customers just as they would serve a family member. Laughter and a light vibe echoed in the place (or maybe that was just the beer effect!).

Mushroom Orzotto @ U Magistra Kelly

I was excited to taste their interesting vegetarian special for the day – the Mushroom Orzotto, which is a traditional baked barley wish served with wild mushrooms, marjoram and garlic. It was a nice dish with a filling portion size – I enjoyed the simplicity of the flavours, even though I am accustomed to much spicier food back home.

The craziest part of the day was the journey back to the hostel. I had underestimated how solitary the streets of Prague would get after nightfall. Slightly scared of walking the streets alone at night, I approached the restaurant staff who assured me of my safety. My smartphone was pretty helpful too – kept telling me about the mugging incidents and why I should avoid the national museum area at night. My alertness had spiked drastically, and my eyes continuously scanned for sudden movements around me. Needless to say, that was the fastest I had ever walked/sprinted 600 metres in my life, with my heart literally in my mouth.

Luckily the remainder of the evening was comparatively uneventful. My last day in Prague is something I will remember for a long time.

Backpacker’s Diaries – 50 Shades of Prague

6^th September 2018

My last day in Prague began with shifting rooms – I had extended my stay by a day and wasn’t able to get the same room for a day more. Luckily for me, the new room was a lot more tasteful and spacious compared to the old one.

Absolutely loved how spacious my room was – everything looks so nice and bright in pure white with a tinge of magenta!

The first roommate was a sweet Belgian girl called Lisabeth, who was really fun to talk to. Too bad, she was checking out as I checked in. The other couple of roommates however turned out to be a bit quirkier than expected. The first one was a crisply dressed French guy who disappeared at dawn and reappeared late at night. He didn’t seem to speak much – in fact he never spoke a word beyond hello. The other one was a dramatic South Korean middle-aged lady who seemed very affected by a documentary on the river Ganga. I didn’t interact with her much beyond that as I had a long day planned ahead.

The day earlier, the receptionist Andrea had suggested me to go visit the Letna Park, mentioning that it was one of her favourite places in the city. After a hurried breakfast of a bun with some Nutella, I set out to explore the park, wondering what more the city had to offer other than the museums and opera performances. The brief tram ride was fun – the beautiful weather and ample place to sit gave me a good start to my day.

Looking at the seemingly dull surroundings I found myself slightly underwhelmed as I alighted at my designated stop. Although tempted to turn around and return, I decided to keep walking for a bit. In the span of next few minutes the dull surroundings gave way to a large hilly park replete with tall green trees.

Letenske Sady

Walking through Letna Park

Lovely and not-so-crowded… Me likey!

Cool breeze complimented the sunny morning and the perfect 18⁰C weather made it abundantly clear why Andrea enjoyed the place so much. The park was just perfect for an early morning bicycle ride or for enjoying a nice long walk with the pets.

Panoramic View of Prague… Should go higher!

I loved the view of Prague city that Letna Park offered – the old town and the Prague Castle looked particularly enchanting. Completely addicted to the beauty of the park and the view it offered, I began hiking higher to get a better view.

The City of a Thousand Spires… A True Fairy Tale!

My hunger for a perfect panoramic view was satiated at the Metronome, and I was ultimately able to discern why Prague is known as the city of a thousand spires. I could recognise the structures at the Old Town Square – the Tyn Church was the most prominent amongst them all.

And that’s the Metronome! Standing tall where once the statue of Stalin stood

Speaking of the Metronome, I found it interesting that the metronome replaced a statue of Stalin which was demolished in 1960s, and that it is not always operational although fully functional. The place also seems to be a meeting place for the youth – I saw a number of skateboarders practising and perfecting their tricks.

The next part of the afternoon was spent wandering through the expansive Prague Castle. Having had a dose of the castle on the day of my arrival in Prague, I had a fairly good idea about what to expect. Nevertheless, the castle complex had me as mesmerised as it had on my first day.

Prague Castle

A beautifully maintained complex, with each building more beautiful than the previous, the Prazsky Hrad had taken my breath away. My main motivation to visit the Hrad again was to see the Royal Gardens (as I had reached just a minute after closing time on my previous visit).

This time, I made it in hours before the closing time, and spent the better part of an hour strolling, relaxing and enjoying the scenery.

Upon a cousin’s suggestion I decided to go see the Lennon Wall, which is a LONG wall filled with John Lennon inspired graffiti and lyrics from the Beatles’ songs. It took some effort to locate it on the Google Maps, and ultimately I ended up following the crowd in front of me hoping they knew where they were headed.

