"Inter" Heaven Between Two Lakes

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The sun rises over the mountains in Interlaken. It is like someone opening up a gift. With each tear and turn of the paper, a priceless gift is revealed.

Interlaken feels like landscape overload. The massive mountains surround the little town with small shops, cafes, and a few hostels, bringing a feeling of comfort and security to the area.

It was September and the weather was cold, but not cold enough for the accumulation of snow. Thus, the Alps looked dark green from the infinite number of pine trees. Among these pine trees and looking up above, paragliders glided down 5,000-6,000 feet. They swayed back and forth with ease and grace. The gliders seemed to be floating rather than gliding.

From ground level, the Alps formed a circle around Interlaken. The Alps were so massive that I felt like an ant compared to the giants. “Interlaken” means “between the lakes.” However, no lakes could be seen in sight. Where were the promised lakes? I did not feel as though I was between two lakes and “Interlaken.” Rather, all I knew was that I was “inter-mountain.”

A soft wind hissed in the distance. You could faintly hear the wind—a whisper. I looked to one mountain. Above, I saw all the pine trees softly moving in coherency. On another mountain, the pines were swaying in the opposite direction. The pine trees swayed with ease as the wind continued to blow. The trees were trying to tell me something. Thus, I knew there was only one thing to do—get to the top of a mountain and see Interlaken as a whole.

“Only 160 Francs to paraglide down the Alps!” a trip advisor yelled across from the Guinness Bar. I ran over to grab the offer. “Only 160 Francs, right?” I checked. The man replied, “That’s right! So get the deal while you can. You can purchase your paragliding ticket at the Outdoor Interlaken building.”

It rains heavily in Interlaken during the summer. The rain starts in the afternoon. So I scheduled my paragliding ticket for eight in the morning, just to be safe. I placed my ticket in my wallet and waited for the morning to arrive.

The next day, I hopped on the bus and sat across from an enthusiastic, soon-to-be paraglider. Her eyes glowed with excitement but her smile seemed a little forced. I told her how amped I was to paraglide the Alps and that it was my first time.

“It’s a nice day out so it looks like we’ll drive up higher—another 500 feet to go!” the bus driver hollered out. The girl sighed and showed signs of nervousness. I asked her, “Are you getting nervous for the jump? I’m excited that we’re going up higher!” The girl replied, “I am not sure—I think I am half nervous and half excited but more nervous than excited.” She had a British accent so I assumed she was from England.

The bus continued to move forward up the mountain. The more the bus climbed, the more there was to see, view, and observe. The bus finally made it to the highest destination on the mountain. We got off the bus and saw the grassy ramp way that led off the cliff. Everyone lined up with his or her designated pilots and attached the gliders to their backs. Before jumping, I introduced myself to my new friend.

On the mountain, I learned that her name was Hayley and that she was from Australia, not England. “I saved up money my whole life to be able to experience these journeys,” she said. She was 24 and was traveling abroad with her boyfriend.

From above, it was as if the local landscape expanded ten times. “Can you believe the view from up here?” Hayley asked. “It feels like I’m on top of the world—like Heaven!” As the time approached noon, the sun started to reflect its light off a river. The river wasn’t just any river. It was a glacier blue river. Glacier water streams into Switzerland, giving off a bright blue color flowing down the stream. Seeing the river was the coolest thing.

The landscape seemed like it could carry on forever. Numerous little houses were scattered below among Interlaken’s glacier river. There were also little hostels and Interlaken’s governmental building down below. Two Swiss Alps cradled the sun as it continued to approach noon. The Swiss Alps still appeared to be so massive in length and height—even from above. Who knows how far back the mountains could expand? The sight in front of me could not explain everything.

Everything was not explained. In the distance, I saw a mountain that was not green, but was white… white with snow! The mountain had to be pretty far away and at an even higher altitude to even have that much snow. You couldn’t see a single shade of green on it! I then realized that anything is possible beyond what you see and perceive. Looking is only the beginning.

I jumped. What a glorious view! The mountains stood next to each other like if they were sitting together at a family meeting. Some were closer to others, while others were farther away from the rest. A blanket of white, fluffy clouds stretched between two of the mountains, greeting me as I continued to descend. The clouds acted as a barrier between valley below and the highlands.

I looked behind and saw Hayley who was laughing with excitement and joy. The fear and nervous expressions she showed while on the bus left after she jumped. She no longer repressed hidden fears. She screamed freedom.

Going through the clouds, I thought everything would change: the pressure, temperature, and wind. But nothing changed. Going through those fluffy clouds served to be nothing more than an illusion. Before I knew it, I landed.

Hayley and I said our goodbyes and headed our separate ways. I headed back to my hostel and Hayley headed to Mount Junfrau, Switzerland’s highest mountain. Mount Jungfrau was the only snowy mountain that could be seen from Interlaken.



After landing, all my previous thoughts changed. My thoughts expanded accordingly with how Interlaken’s land seemed to expand and carry on forever. I now had a new perspective on not just Interlaken, but the world. You learn a lot when you fly. You learn what it’s like to be above, within, and beyond Heaven between two lakes.

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