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Published: August 23rd 2008
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Evening cultural display
These fellows put up a wonderful and charming show on a pleasant evening. These Alpenhorn makes a ear piercing and yet lovely sound. Land between lakes - Interlakin
As the obvious name implies, Interlakin - is a town in the glen between two big emerald green lakes and imposing snow clad mountains. Its ideal location at the foot hills of the Swiss alps makes it the perfect base camp town for forays into the likes of Europes higest mountains Jungfru, Shilthorn etc. Perhaps Latterbrunnen would be the perfect place however it doesnt have the charm of Interlakin.
Charming town
When I talk about charm of Interlakin - the place is really charming indeed, so much so that a couple in their 70s from Boston USA have been going to Interlakin for the last 24 years !!!, without fail except for one odd year when one of them got sick and couldn't travel. Well this place is for sure, charmed them for life !!!
Why is it so charming - is it the surrounding majestic mountains with their snow tops and coniferous forests or is it the bluish green waters of the lakes or is it the crisp and clean air or perhaps the pleasant sleepy town ever so welcoming a tourist with their ubiquitous cow bells and ear piercing and yet
sweet sound of the Alphorns. Whatever it is - it really works a load of charm on you so much so you are in danger of falling in love and going back again and again. Don't tell me that I didn't warn you !
Golden Pass line I left the yet another enchanted lake country - Lake Geneva, by Golden pass cross-country train from Montreux where once the Queen band legend Fredi Mercuri chosen to live. The train passes thru the Alps to Interlakin thru Zeismmen. I had to change train at Zweismmen station to Interlakin. As my travel was arranged by travel agent I just had to turn up in time and follow the itinerary.
You can send your luggage in advance from the station to the destination in Switzerland. That is really handy as it allows to travel free and no worries and hassles of dragging your stuff to change trains. It was about 5 hours travel thuru very pleasant and at places spectacular landscapes.
German town - Interlakin Interlakin is mainly a German town and German is the common language. However everyone speaks English as most Germans do nowadays. In contrast in
Cows galore
Swish love their cows - every where you look there are cows either as live one grazing or statues and carvings. Monetrux very few spoke English and it was a French speaking region.
I boarded off the Golden Pass train at Interlakin west station. As I arrived it was sunny afternoon and warm. I took a horse ride to my hotel - a typical tourist with dollars in the pocket and a camera on the neck, a very welcome figure to this tourist town.
When the horse carriage arrived at my hotel - I was surprised to see a statue of a colorful cow on the front lawn ! It was a nice hotel with comfortable rooms. Thomas, the young receptionist was all smiles and great help.
Cows galore
When I mention cows - I was surprised to learn how much the Swiss loved their cows ! They are everywhere - on the meadows grazing with a clapper bell tied to their necks, on the shops as carvings, on the gardens as statues and even on the roofs ! There was one house in Interlakin where the cow sticks out thru the wall !!
Shilthorn - a location fit for James Bond As it was still early afternoon, Thomas recommended me to take visit to Shilthorn
- a lofty hill top where they filmed the James Bond movie in 1968 'Her Majesty's service'. Thomas was very enthusiastic when he talked about the place. So I picked my camera and left.
Shilthorn is about 30Km from Interlakin. This is a location fit for James Bond indeed - a cliff top perched among the clouds surrounded by magnificent views of the snow clad mighty mountains of the 'Top of the Europe' Jungfrau, Monti and Eigr. So they built a special gondala cable car and a ground breaking avante garde revolving restaurant at the top in 1968. And guess what -James did turn up with his exotic leggy girl and promptly blew up the place after a hair raising chase with the villains 0n a ski !
At the top they even built the world's first revolving restaurant - the platform gently rotates round and round giving your different views of the beautiful mountains as it revolves.
Jungfrau - Europe's highest railway station This will take a day like Shilthorn - very similar trip from Latterbrunnen up to Stchelberg and Eigergletscher. From Eigergletcher all the way up to the top for 7 km the train runs
Para gliders paradise
Para glider doing a James Bond style landing on a boat. I was behind him and wondered is he going to make it. Of course he did ! in a tunnel ! Nothing but darkness for a long time until it reaches the top and suddenly you are on the top of the world !!.
Jungfrau has an ice sculpture exhibit at the top called ice palace. If you are lucky the views are wonderful. If you are brave enough you can walk up the extremely slippery path to the top of Junfrau. It was wild up there with winds howling around and the cold biting mercilessly. Made me wonder how it will be on top of Everest !
Para-gliders Paradise First thing you notice when you arrive in Interlakin is the ubiquitous para gliders everywhere - like eagles circling the sky. Litterly they can land any where right in front of you nonchalantly. If there is hill there will be para gliders gliding cheerfully. Interlakin has many hills and mountains.
Next day I went paragliding - they took us to the top of a mountain and let us loose. What a spectacular views all around. I flew with Michael, the tandem flight pilot, over the valley between the beautiful two lakes. Excellent flight even a bird might be jealous of !
Pleasant Evenings
The town center is a lovely place with a large park and the snow clad Junfrau mountain view as the back drop. Lovely place to walk around on a summer evening. For the 3 days I was there I frequented a Latino bar for its lovely jazz music and ambiance.
One of the evenings there was cultural display on the town square - they did put up a lovely show indeed. First a group of men charmed us with a tingly music using the cow bells. Then a group of men and one woman serenaded us with Alpenhorn's bugleing and finally a yet another group of men dressed in embroidered blue tops, marched around with large size cow bells for marching band.
It was a lovely finally to a very pleasant stay in Interlakin.
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Ravikarthik
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i need a cow bell to gift my girl
hi!! i'am from india. i need to buy a cow bell. can anyone guide me where do i get in india or how i can import it. its real urgent. pls help.