Sent chills down my spine

Didn’t notice the Grim Reaper until much later… Wait… Is he actually beckoning me?

I did see a couple of interesting street performers en route, and one of them really sent chills down my spine. It’s not every day you bump into the Grim Reaper, look dead into his eyes (and then have him sneak into a couple of your snaps) and live to tell the tale.

 

Coming to the Wall, it was replete with colourful John Lennon inspired graffiti and art, and was an intriguing contrast to the subtle shade of Prague I had experienced. The Wall received its first decoration in 1980 following John Lennon’s assassination by an unnamed artist.

It has undergone continuous changes over the years, and the original portrait and poem that was painted there is lost somewhere under layers and layers of art. Personally, I love what it represents – spreading the ideals of peace and love, while inspiring people to creatively express themselves.

I returned to the Franz Kafka Hostel briefly after that, stopping by a bakery to see Trdelnik being freshly prepared.

And that’s how Trdelnik is made!

My time in Prague was already about to end in less than 20 hours, and time seemed to fly a bit faster than I would like. Grabbing a slice of thin-crust pizza from a shop nearby, I chilled for a bit before embarking on my next adventure – seeing the Dancing House.

Backpacker’s Diaries – The Paths Less Traversed

5^th September 2018

I found myself slightly tired after the Sandeman’s Free Walking Tour. It was a lot to process – how much history hides in plain sight waiting to be explored, and how most of us don’t even realize the stuff we usually miss out on. All of a sudden Prague felt like so much more than just a city.

Soupy Maggi – backpackers’ paradise!

After fixing myself a quick lunch of noodles in the cute little hostel kitchenette, I decided to ask Andrea at the reception for suggestions. As I already had a dose of Czech history and culture a few hours earlier, I was looking forward to visiting quiet places where I could take it easy and enjoy Prague’s natural beauty. “Try the Vysehrad Castle” she remarked, “It’s almost as beautiful as Prague Castle, but a lot less touristy.”

Having dropped my roommate Olivia at the Staromestska Metro Station, I found myself taking a bus to Vysehrad. My experience with public transport had been more than satisfactory in both Budapest and Prague – the bus connectivity had been great, and the frequency of the buses and trams wasn’t bad either.  Usually I would get a place to sit for the entire duration of my journey (which is more of an occasion worth celebrating back in Mumbai). The picturesque views outside the windows demanded my undivided attention – more often than not I would end up lost in the beauty of the city, completely oblivious of everything else (including my phone).

I nearly missed my stop at the Vysehrad Castle and rushed outside just in time. A small hike brought me to the entrance of the castle and I just began wandering around the place, wondering what the evening had in store.

Vysehrad Complex

Legend has it that Vysehrad had been the home of the first Czech king in the 11^th century. The fortress complex is huge and it houses a number of architectural treasures. It was exactly as Andrea had described – magically and quiet with an aura of mystery.

The peaceful silence that hung in the air was accentuated by the parks and the narrow streets. Everything about the place felt harmonious – families savouring their evening walks, yoga groups practising in the parks, and kids running around having the time of their lives. Vysehrad is an amazing place if you just want to spend a couple of hours chilling away from the bustling touristy city. The fortress overlooks the Vltava River and offers excellent views of Prague – one can also see the Prague Castle in the distance.

Vysehrad Castle

 

I spent an hour walking around, relaxing and reading about the mysteries that the Vysehrad complex housed. The Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul is an intriguing architectural gem. Originally built as a Romanesque Basilica in 11^th century, it suffered fire damage and underwent extensive modifications for about 900 years.

Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul

The construction in its current neo-Gothic style was completed in 1903. The other monument that caught my eye was Leopold’s Gate. It is a beautifully preserved Baroque gate with functioning pulley mechanisms.

Leopold’s Gate

Built in middle of 17^th century, it has a rather eerie twist to its tale – the gate was said to be haunted on full moon days by the ghost of a French major who suffered a tragic death at the site. The soldiers kept sentry there were full of horrors – it was said that the ghost would choke them, and that the bullets fired at him would just pass through his body.

Walk to Vltava Promenade…

After spending some time admiring the beautiful view of the Vltava and the Prague city, I decided to walk back to the hostel along the Vltava Promenade. It turned out to be a pretty good decision, as I got the opportunity to experience a different shade of Prague.

