Asha’s Swiss Miss Tour 2008

Today we stayed in to plan the next trip and have class discussions. Another class discussion for tour management, absolutely perfect. I personally think that we been doing the practical part of tour management, but a little guidance in the right direction is always welcome.

After breakfast, we had about 2 hours of class time with Sophie Blattman. She gave us a list of different types coffee beverages they serve here in Switzerland, Italy, Ireland, and United Kingdom. Many of the coffee beverages she mention, I was familiar with because of my experience at Starbucks. However, I never heard of café creme, ristretto, café meleange, and schale. She gave a sheet of definitions of coffee beverages they have in Europe.

We made a comparison to American coffee beverage with Europe coffee beverages. Some of the drinks are similar to the ones we drink in the states. There are others like Irish , French, and Swiss coffee drinks that I thought only had to do with the coffee beans. There latte macchiato is similar to the caramel macchiatos served at Starbucks.

She gave us a demonstration for the latte macchiato where she filled the glass with fresh foam and some milk. Then added two shots of espresso in the side of the glass giving the the look of three layers of liquid. She also made a cappuccino. I was aware that it consists of hot milk added to espresso, then topped with foam and finished with chocolate powder sprinkled on the foam. She also showed us the different types of glasses that are used to serve wine, beer, and other drinks.

Afterward, we came back to class and discussed the hotel business in Switzerland and the positions that differ from the American hotel industry. I was getting hungry and was ready when lunchtime came around; however I was worried because one of my peers Curtis, didn’t show up. I figured that the toothache he told me about before must have gotten worse.

We had more class time to attend to, then Mark came in the class (after conferring with the Professors) and offered the plan of action - to take Curtis to a Chur dentist as soon as possible. Sophie said she would take them to Chur after 6 . When class ended, some of us headed to the computer lab or waited in the lobby for dinner. I had dinner then did some school work afterward. I got a call from home and had a brief but pleasant conversation with my sister. She gave me some advice for draining psyche that really helped, then did some more school work until I went to bed.

I woke up in Luzern instead of the school and felt slightly relieved that I didn’t have to get up early for once. Gia, Adele and myself soon roused ourselves out of bed before 10 am to have breakfast in the hotel. We gathered our things and tucked in for breakfast. It was nice to see other foreigners (including Americans) getting ready for a new adventure as we were.

Breakfast of champions, my self and Adele enjoying a bite, literally.

Once we checked out, we headed to the street market on the other side of the river. I noticed a museum and wanted to check out the exhibits. The girls were interested to so we headed in the direction. As we went inside, I noticed they had mini benches and stuffed animals to one side of the room. Adele pointed out a rack of small raincoats on the wall. I figured it was a kiddie museum, but was still into what it had to offer.

Adele giving the deer one big wet one.

A leopard in the museum.

A pile of special rocks from the mountains.

There butterfly collection is quite extensive. 

The boar hog a little on the funky side with Adele.

The thrifty fox and me. 

Birds of a feather stick together in the display at the Natur Museum in Luzern.

I’m giving the Prehistoric fish fossil the finger. 

Overlooking the river in Luzern.

Adele looking at the array of items at the riverside flea market.

After looking at the different animals and butterfly collections, we all ended up enjoying ourselves and had a good time. I then got a call from Sarah because she told me that Andy, Mark , and herself would be coming to Basel for the weekend. We already planned in our itinerary to meet up with each other once they arrived. We jumped a bus and headed to Luzern Rail Station. I was excited to see part of the group. I must admit that I miss them a little since we spent so much time together.

Adele. Mark, Sarah, Andy, and Gia in front of the Basel Zoo.

One One of the security guys at the zoo took our picture for us.(Adele, Andy, Mark, security man, Gia, Sarah, Asha)

Once in Basel, Euro Cup madness was already underway. I never saw so much red and white under one roof before, so the football madness was extremely infectious. After calling and texting Sarah, we agreed to meet at Basel Zoo which was a 15 minute walk away. After about 19 minutes I heard Andy hollering my name at the gate.

In front of Basel rail Station for the coming games. (Asha, Gia, Sarah, Adele)

We all hugged and laughed at our fortunate weekend away from Chur. We agreed to go to France briefly, so we took a tram near the border. I asked at the border if it was okay for Americans and Nepalese to cross the border. They said okay and I screamed across the way to the others, “We’re going to France!”

The joke goes: How many Americans do you think can fit in a French phone booth?

(Andy, Sarah, Adele,Gia, Mark)

The fine cheeses of France in saint louis shop. 

The gang in front of our next site inspection. 

We didn’t get very far but we checked out a patisserie and a winery. In both places the French people were very nice and patient with us, even with the language barrier. But in a meat shop, a french man could speak some English and had a nice chat with all of us. He helped with the purchase and was excited that we were from New York.

Collectively, we all had a good time being together to enjoy the experience. Soon, we walked and got our passports stamped to prove our 2 1/2 hours in France existed. We got back to the rail station and enjoyed a slice of pizza each.

Were taking a break after a not bad slice of pizza. ( Adele. Gia, Andy, Sarah)

Near the fan zone in Basel, Switzerland.

