Last night was my first night in a hostel. Backpackers in Lucerne is a cute little place with kitchen, common area, rooms very much resembling dorms lining one side of a hallway. The opposite side with bathrooms and showers and an open area of sinks and make up tables. Quite comfortable and a great place to stay, especially for having never stayed at a hostel before.
I set my alarm this morning for 9:45 so that I could quickly get ready and get on with the big day I had planned. Mind you, it's not as big as my Montmartre/ Louvre/ Black Seeds day in Paris, but it was definitely an extraordinary day none the less.
I started by walking the 10 minutes back in the direction of the train station along the lake. It was a nice morning, nothing special really, 68 degrees, a bit of overcast but with the blue sky peeking through here and there. I stopped at the train station momentarily because the smell of a hot dog/ sausage stand was enough to get me in there! Haha As I ordered my sausage with mustard, I couldn't help but laugh as I watched this man beside me whip out a Swiss army knife and cut up his sausage. He did it like it ain't no thang! Am I the only one that thinks that's really funny?? Swiss army knife... Switzerland...for a sausage...? I mean I know we have Swiss army knives in North America but I don't think I've ever actually seen anyone use one especially as casual as he did! No? Not that funny? Hmm.. Okay well i thought it was hilarious! -- Tough crowd.. Haha ...Moving on..
So after enjoying some lunch I went down to the ticket booth and bought my ticket to Mt.Pilatus! I was told to take the #1 bus, which I confused with platform #1 which is how I ended up on the wrong bus.
I knew something wasn't right as soon as I got on it. Just as the doors were closing I ran up to the bus driver, ticket in hand, "I don't think I'm on the right bus!" He looks at me and chuckles, looks at my ticket and tells me I most definitely am not and that I have to go to the platform across the street! Phew! That was a close one... Who knows where I would've ended up!
As I'm walking over to the platform, I notice the bus has already arrived and about to leave. So I make a run for it and jump on!
I arrive at my stop approximately 10 minutes later. Confused on where to go, at first, I look around for signs to the mountain. I notice a woman with a large hiking backpack, heading in the general direction that seemed to be the way to go, it also seemed like following her would be my best bet.
Minutes later I find myself behind a church, in a cemetery. Son of a -- ! Hmm.. Okay.. But then! As I take a peak around - a gate! Ah ha! As I watch her go through the gate, I tip toe behind and keep following at a distance. Such a creeper... Haha But! The gate led to the road to Mt.Pilatus! Wahoo! After walking up a small hill I see the gondola station for the mountain.
I go up to the ticket booth and exchange the ticket I purchased at the train station for a mountain ticket and jump in a gondola, solo.
The ride takes about 15minutes and it's absolutely breathtaking. How could one city be so beautiful?! From the gondola you could see a large portion of the Swiss Alps, a panorama view of the entire city and of course the glistening lake. Incredible.
Now, I've always believed that fear is just a state of mind and it can be overcome. (Except for spiders - pshhhh! I will always battle some sort of anxiety attack and find the most creative ways of killing them while screaming or whimpering in the process. #ThanksMom -- And Kirby/ Noora, if you are reading this... You both know exactly what I'm talking about. #BathroomMirrors #AboveDoorways Haha)
Back to the topic, if I had any fear of heights before... I'm pretty sure I conquered every single one of them today.
When I arrived at the hostel last night, I decided to scope it all out. I had grabbed my keys and my phone and went off to find the lounge, ya know, see what that's all about and who might be there. I was lucky enough to meet a few people from Michigan and one from New York, Buffalo - to be precise. Of course he knew exactly where Kitchener was (my hometown in Ontario for those that don't know) and proceeded to ask me if I owned a pair of Birkenstocks. My response: "Hahaha whaaaa?!"
I had seen my younger couzin wearing Birkenstocks but I did know it was the latest "thing" back home and our city apparently had a reputation of always wearing them... I must add, my couzin is the only person I've seen where them... Shrug. Whatever.
I explained I owned no such thing and continued to chat with them a bit. They were talking about Mt.Pilatus. I overheard them talk about some ropes course but didn't really know what they were talking about. When I asked, they told that Mt.Pilatus had a huge ropes course on top of he mountain! Coooooooool!
