28/03/2014
Arrived early in Geneva on the 28th. Tried to figure out how to take a bus to our hotel but couldn't find any information desk or English speaking person to help us. In the end took a taxi. The taxi driver said we could take a bus for 3.00 CHF as opposed to 35CHF that we ended up paying. Reached the hotel and checked in. Wafi wanted yo nap as we had gotten up at 3.30am. I was not very happy with him as I was dying to go out. Eventually left around 1330. Asked front desk for help, also looked it up online. Took bus #1 to Stand. Looked around a bit and by that time we got really hungry. Looked at menus outside cafés and were astonished at prices. I had read this name Plainpalise so told wafi we needed to go there. After going around in circles to find bus 12 or 15 finally got on the right train and reached the place. It had graffiti on walls and looked a bit run down. Happened upon an antique book shop which was closed but looked interesting. Saw a young girl with golden dreadlocks and riding a skateboard. Had lunch in a Turkish kebab house, the proprietor did not know a word of English, used sign language to convey our message. He was very kind though and gave us complimentary baklava! Left the place, took a bus and arrived back in Stand. By this time we had a hang of tram and bus system. We were tired so decided to head back. Took bus #1 again but got off at the lake Geneva front close to our hotel. The weather was simply amazing. Magnolias were also in bloom, so were all kinds of spring blossoms and flowers. The maintenance of gardens is simply outstanding. Wafi and I walked along the lake for a while then headed back to the hotel. At the hotel, Mon Repos, I slept for a while and got up after an hour and a half. We again set off to see the night life. This time we got off close to the famous fountain and walked along the lake in what appeared to be central Geneva. We went around the city, along noisy avenues, through inner alleyways. At last we made our way to an Indian-Iranian restaurant and had tarka dal, tandoori shrimp and mutter pulao and mango lassi. The bill came to 55CHF with service charge. Afterwards we took the bus back to the hotel, made plans for next day and went to sleep. An absolutely beautiful first day was over!
29/03/2014
Got up quite early, at 0730 as we had decided after very preliminary search that we were going to do a day excursion out of Geneva and see the mountains. I had suggested Chateau de Deux but Wafi, like always wanted to cover more ground and go further to Gstaad. Since, it didn't really make a huge difference to me, I agree after an initial mini resistance. We went to Gare Cornivan and went straight to the Information desk. The gentleman there was very helpful and he printed out an itinerary and schedule for us and suggested we buy a pass, valid for unlimited travel on SBB trains and also the famous Golden Line and which would give us 50% discount for a further three days if we wished to travel on the trains. The difference between a one day and 2+3 day pass was so little that we bought it. We still had some time so we we decided to pick up our staples, croissants and tea. I wanted to use the toilet so headed there only to return as I didn't have the required 1.50 franks. Collected the change from Wafi, used the toilets and then we made our way to the platform. Had to stamp the ticket on orange machines on the platform and then sat in the train. Very excited about our journey! We had to change for the Golden Pass line at Montreux but the journey to Montreux, for the most part isn't very exciting. As we approach Montreux, one starts seeing Lake Geneva. We had about half an hour there, so quickly got off the station and headed towards the lake which was only 5 minutes from the station. The day was so beautiful! Water was crystal clear and I inhaled the clear, crisp air. You might think I am being biased but quite honestly the crispness in the Swat air or in Hunza or wherever I have travelled in Gilgit Baltistan could not be matched! But it was still quite unpolluted. Went and touched the water. Wafi of course had a thing to say about this 'eccentricty' but heck! Left in ample time to catch the train, only to find out that people had already started to take up seats. There are full length mirrors and we found ourselves some nice seats. So, the journey up the mountain, through tunnels and across bridges began. I timed one of our passages through a tunnel and it was almost 3 minutes!
