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Journalism of Courage
Cheese, chocolates, bank accounts (unaccounted?) and Roger Federer sums up Switzerland for most people. But not if you are an Indian. Growing up on Bollywood films with the most breathtaking backgrounds, picture postcard houses with cattle grazing and bells chiming, the country is now also synonymous with Yash Raj Films.
Most of these movies were shot in Interlaken, a town aptly named for its location between two large lakes. This popular tourist destination is at the base of the mountains in the Bernese Overland region of the Swiss Alps. It is here that a big sign leads to ‘India Village’ and where Yash Chopra was not just honoured with the title ‘Ambassador of Interlaken’, but was also dedicated a suite at one of the most posh hotels. Any wonder then that every other visitor here is an Indian.
I had my moment. Sitting on a train noiselessly going around the spotless green mountains, I was inadvertently on the YRF trail. Being more organised though, I didn’t need to do the last minute Kajol dash into the train, nor do I suspect my SRK who was completely focused on his google maps, would have been waiting to lend his damsel a hand.
Interlaken goes beyond being one of the most recycled location for our film directors. It is also a favourite destination for global backpackers. Skydiving and paragliding companies can be found tucked behind even the smallest of restaurants. And if you have a strong heart, then take the almost vertical cable car to Harder Kulm, Interlaken’s local mountain for a view of the entire Jungfrau region.
But the thrill of snow-covered mountains even in the summer is still fifteen kilometres away, through a winding road journey or a half hour train ride to the small town of Grindelwald. Because of its proximity to the Alps, it is popularly and simply called the glacier village. The centre of Grindelwald is a street lined with chalets and small rest houses, just walking distance from a very quaint railway station. Sitting at any of the handful of restaurants, you can practically feel the glorious Alps in the fist of your hand.
Grindelwald survives on tourism, more so in the winter, when this town of barely four thousand residents caters to what locals say are nearly twenty thousand lovers of adventure sports. Which is why, most of the shops here sell only sports goods, and the aura of the place forces one to constantly be on the move, exploring.
But what makes it worthwhile, for even those who have come for a short getaway, is how even such a remote town is connected with other more far flung areas with Swiss precision. The first train from Grindelwald started as far back as 1893 and by 1912 it was connected to Jungfraujoch, which is now the highest train station in Europe.
With fear of it sliding backwards, an ordinary train cannot travel on the steep route to Jungfraujoch. Instead it’s the cog rail, with toothed wheels to gain better traction, that takes visitors all the way up. This train runs partly underground inside the Eiger range through a tunnel. Think Clint Eastwood’s spy movie The Eiger Sanction. The shooting of its climax was done at one of the viewing windows with the majestic Alps in the background, inside the tunnel’s two stops.
Once we reach our destination, the tunnel opens into a whole new world. Surrounded by snow on three sides, there are restaurants, an observatory cum research centre, an ice palace and even a post office. While we in India, still yearn for a clean platform and hygienic travel facilities, the Swiss long ago mastered the art of cutting through mountains and make even the most unreachable land, a dream come true. And yes, Yash Chopra got it right, the charm of a train through the Swiss countryside is unparalleled.
Not just us, the Chinese had also discovered this Alpine region. Trains after packed trains left Grindelwald for Jungfraujoch in the morning, and come evening it wasn’t all that easy to find a place to eat. And in this small village far away from either country, the majority Chinese and we, a very thin Indian minority of three were even thinking alike.
On day two we decided to go the other way, only to realise the Chinese were beating us at this too. They had also decided to take the aerial cable car to the mountain ‘First’, which at more than seven thousand feet gives you a panorama of the Swiss Alps.
When in Switzerland do as the Swiss do. If it is the winter go skiing in the Alps with Grindelwald a starting point for ascent to the Eiger and the Wetterhorn ranges. But If it is the summer, then you must go hiking at any of the 300 km long walking trails. So we did.
After taking the cable car to the mountain ‘First’, overlooking the Eiger range we started on what eventually turned out to be a two hour trek on a path that was so crowded with elders, kids and even dogs, that we could just as well be sitting in any European park enjoying a summer picnic. Except that some of the children were more energetic and quicker than me. The trail finally stopped next to a lake, down by the valley. That’s the other thing about Switzerland, wherever you may end up you are never too far from a lake or a tunnel.
Before heading back in the cable ride, a stop at the only restaurant is highly recommended. Where else in the world would you be having coffee and waving to paragliders right next to you. As a friend said, this is where God must live.
The quaint beauty of Grindelwald was replaced a couple of days later by the urban city of Zurich, our last stop on the Swiss trip. But uphill or downhill, we saw more cyclists on the road than we did cars, several times going kilometres behind one till he or she gave us the right of way. Imagine if this was to happen in India. Actually no, it is way too scary to imagine.
Zurich, Switzerland’s largest city is an international centre of finance and banking. It is also the headquarters of FIFA and made headlines for the recent scandal and midnight arrests. But away from all that, we restricted ourselves to staying in the old quarter not far from the river, with its European tradition of cobbled streets and road side cafes. The charm of the Alps though, still lingered.
The day after we left Zurich, the list for the most expensive cities of the world was released. Zurich was second. Thankfully we have ticked it off our list because it is likely, we won’t be going back there in a hurry. Grindelwald though is another story. I hope to go back soon, but just after becoming a bit more fit.