Back when I was 13, all the eighth graders go on a leadership/ religious retreat (to my friends reading: ya, I said it! I did a religious retreat! Betcha never coulda guessed that one!) Part of the retreat was to Mt.Mary (not exactly a mountain, more like large hill) and the other half was to a lake around Camp Wabanaki (I believe? Could be wrong about that one..) But at the lake, there was canoeing, kayaking, rock climbing... And a ropes course! At 13, the thought of being suspended high in the air, suspended by a rope and walking across a wobbling log - well it wasn't exactly my idea of fun. So I ended up skipping that part. To this day, I still regretted not trying.
So as soon as I heard about the ropes course on Mt.Pilatus, my ears perked up.
What's that you say?...Ropes course..??! Hmm.... !
When I arrived at the top of the gondola, the landing before taking the second to the very tip top, I saw the ropes course to my left.
Hmmmmmmm.....!!!!
... Well maybe I'll just see how much it is.....
I get to the booth and a very nice guy named Kevin comes out and I ask him how much it is to do it.
27 Swiss Francs.
Reasonable... Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...!
Screw it. I'm doing it.
I look at Kevin, "Okay. I wanna do it."
He looks at me, "Wait, just you?You do alone?!"
"Ya! No wait, hell yeah!!"
"Wow! Okay!"
I pay, he gives me a harness, helmet and pair of gloves then goes through all the safety procedures and instructions of what I have to do. Red tape = safety wire to clip onto; Blue tape = Zip line. Sweet.
(Insert nerves and deep breathes here.)
I'm okay, I'll be fine.
You can do this, Jessica. You got this. Ain't no thang!
(deep breath)
I walk up the first little log ladder.
Holy crap!!! Ahhhh!
(I'm only like 4 or 5ft off the ground- haha)
An older gentleman comes over to me, he tells me his name is Freddy and let's me know he'll be here to help if I need him! Nice, nice guy! Funny too! He offers to grab my camera and take photos for me, cracking jokes along the way.
I can't remember which obstacle was first but I believe it was just flat wooden planks suspended by ropes, of course.
Eek! Here it goes!
Step. Step. Step. Step. And I'm on the next platform.
Okay, okay, this isn't so bad...
Wait. You want me to walked across a tight rope now?! You have got to be kidding me. Ahh!
After conquering the tight rope like a boss, I get to the platform with nothing but a wire to the next.
Blue tape.
Crap.
"FREDDY!!!"
Freddy, standing just below me, starts to laugh.
I ask him to make sure I'm clipped on right - I'm not prepared to break any bones by zip line today. He assures me I'm good and tells me to take a seat on the platform and the inch my way off while he takes a video. Haha Good man.
By this point, there's a woman sitting with her kids watching and cheering me on. And by the way, I'm quite a bit higher at this point.
I take a deep breath and launch! I fly down the line, slowing myself down with my gloves hand on the above wire. Landing on the next platform, the mother & Freddy below - both with big smiles, are clapping and happy for me!
I'm stoked!
I'm come down the steps, "alright Freddy, where to?!"
He shows me the next ladder up to a platform of higher difficulty. Small logs hung by ropes that begin to sway as soon as you step on them. Awesome.
About 20minutes later, I had accomplished about 3/4 of the entire course! It was a breeze! No problem! Tires on ropes, rolling logs, hanging poles with little pegs to jump from one to the next, high tight ropes.. Felt like an acrobat! ...Please excuse my informal attire, Freddy, my circus costume is at the dry cleaners!
As I was approaching one of the last platforms in the course. Freddy came over to the vicinity. (German accent..) "You ah very guud!"
"thanks Freddy!"
"Now you have option to take exzeet or keep going"
"keep going where?"
"Up derh!" He points up. "18 meters!"
Uhh....
"You take ladders to first platform. Den second ladders to top!"
Hmm... That's really freakin high...
I analyse it for a moment...
If I don't go up, I'm gunna feel like a wimp. I will also probably regret it just like I did the first time back when I was 13.
"Freddy, I'm going for it!"
"Wowwww! Guud for you!"
"yeah!"
"I warn you, when you get to top, you have to jump."
"what?"
"Jump."
"What do you mean jump?"
"No line, no zipping. Jump!"
"Jump?"
"Yes, jump." By this point, he's laughing.
"But..."
"Jump."
"Hoowwwww..???!!"
"You see rope hanging?"
"Yes." Looking up at the little log jutting out from the tree with a blue pulley-rope hanging off it, with a clip to hook into.
"You attach harness to zat and you jump! It bringz you down slow"
"oh.. Okay....."