I have also described this journey in the subsequent piece so I will focus on Gstaad. To say, Gstaad was breathtaking would be stating the obvious so I wouldn't even attempt. Soon after we arrived we grabbed some sandwiches and went looking for a nice picnic spot, couldn't find a single public green spot so ended up having our sandwich and pasta sitting on a bench. which wasn't all that bad as there was a public fountain in front of us and people and birds stopped intermittently to have water. We had also bought some strawberries with cream or at least what I thought was cream but which turned out to be sour cream! Washed the strawberries under running water and had those, washed our hands and set off again. Here I want to confess something, when I am walking, I would make abrupt, unplanned changes to our pre established routes, why? Well, because, if I see a turn which I think looks interesting or more often, if I see any path going up, anywhere, I just have to follow it. I do sympathize with my organized, planned husband but that is my one and only idisyncracy so he has to come to terms with it. Hasn't completely mastered it yet, but he is taking small baby steps in that direction. So, as I was saying, we just went up and up and up. Where did we arrive? Nowhere but we got to see the village from this vantage point! Spent quite a long time up there, sitting on a log, on a bench, on the grass and then came down to the village. Explored the village and foudn out that we had missed out on the whole shopping area. The shops made us realize the wealth of the village, as there were all sorts of very very high end watch, jewellery, clothing and shoe stores. We browsed quickly through this and sat doen to have some tea in a little bakery. It was time to catch our train and we made our way to the station and took the train, tracing our journey back to Geneva. We headed back to the hotel and after resting for an hour headed to the Royal Indian Restaurant again. This time ordering Tandoori chicken, mutter pulao, and tarka daal with raita. It was as delicious as the previous day. After this went back to the hotel and called it a night!
30/03/14
Got up quite late, had set the alarm again for 0730 but was simply not able to open my eyes. Wafi's alarm sounded at some even unholier hour but of course he did not budge. I woke us up at 0900. Got ready quickly and we set off. No idea where we were going but a travel pass in our pockets we know we were going to have another amazing day. Reached Gare Cornavin and went straight to the information desk. He suggested we go to Gruyeres as it is a 'must see' if we haven't been there already. The train was leaving in five minutes so we ran and just made it in time. Today is quite misty and foggy. I'm sure pictures will come out really well. There is a Pakistani on the train and he is talking on the phone, first to his love interest's parents and then to the lady herself! It's interesting how his tone, vocabulary and mannerism changes with each person. With the father there were a lot of references to Allah. With the mother, a lot of flattery and then with the beloved the tone has dipped so much that I couldn't hear a thing. Kept me occupied in this leg of the journey until our change as this was a repetition from yesterday.
Reached Montreux around 1139 but since the next train was leaving in 5 minutes for our onward journey, we decided (read 'I vetoed') the idea to go ahead without having breakfast. The train after that was going to go in an hour so had a leisurely breakfast at a cafe, had croissant and tea then strolled along the river and now sitting in the train, zigzagging along the mountain up. We'll change at Montbovon for Gruyeres.
Onward from Montbovon, the scenery shifts a bit, valley opens up and there were two beautiful lakes, one after the other and a small stream. Houses are smaller and more private as opposed to Gstaad where there were huge houses and hotels. Looking at the scenery I am reminded of Swat. Certainly the stream reminded me of that.
We reached Gruyeres and since we had done zero homework, had no idea where to go, what to see and how to go. But that's just how I do things, spontaneously and eccentrically. Anyway, we started walking in one direction for 5 minutes before we realised we weren't going anywhere so we returned to the station and asked how to go to the village. We were actually asking at the Cheese Factory information desk but we didn't know that. She showed us a hill just behind us and said that's where it was and it would take us only 10 minutes to climb the top as it was a very small village. My own thinking is that these 'villages' are only sections of a village developed around a main tourist attraction ( in this case a Chateau) with hotels and restaurants. The locals actually live elsewhere. In this case around the foot of the hill. The climb up was quite scenic. We managed to walk up without any arguments. On the top was one lively village! Very quaint and colourful. We also visited a Tibetan Museum, the Chateau and tried cheese Fondue with bread, potatoes, pickled gherkins and pickled small onions. Was quite an experience but i guess one needs to develop a taste which I certainly didn't. Then we came down and took the train to Montbovon. From there we took the train to Montreux.
