September 5th - The Glacier Express

Well folks, the time had come, the time for the Glacier Express.

I got up about 7am, got ready and had breakfast and checked out. After all the trouble last night with the Chinese, I was half expecting a war zone in reception as I walked down the stairs and across the lounge to the reception desk. However, all was quiet and the reception area was spotless. I checked out and made my way to the train station. As I took the short walk to the train station I soaked up the scenery of the beautiful Zermatt one last time. I was still in awe of the place. It was like everyday was the first day of discovery, you just never got tired of the wonderful setting and scenery. This was definitely the valley of the gods. One other observation that is worth pointing out is the fact that no cars are allowed in Zermatt. The last car park, so to speak is a train station about 1-2km away. Then you have to take the train into Zermatt. You can hire bikes or there are small electric powered taxi's to take you from place to place. However, to be fair, you can walk almost anywhere.

As I walked down to the train station, I was in a very happy mood, but also very philosophical. Why had it taken me so long to do this, to explore the world, to do things I wanted to do?

Well to answer this I must digress somewhat, because I would not have been doing this if it had not been for a certain person called Andy Kaines. Now Andy, is the brother of my best mate Simon. Now I was chatting to Andy during new years eve, when there was a group of us having a few drinks. Suddenly, out of the blue, Andy asked 'Are you happy Gareth'

To be perfectly honest I was taken aback by such an obvious and direct question. I was just about to say yes, when I paused and seriously thought about the question. No, I wasn't happy. Andy then said, 'Do something in 2010 that you have always wanted to do, put yourself first for once.'

Well nine months later here I am. I realised all my life I have put other people first and not done what I wanted to do. So as I handed over my ticket and stepped on to the magnificent Glacier Express I was grinning like a Cheshire cat. No ties, no worries, this was me doing what I wanted to do.

As I stepped on board the Glacier Express and sat down I thought back to the book I had been reading lately “Hector and the search for Happiness”. Hector, who is the main character is travelling the world to find out what makes people happy. It is a wonderfully simply book and has some great quotes in it. One of the quotes sprung to mind as I settled down for my 7 hour train journey.

“Happiness comes when you feel truly alive”

And this was certainly the case for me during this adventure.

The train finally set off, it was 7 hours of pure wonder. The carriages had huge panoramic windows and windows in the ceiling. The scenery never grew tiring and turn after turn on the track produced something that made you smile. At approximately 12:30pm, lunch was served, it was served on Glacier Express plates, nothing was left to chance. There was a simply salad to start with, followed by venison served in a lovely sauce. Finally for desert, a lovely chocolate cake. To round things off I ordered a red glass of wine as the train lazily crossed a stunning viaduct. This was the life!!!!

Finally the train arrived in St Moritz at 5:47pm. I grabbed my bags and headed to the information center to find a map and to get my bearings. The hotel was only a five minute walk from the train station, so I decided not to get a taxi. I decided to have a stroll up to my hotel and enjoy the pleasant evening. Big Mistake!!!

I neglected to mention in my previous posts that every hotel I have been too so far, bar one, has been up a huge bloody hill, and yes you guested it, this was no exception. Actually it is safe to say that this was like training for the worlds strongest man. I had a huge rucksack on my back, a suit bag in one hand and my small rucksack in the other hand, and it felt as though I was pulling a lorry up a hill!!! The slopes and stairs were very steep to say the least and I finally arrived at my hotel gasping for breath. I checked in and collapsed in my room. Once I was sorted I did my usual tour around the city, taking a few pictures along the way. I have to say St Moritz is very posh and very expensive, there is no pound shops here. Every shop is a famous expensive brand name. Also every other car in the streets is a porsche or some other sports car. The restaurants were not cheap either. Some of the highlights are as follows:-

A pint of beer £5.50
A ham and cheese toasty with fries and side salad £13
A bog standard steak £20

However, saying that, the place was absolutely stunning, my hotel was on a huge hill high above the train station, which was situated near the lake. The views from outside my hotel down to the lake were absolutely stunning. This like Zermatt must have been another valley of the gods.

Eventually I went back to my room and got changed and went for a meal.

Now sometimes I think being on your own during a meal has its advantages. It means you can study other people, and watch their mannerisms and listen to what they say, or not say, as was the case this evening.

As I was waiting for my meal in this restaurant, a couple sat down just across the way from me. Now this couple looked to be well off and well educated judging by the clothes they wore and the way they presented themselves. They both looked like successful business people. Anyway, they both ordered their meals and then simultaneously pulled out there fancy blackberry mobile phones and started typing away frantically in complete silence. Now 20 minutes passed and since they arrived they had still not said one single word to each other. Their heads were down and they were intent on one thing, their phones. They both looked miserable with no smile or laughter forthcoming. I sat captivated by this performance and wondered what fun you could have had taking bets on who would talk first and when. Anyway, I got fed up after 30 minutes and went back to my own food. As I ate my meal in silence, occasionally glancing up at the silent couple I kept thinking back to 'Hector and his search for happiness' and what he would of thought of it all.

“Happiness is being with the people and friends you love and care for”

I guess that quote does not mean just sitting at a table with them. lol