"Sure you want to do?"
Hmm....jump, huh?...
"Yup."
After nervously climbing to the first platform, then to the very top - with Freddy calling up to me, telling me to take my time. When I get to the top, the view is freakin awesome! So worth that climb to the top. I snap a few pictures and sit on the platform enjoying the view for a few minutes -- also avoiding the fact that I have to jump off this damn tree very shortly.
Finally, I clip myself onto this blue cord. Freddy yells up again, "Sit on the ledge! Take your time!"
Ahhhhh!!!! This is crazy!!! I'm 18 meters off the ground having to jump off the ledge.
Remember that song Third Eye Blind, "Jumper"?
"I wish you would step back from that ledge, my friend..." --- theme song for the next few moments.
Heart racing. Starting to sweat. Hands getting shakey.
"It's okay! You can do it!! Just jump! We are cheering for you!" .. Oh Freddy - you cray.
Okay, here it goes. AH----- Nope! I grab the ledge so fast, I don't move more than a few inches. No way, no how. Where's the emergency exit?!
Deep breath. Just breathe, Jessica.
I tug on the rope to see if it slows down when I pull. It doesn't.
"Freddy! I thought you said this thing slows you down??!"
"It does! It does! After you jump! After one zecond!"
Of course, it's after I jump. Ugh...
Attempt #2 through 4 are pretty much the same, except add Kevin, crowd of teenagers on field trip and a couple others watching.
"Just look straight ahead! Don't look down! 1, 2, 3, Go!" --- Freddy, you're not as funny as you were before.
I take another deep breath.
I gotta do this. I CAN do this.
Deep breath. GO.
I hurl myself off the platform, almost pee my pants. The rope make a jerk stop and slowly brings me down to the ground where I just sit, heart racing and taking deep breathes. Phew!
"See! You do it! And you will always remember!"
Okay, Freddy, you're right. Touché my friend. Touché.
After catching my breath, I decide to do one more course then head out. As I'm handing my stuff back to Kevin, he chats me up asking me where I'm from etc. I tell him I live in California. He's stoked! Apparently he's some sort of competitive/ pro skateboarder and has a competition coming up somewhere in California!
Cool! He asks to exchange information that way when he comes to Cali if I want to, I can bring some friends out to his competition and come watch. I say sure, thinking that's be super cool and then head on my way up to the next gondola.
This one was rather large, myself and about 5 or 6 others were inside all standing. The gondola starts to head up the mountain and we are approaching a cliff that you can't see over. The view already spectacular.
We get over the cliff and all of a sudden we all feel a bit of a falling feeling as we tip just slightly forward (of course I was standing at the front window, preparing to have my life flashed before me.) Everyone in the gondola lets out a little sound of anxiety. The gondola operator doesn't seem phased at all - clearly a normal reaction on our part, I suppose. We level out and I'm just blown away by the view. All of Lucerne and all of the Swiss Alps in sight!
As if it couldn't have gotten any better, we get off the gondola and I head up the stairs to the main area atop Mt.Pilatus. I can now see all the Alps which were on the other side, to the south.
I may have thought I was on top of the world when I reached the top of the dome at the Sacre Coeur, looking over all of Paris... But this... This was something completely different. Mind blowing, to say the least.
I climbed up a small hill with rocky stairs and was at the very peak of the mountain. Absolutely outstanding. There are literally no words to describe how incredible the view was. It's amazing an area so beautiful exists in this world. It's something everyone should experience in their life at some point.
I stood up there snapping a thousand pictures, enjoying the views and picking out lines that would be really cool to snowboard. Also wondering if anyone has snowboarder down here just to give it a whirl.
After a little while, it was approaching 5pm, the last gondola down at 5:30. I decided to head back down.
I hopped on the same bus I took there and made my way back to the main train station where I decided to wander around town and find somewhere to get supper.
I ended up finding a little place called Grendel 19 across the bridge. By far the BEST white wine ravioli of my life. Take note Italy, because I sure hope you can beat that!
As I was leaving, it had begun to rain and I had forgotten my cute little raincoat. So I grabbed what turned out to be an expensive can ride for such a short distance and then headed back to the hostel for a shower and bed.
Zzzz....
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| Going up Mt. Pilatus in the Gondola |
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| Ropes Course! |
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| THAT is what is I have to use to jump down? |
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| Swiss Alps! Bird: Straight Chillin. haha! |
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