The swans at the promenade looking for their next target – someone willing to feed them bread!

Sitting and watching the evening bloom had become a daily ritual in my case – it exuberated the feeling of a vacation day spent well. An added plus was watching the swans gracefully coast on the river, occasionally swarming around the people who were inclined to feed them.

The walk back to the hostel was nothing short of mesmerising

Walking back to the hostel was an unparalleled experience – each building on my right was architectural beauty, and to my left were the boat-restaurants filled with people laughing and chatting over pitchers of beer.

Boat restaurants – nice way to spend the evenings in Prague

The Vltava reflected the soft rays of the evening sun, painting everything around in a soft shade of yellow-orange. Lively yet light music hung in the air, filling me with joy and adding a slight jump to my step.

Near Charles Bridge

Statue of Charles IV

Statue on the Charles Bridge

Eventful evening walk back to the hostel

I stopped briefly by the Charles Bridge, admiring the beautiful statues and enjoying the beauty of the glorious sunset.

Heeding the suggestion of a couple of cousins, I decided to try out the local dessert called Trdelnik, which is a sweet rolled dough wrapped around a stick and slow grilled. Feeling luxurious, I ordered for an ice-cream along with it. Interestingly, it began as a sweet snack ended up as a complete dinner in itself.

That’s Trdelnik – I am craving for another already

The rest of the evening was spent chatting and comparing notes with my Romanian roomie Medeea and chatting about everything under the sun with a new roomie Mayu, who was from Fukushima, Japan. The day had been a lot more eventful than I hoped.

Backpacker’s Diaries – Walking Through History

5^th September 2018

The beautiful Prague morning was bright and practically inviting me to go out and explore. As my eyes scanned for the Sandeman’s trademark red umbrella near Old Town, the memories of the past 24 hours filled my mind.

Breakfast @ Avenue Cafe, Budapest

The beautiful rainy morning, the early breakfast at Avenue Café in Budapest, bidding bye to Jos and Julia (who were the sweetest roomies ever), and the journey to the airport filled my mind. The Ryanair experience had been eventful to say the least – I learnt the hard way that Ryanair charges a LOT for airport check-in and printing the boarding pass at the airport (more often than not, it is a multiple of the price one pays for the ticket).

Vaclav Havel International Airport, Prague

That being said, I was blown away by the kindness and the helping nature of the people in both Budapest and Prague. The evening had been far more eventful, with a self-guided tour (more like wandering around actually) of the not-so-crowded Prague Castle before I returned to my room under the stars at Hostel Franz Kafka.

My room at the Hostel Franz Kafka – white does make the other colors pop!

I met a couple of nice people who would share the room with me – my Romanian roommate Medeea, and Chinese roommate Sun (who had just come in from Austria for a day).

 

Old Town Square

Coming back to the beautifully bright Prague morning, Sun and I found ourselves waiting for the free walking tour to begin among a sea of tourists. After being divided into two groups, we found ourselves allocated to a young energetic tour guide named Sarah. Our tour began with a brief introduction session at the Old Town Square, after which she showed us that Prague was a melting pot for different architectural styles – Gothic, Viennese and Baroque to name a few.

Confluence of different architectural styles

She mentioned that Prague was a paradise for filmmakers – they could be in many places at the same time without moving much at all – buildings with different styles of architecture stood literally next to each other. We joked that Prague made teleportation possible – it gave us the ability to travel to a multitude of places in a matter of mere seconds!

Sarah and her beloved King Charles!

“Look out for King Charles if you lose track” Sarah beckoned, pulling out a puppet and holding it up while explaining how King Charles IV had been the prime reason why Prague is what it is today.

Tyn Church – the birthplace of King Charles IV

Having purchased the city from his father, he worked hard to expand Prague’s boundaries and make it one of the most prosperous cities in Europe at the time. Sarah knew that most of us weren’t inclined towards history and hence tried to make the tour interactive and slipped in nuggets of factoids while explaining about different places and their historical significance.

Image of the One-Horned-Sheep

“Look carefully,” she said while pointing to a building nearby, “the oldest thing on the building, centuries old and yet understood by everyone.” Pointing to an image of the one-horned sheep, she explained that 13^th century Prague comprised mostly of illiterate peasants who found an ingenious method to communicate addresses – the images of animals. Interestingly quite a few buildings in the Old Town Square still had the images of animals on them.

