Now, I had read the blogs about those females who had traveled the world alone. About how empowering it was and all the amazing things they saw and did. They posted all the gorgeous pictures they took of beautiful cities and the gourmet cuisine that was had. Even how some had became good friends with their tour groups or Air BnB hosts and thus came home with international connections.
This is NOT one of those tales….or at least, it wasn’t for the first couple of days.
Day 1
By now I had mastered the check in and arrival process of the international airports, but problems began to occur after I picked up my rental car and I set to the streets of Zurich, Switzerland.
I felt like a pro driving away from the airport with a foreign car in a foreign country, but I quickly began to notice differences in the streets and road etiquette. The streets were littered with pedestrians and bicycles, and were so narrow that I feared hitting just about everything I drove by. I plugged in the address of a coffee shop that I had researched, hoping to grab a bit to eat and escape the busy traffic, but when I arrived, there was not a parking spot in sight. Street parking could be found a few blocks away, but each spot was a different color and I was not sure what the different colors meant. There were no parking lots or garages to be found as I drove in circles hoping to find somewhere to stop. I ended up getting trapped in a lot that was only for tour buses, thinking it was a public paid lot, and had to have a local help me get out. I had been using my phone to navigate the roads, since the GPS device (that I paid extra for) with my rental could not locate where I wanted to go. It was on the brink of dying, so I needed to get somewhere where I could charge it before I was completely stranded. By this point, I felt defeated and ended up just putting in the address for my host’s loft and heading there to at least have somewhere to relax for a bit.
I was exhausted. I had not eaten since my last meal on the plane, and I could not venture out for fear of my phone dying and getting lost. On top of everything that day, of all the international outlet adapters I had, none of them were for Switzerland. With my portable battery charger dead and my phone dying, I spent the remainder of my day just sitting around my host’s house, borrowing a spare charger trying to get a decent charge.
The whole day was shot. I could not believe how poorly my plans had gone. I thought I had researched everything and had the perfect plan lined up, but I ended up just going to bed at 8 o’clock, with my phone on power saving mode, hoping the next day would be better.
Day 2
I woke up bright, ready for the Swiss Alps tour I had pre-booked for that day. My phone was mostly charged and my host had helped to secure a parking space for my vehicle so that I would not have to worry about it while I was away. Now, I just needed to figure out how to get to the bus station on time.
I followed my GPS to the closest train stop to try and take one into town. As I attempted to purchase a ticket, I noticed everything on the ticket machine was in German, with no English translation in sight. There was not a person there to help me as early as it was and I was running out of time. I did not want that day to be a repeat of the day before, so I decided to walk…all the way there.
It took me 50 minutes to get to the bus stop, but I was there with 15 minutes to spare before the tour took off. All I’d had to eat or drink was a single Starbucks coffee. I was exhausted and sweaty, and my phone that had started at 90% charged that morning was already down to 60% from using the map to reach my destination. I was on the brink of tears as I sat in my seat on the tour bus. I was hungry and kept thinking about all the beautiful photos I would potentially miss as my phone was gradually losing charge again. This could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I would not have any pictures to remember it because of a poor cell phone battery. Nevertheless, I had made it and was ready to explore as we set out for the Swiss Alps.
The drive was lovely as we left the city and headed for the countryside, and it calmed my nerves and doubts. Upon reaching Lucerne, my spirits began to rise, even if my cell charge continued to fall. After a couple of photos at the Lion Monument, out tour group was free to roam the quaint, little town for about an hour before moving on. Leave it to me to find a pub to enjoy a burger and beer while the bartender allowed me to charge my phone behind the bar. It may have been because I was so hungry, but it was one of the best burgers I had ever had.
I was able to snap a couple pictures of the Kapellbrucke Bridge and strolled across it as I headed back to the meeting place to re-board the bus and continue on our journey. It was at this point that the bus had stalled and failed to start, so the men from our tour got out to try and push it into gear. Technology and mechanics were not on my side these first couple of days.
From Lucerne, it was on to Mount Titlis. I could not help but feel glad as I gazed up at the summit. We rode the cable cars to reach the top, including the Titlis Rotair, the first and only rotating cable car that offered a 360 degree view as we ascended. The view at the top was absolutely astounding. The peak was covered in snow even though it was September, and we were among the clouds. I went straight out to the Cliff Walk, Europe’s highest suspension bridge, to take some pictures before the last bit of charge was drained from my phone. I was only able to capture a few shots before all charge was gone and my phone powered down. I spent the remainder of my time at the top just enjoying the fresh air and snow. The Glacier Cave, was quite a sight and one of my favorite experiences at Mount Titlis. I wished I could’ve taken some pictures, but somehow I don’t think think a picture would have done it justice.
Soon it was time to return to the bus and start the drive back to Zurich. It was just starting to get dark when we arrived back at the terminal and our tour guide had told us that the shops beneath Zürich Hauptbanhof would be the only thing open on Sunday if there was anything we needed. I set out to buy an outlet adapter to ensure my phone would have a full charge for the next day. If I’d had more time, I would have explored more of the underground shops. There was a vast mall beneath the surface of the trains and it bustling with energy despite the hour. Alas, I needed to head back to my accommodations, so I overpaid for a cab and called it a day.
Overall, it was an improvement over the day before and I had high hopes for the remainder of my journey as I would be heading to Munich, Germany the next day.
Cheers!
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