At Montreux, we came out of the station and walked through the high street. It looked quite affluent, again there were shops, Rolex, Patek Philippe , Gant, et al and more hotels and restaurants along the lake side. We tried some ice cream. I had pistachio in cone and Wafi had mango flavour in cup. Mine was much better. Couldn't understand why he changed his preference as this is his favourite but he later told me that he had pistachio yesterday and it had turned out pretty bad so he changed it but he agreed the one I had today was better. Then of course I gave him the end of my cone as he was watching like a cat watches milk. We strolled along, then came to the platform to wait for the train. Asimah sent a facetime request as there was wifi. Had a nice quick chat with her and then took the 1919 train for Geneva. The train was so full that we couldn't find any seats together. I sat with a family of three, mother and two young girls and wafi sat with an elderly lady. After two stops, at Lausanne most people got off and we got seats together. Reached back in Geneva around 2000 and decided to have dinner before heading to the hotel. We had been padding by an Indian restaurant by the auspicious name of Hotel Bollywood. So decided (purely wafis idea)to try it out. There was a big screen which was playing Bollywood item numbers and there were big film and actors and actresses' posters all around the restaurant. The staff all hailed from South Asia. We ordered a chicken qorma, mutar rice, raita, chappati and sweet lassi. Qorma was butter chicken, chappati was tandoori roti and the lassi's culture was not as it should've been. But it filled us and made us appreciate our last two dinners. Left after an hour and called it a day!
31/03/2013
Their banks are filled with our loot, the tons of gold and Swiss bank accounts of our vulturous leaders. Their museums are filled with 'art de orientale', having dug up even our graves and transported even our mummified corpses. These excesses of the wealthy North are possible as they stand on the sweat and blood of the deprived South. Be conscious my dear heart.
01/04/2014
Travelled around the city.
02/04/2014
Had tried to see the famous fountain up close yesterday but it turned off just as we approached and though we stayed around for another half an hour, it was done for the day. So today,as soon as I ascertained that it was on, I came straight here and boy, am I glad I came for what! I came up close and the shower was magnificent! The sunlight penetrating the shower from the fountain creates rainbow colours and as the wind changes direction you get sprayed by the shower. The still of the lake around provides a wonderful contrast to the sound and commotion. Then I sat close and wrote this piece while watching swans and ducks and listening to the falling water.
Afterwards, I bought some lunch, a summer spring roll with sweet chili sauce and headed off to the old town. Idea was to eat on the green space in front of History museum. I took a wrong turn and must have walked for almost an hour before I reached my destination. Sat under a tree on my jacket and finished my lunch. Went in to the museum and asked if I should buy a ticket but was told that it was free. That was quite a pleasant surprise. The museum itself wasn't as well stocked as those in London but it was okay. Spent almost an hour there and then left to meet Wafi around 1515 at Gare de Cornivan. After meeting him, he showed me a very very cheap mall close to the station that he had discovered at lunch time. It was too cheap for even my taste. After quickly browsing through we decided to head back to the main shopping area and then also maybe see the old town. Went up and down the whole street and then went up the steps to show wafi the old town. We had hardly walked 10 minutes when we came across a huge cathedral. Took some pictures there and then decided to circumvent the place, at the back was a lovely door, do Wafi asked me to stand in front so that he could take a picture. I had just positioned myself when a guy, around Wafis height and quite slim, having Berber features came up and asked us something in French. Wafi and I both thought he was asking if we wanted him to take our picture together, I made a mental note to say know. wafi told him we didn't know French. So he asked us where we were from, Wafi said UK. He wasn't expecting that answer. He came close to Wafi, tackled him and said lets do Shahrukh khan. Both of us were shocked. By the time we got our bearings or I got my bearings, I saw Wafi running madly after him and grab his hand and turn him around. It occurred to me suddenly that he had tried to steal his Wallet. He pushed Wafi but Wafi held his ground and told him sternly to return the wallet. Two men, looking to hail from the sane area happened upon us and asked us if everything was alright. Luckily the guy returned the wallet which was still in his hand. wafi quickly checked to see if everything was intact. It was! The guy ran away and we returned to the door, still in shock. We automatically recreated the scene where we had been rudely distracted and took the picture. Both if us were visibly disturbed but also grateful to God he saved us from nastiness.
It's strange because I has just a couple of hours ago traversed this whole place on my own, even walking along very very deserted and dark alleyways. It was a lesson! We left the place, headed towards the bus stop. Took the bus back to the hotel as it was around 1930 and still early for dinner. Reached the hotel, I treated my aching feet to a long hot bath while Wafi updated himself on Pakistani politics through different talk shows on YouTube.
After an hour and a half, we left the hotel and headed to our favourite Pakistani restaurant, owned by a Pakistani but run by an Iranian. Royal Indian Restaurant near the Navigation ( pronounced Navigasion) stop on # 1 and #25 bus stop. We ordered our usual Tarka Daal, Basmati rice and Shrimp Tandoori with Raita. I also ordered Mango lassi. It was, as expected delish! We left around 2130 and headed back to the hotel to call it a day!!
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