The free walking tour turned out to be a walk through Prague’s history – from the 13^th century to the present. We discussed the evolution of Christianity in Prague, the corruption and greed that consumed the Church (to the extent that people paid the Church for pardoning their sins ahead of time) and the role of reformatory thinkers like Jan Hus in moulding Prague’s history. It is fascinating how the nature of problems plaguing societies is similar even after centuries – we have more to learn from our history than we can possibly imagine. Speaking of Jan Hus, it was astounding to realize the impact of tiny things shaping an entire country’s future. Being a priest fluent in German and Latin he chose to preach to the peasants in Czech, which was their local language. We discussed his torturous death (being burnt at the stake, having his heart ripped out and bones broken with clubs before his ashes were thrown into the river) and how it inspired a generation of revolutionary reformers who led the Hussite wars against the Church. I was not surprised to find that modern day Czech are not religious – approximately 79% of the Czechs don’t declare their religion or identify themselves as atheists.

 

Our journey on foot brought us to the Estates Theatre, which had hosted Mozart post his departure from Vienna. In stark contrast to its reception in Vienna (where he wasn’t received well after struggling for six long years), his composition “The Marriage of Figaro” was welcomed with a 30-minute standing ovation in Prague. I guess sometimes new beginnings are all that we need, and that starting afresh may actually turn out to be pretty fruitful.

Apple Strudel @ Zephyr, Prague

We proceeded to the Zephyr, which was a delightful restaurant with really hospitable staff. Heeding Sarah’s advice I chose the apple strudel, which turned out to be seriously delicious – the chunks of apple gave the dessert a great texture, and the sweetness wasn’t overpowering. The best part the cream served on the side balanced the dish and made it feel more than satisfactory.

The Jewish Quarter was one of the last places on our tour. Sarah mentioned that place was essentially a ghetto between the Old Town Square and the Vltava River, and over centuries the Jews were forced to settle in that tiny area. With time the ghetto grew more and more crowded and the living conditions worsened as Jews poured in from different places like Germany and Austria. The ghetto underwent a number of structural changes, during which many of the buildings were flattened, the roads widened and the entire area got a massive facelift. Today the place is the home to the crème-de-la-crème and is called Parizska Street.

Jewish Cemetery

One of the most interesting aspects of the Jewish Quarters was the cemetery. As the land available was very limited the cemetery expanded vertically instead of horizontally, with mortal remains being buried in levels. It is estimated that the cemetery now has 11-12 levels of mortal remains and is the final resting place of about 100,000 people.

Stolpersteine, or Stumbling Stones – a tribute to the victims of Holocaust, created by artist Gunter Demnig. He has installed over 67000 of these concrete cubes with brass plates in 22 countries across Europe, at victims’ last known place of residence or work

To be honest, the discussion we had in the Jewish Quarter is definitely something I will remember for a very long time. The atrocities that they suffered over centuries, especially during Holocaust, was just heartbreaking. I strongly believe that humans are inherently good nature and kind, and hence couldn’t (and still can’t) understand how someone could be so cruel against members of their own species. Had I more time left in Czech, I would have visited the Terezin Concentration Camp and Kutna Hora for sure.

On a parting note, Sarah shared a few more interesting nuggets about Prague. Being conveniently ignored by the Red Army, Czechoslovakia was liberated from the Nazis by the general population. Between 1918 and 2018, the Czech have witnessed 9 changes in the regime. The last regime change was the Velvet Revolution of 1989, which was a non-violent transition of power led by students.

Sarah and King Charles with a backdrop of the Prague Castle

The three hours I spent on the walking tour were certainly something I will cherish for a long time. I guess going on a guided tour of the city helps people understand the city and connect to it on a deeper level than they would otherwise have. A blend of history, culture, architecture, language and food, the walking tour is an experience I would certainly recommend visiting Prague. If you do plan to go to Prague in the near future, here is the link to Sandeman’s Tours.

Backpacker’s Diaries – Walks to Remember

3^rd September

I opened my eyes to the bright morning staring me in my face. Replete with life and action, the last couple of days had breezed away like a dream. With just a little over 24 hours left in the Hungarian capital, I wanted to take it easy and just let the feeling sink in. I chose to relax and take it easy, even if it meant missing out a few of the places on my list.

I guess my laziness got the better of me – by the time I left my hostel room it was past breakfast time. Having survived on mom’s theplas for the past couple of days I wanted to try out something new. Keeping in mind my walking tour Susie’s advice the day before, I decided to visit Budapest city market. Really hungry, I was looking forward to a brunch-y place. My heart sank at the sight of long queues at McDonalds there, and I finally walked into MyCanteen.

