Snow,Snow Everywhere....my first tryst with it

The last time I saw water in its solid form was in my refrigerator. Seeing water itself had been an achievement coming from a place known for water shortage in India even ahead of Thar desert.

Before I go any further,I would just like to draw lines from where I was to where I am today...
I come from a place which is known for 3 seasons during the year-Hot( August to January),Hotter(Feb to April) and Hottest(May-July).Chennai may probably be a place known only for this.People here with me ask me how I still like it.I always tell them that that's where home is,where love is,where my people are . So even if I am asked to go to Switzerland( asked to? yeah,today you can afford to go onsite even in Antartica, software's everywhere you see*thumbs up*) , I would be there for a vacation and come back to home sweet home. Thats what I exactly did.Still waiting to get back home though.Wow! what a day that is going to be when I am all set to return! Currently am just half way back till London where I write this blog from. Here I am back after a trip to the most exotic place in the world- The home of the Alps.Its been a long way for me from waiting for the metro water tanker to waiting for the underground metro- but the former wait is remembered for cherished reasons. Avaravar Vazhkayil ayiram maatrangal...che.. adhu oru azhagiya nila kaalam.. Ok.. back in track now...

That night in Hotel X-Tra had been a bit restless because of excitement. I had been lying thinking of the travel that lay ahead to the Swiss Alps only to be woken up by the mobile alarm only to realise my sleep of 6 hours was over. We had to immediately go and get the Swiss Youth Pass(If you are <=26,you still have the opportunity to use that when you get to swiss) for unlimited travel to any place in Swiss by any transport mentioned.Once we got that, we were all set to travel to Mt.Titlis. We had a healthy English breakfast in the hotel and left to catch the 8:35 train to Engelberg. The train journey was very pleasant with a great view all the way-lakes,mountains and beautiful landscapes all the way. There was this scene which was captured in my mind's eye.The beautiful mountain adjacent to the train route and a road between the two with a single red car that was moving parellel to our train.This is the picture that is going to remind me of Switzerland everytime i think of this place. And then slowly, we could see more and more snow cap mountains. "Pah chance ae illa!!" I remember I had exclaimed when I saw the first snow capped mountain. Beautiful it was and thats exactly what I had meant when i exclaimed.
After getting down at Engelberg, we had to take a cable car ride to Mt.Titlis. The cable car ride was amazing. So far, I had been in cable cars which connect two mountains. So the ride has been pretty straight forward. But this one was from ground to top of the mountain. It was a really steep climb up the mountains.This snap would probably give a better picture of how steep the climb had been and how difficult it is to lay these connecting transport.

We had to get down at one of the mountains and then go for the rotating cable car which provided a 360 degree view of Mt.Titlis. Till now we were seeing mountains with a snow cap. From that moment, all that we saw was only snow and nothing else. Here's one view from inside the Rotair.

After reaching the top, it was the first time i lay my hands on snow(this time Im referring to the natural variety).And the next few hours is best described as my rendezvous with snow-playing like a kid with a new toy.
















After that we went on the Ice flyer-yet another cable car with a bird's eye view of the Alps.The Ice flyer took us to a place where there was a steep mount of snow from which we could slide down on a scooter kind of a vehicle- which was more like a duck which children used to play with.I couldnt capture that picture because one person has to wait there with a camera at the bottom and both us went for that ride and so none of us have picture of that exhilarating slide down the mountain. It was worth atleast twice and thats exactly what we did-slide down twice,bouncing here and there....Wow! it was really amazing. It was around 4 o clock when we decided to drag ourselves away from this lovely place and reached Luzern. Thats a beautiful place of a different kind.It looked beautiful for its Lake. Are u thinking we should ve gone for a ride in that lake? Bulls eye!Thats what we did!

It would have been lovely to visit the place after marriage. And the lake cruise would have only made it even more romantic and that too with hardly one or two souls here and there in the whole cruise. Poor me :(. Its ok I still have a long way to go...and to come here again hopefully ;)
Hmm.. back from dreamland to switzerland. So off we went on a round trip cruse in Lake Luzern.It was like going in the Titanic,sans Rose (and sans pun). Jack ,of course, was there*brag*brag*
















After all the PD solo clicks, we left to Zurich from Luzern,sleeping for the entire train journey and did the same after reaching the cozy hotel room to provide rest to our tired legs.

Now providing a break for my tired fingers.

To be continued.. and concluded.