MyCanteen

I soon realized that being a vegetarian teetotaller in Europe was not exactly helping my case – the only options I had in the canteen were pumpkin soup, breaded and fried mozzarella, and boiled vegetables.

Breaded Mozarella, Boiled Veggies and Pumpkin Soup – the saviour of vegetarian teetotalers!

Although I usually am one of the biggest advocates of cheese, my heart sank a bit at the thought of having only that for lunch. However, I was more than satisfied with the portion sizes – the food kept me going until well in the evening.

Walking through the Budapest Streets

All Restaurants had long queues!

Never thought that manhole covers could be a work of art as well!

Celebrating the last few hours of my stay, I ended up buying a few souvenirs (basically fridge magnets) at the marketplace. I roamed around for a bit before heading back to the hostel. The most interesting place to me was the Great Market Hall.

Great Market Hall

The building was bright and beautiful, and had its roof decorated with colourful ceramic tiles, on the lines of Matthias Church. Thanks to my inability to comprehend or read Hungarian, I mistook the market hall for a church (and didn’t realize it until much later, after I reached my hostel).

 

The plan for the remainder of the afternoon was to hike up to the Gellert Hill and get a panoramic view of the city. This was one thing I didn’t want to miss – I had seen the Liberty Statue during the Boat Cruise and really wanted to check it out.

The hike to the Gellert Hill was probably the highlight of the afternoon. Google Maps proved to be a real saviour in my case – it saved me a ton of time with the route and the bus timings. Fortunately for me, the pleasant weather added to the beauty of the mini-hike. The fact that it was a Monday ensured that the place wasn’t really crowded either. The Liberty Statue is situated at the top of the Gellert Hill.

It is the statue of a lady holding up a palm leaf, built by the Soviets after World War II to commemorate the ouster of Nazis from Hungary. Personally, I felt that the name itself was ironic – the Soviets went on to occupy Hungary for more than forty years after the World War II! Gellert Hill is also the home to the Gellert Thermal Baths, one of the famous thermal spa baths in Budapest (which I unfortunately couldn’t visit owing to lack of time).

The view from the Gellert Hill was definitely worth the hike. The panoramic view of the city is just stunning – one can see all the bridges that connect the Buda side of the city to the Pest side. I liked the Chain Bridge the most. The lions looked majestic even from a distance. I spent quite some at the monument lost in the beauty of the panoramic view.

View from Gellert Hill

The contrast in the different halves of the city was evident – the youthfully lively Pest, as opposed to the calm, serene and classy Buda. Come to think of it, the city is the definition of coming-of-age – the bridges connect the brightness and exuberance of youth to the classiness of adulthood.

 

I wanted my last evening in the first country I visited alone to be special – the plan was to spend it walking through the Andrassy Avenue and watching the sunset at Hosok Tere (Heroes’ Square). The boulevard is lined with trees and is the home to beautiful historic buildings – the perfect place for a lazy evening walk.

It was nice to see people from all walks of life enjoy the evening with their pets or by themselves, sometimes on rollerblades or skateboards. I reached Hosok Tere a little before sunset. The monument is dedicated to the seven chieftains of the Magyars who founded Hungary. The statue of the archangel Gabriel holding the Hungarian Holy Crown tops the column in the centre.

Hosok Tere

Magyars – the founders of Hungary

Archangel Gabriel

I was left spellbound by the beauty of the monument. It felt really special standing in a place that hosted a number of significant historical events that shaped the Hungarian empire.  With some time on my hands, I stood photographing the monument while watching the darkness envelop the evening sky.

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In the process my eyes darted to the other people who had come to experience the monument – the guy with the brand-new DSLR who was experimenting with different angles and props for his photography class, the travelling couple who was very much in love and wanted to capture the perfect shot together, the cyclists who ditched their cycles and sat staring at the monument in awe, young parents who brought their enthusiastic toddlers out for an evening picnic; and finally a busload of Chinese tourists who appeared out of nowhere, snapped a ton of photos, and disappeared into thin air.

I began to walk back to my hostel as it began getting dark, and bumped into my roommate Jos on the way. Just like the one before, the rest of the evening was spent packing up, talking and discussing our lives, experiences and culture. The three of us – Jos, Julia and I, had planned to leave Hungary and continue on our respective journeys the following morning, with the hopes to meet again sometime soon.