Soon we had wave a dry teared farewell to the others and went back to Luzern for the backpackers hotel. After a little trouble finding the place, we eventually stumbled across the hostel. After hearing Elliot talk about hostels, I hope this wouldn’t be that type of situation. Once inside, I knew this hostel was legit. We checked in then dumped our bags on the bed in the room. I was beat tired but very hungry, so I roused the girls to get some food. Once we got outside it started to rain, but I wasn’t discouraged. I told them that we’re New Yorkers and we still find ways to get thing done.

We eventually got some food, then played pool at a local bar. Adele swears that she beat me. If you have to share the pool table with a bunch of raucous young people, it was easy to get distracted. We left sweaty but elated at a nice night out. As soon as we got back to the hostel, we ran for bed.

Day 10

I felt a little groggy from the night before, but ready to discover Zurich. We got up a little later than I hoped but reached the rail station feeling a little more awake.

AAt the rail station at Zurich. 

Gia getting in the spirit of the Euro Cup.

Here’s me taking a seat at the feet of soccer gods. 

We took a train to Zurich around 11 am and reached there with enough time to do some sight seeing. The Kunsthsaus Musuem we originally wanted to see didn’t take our Swiss Passes. It was on the list we received early for museums that would accept the Swiss Pass. So we pulled out a map and looked for another location to find. The Museum for Hospitality and Tourism was supposed to be around the corner. Only problem was we couldn’t seem to find it. Even a local looked baffled when we told her the location.

In front of the Kunthaus Museum before we got rejected with our Swiss pass. 

The old regalia of Grossmunster cathedral. 

On the river front of Zurich. 

We eventually looked for other things and stumbled across Grossmünsterplatz, a historical cathedral near the lake of Zurich. We kept looking around and noticed the Euro Cup madness followed us from Luzern there, only times 5. We already purchased our Swiss shirts from Luzern station and decided to put them on. We looked like twins and took pictures along the bridge.

In front of the Zurich river on a bridge. 

Time was against us so we made a couple of purchases at Coop supermarket, then headed to the train station. Once on the train, we talked about how good the trip was. We took a nap each and reach Chur in one piece. We took the bus back to the school, and made it just in time for dinner. I noticed that there were the new students in the other dining area. They are the students who are completing there course in dining room service and cooking. We had dinner with the group and professors, then had free time. I chatted with the others then did some school work in the textbook. The bed was calling me after a couple of hours, and I answered willingly.

Today started with an early wake up call from my roommate because she was the tour guide for the day. I grudgingly got up to start the day. I showered then headed down stairs for breakfast at 7am. I was still yawning through my breakfast but I managed to swallow a couple bites. We had packed lunches because the location of our tour was kind of remote.

Our tour guide waiting with us for the stop over train to Andermatt.

The train ride to Andematt. 

We grabbed an early bus down to Chur, for an early train to Andermatt. The train travelled through Grubbarn Hahn Pass.This is a high mountain pass in Airolo in the canto of Ticino, and Göschenen in the canton of Uri. This connects the German-speaking part of Switzerland with the Italian-speaking part, along the route to Milan. The scenes outside the train was breathtaking. I though for a minute that we literally walked into winter wonderland. It was the area never saw summer.

It seemed on the train that these places in the Alps were still untouched by summer. 

After about 20-30 minutes, we finally reached the small town of Andermatt. The fog was incredibly thick, I wasn’t sure if the driver was able to break through it. I was pretty sure that this wasn’t his first time driving in the fog. The drive up was very mysterious, surrounded by fog giving the impression of being transported to another world. Once of the taxi ride was well into driving on a clear path, I noticed the small quaint town with a rustic appeal of being there for ages. This road was called San Couther Pass towards the hotel.

Once reaching the hotel, were noticed the amount of old snow and how high it must have been before in was melted to have a cleared entry way to the door. Walking through the door, the cave seemed to surround high rock walls. The long long walkway with torches and dust oil lamp gave me the impression on the movie Hostel. I though we were walking to the gallows, about to face impending doom. That vanished once we reached the lobby which was completely modern and had a sophisticated style.

Walking down the pathway to the hotel. 

The bathroom break I took was a reason to see it as well as use it. It was very classy with frosted glass doors complete with shower for customers to share. The doors for the rooms were the same from when the Swiss army was occupying the cave. The hotel is located in the heart of the alps, where north, south, east, and west transitions meet in the location of Switzerland.

Many caves in the Alps were occupied by the Swiss army as strategic place for them to attack any invasion during both World Wars. Germany couldn’t attack them because they didn’t know where was the army or people were located. Our tour guide Adrienne was asking for the person who would give us the tour. We were greeted by one of the hostess who led us into the dining area. We all were served tea and coffee which was very excellent. We then were led into the next room where Beenno Nager gave us a power point presentation about the area Andermatt.

He told us about Samih Sauiris, an investor who was introduced to the area in Feb of 2005. He was asked to invest in the hotel, but instead bought the whole valley. As an innovator, he had a vision for increasing tourism in Andermatt, which was already popular for skiing. The cave used to be hotel bellevue, but was only available for the rich.

They new project in place will change the entire valley, but not disturb the natural balance of the environment with too much commercialization. The plan includes to introduces hotels, apartments, single family villas, plus a golf course in the summer. The town approved the project in March 2007 after the government gave the okay for the new development. Even though the government is very restrictive, the village is still one of the few untouched Swiss Alps villages surrounded by pure nature.

After the the presentation with Mr. Nager, we had a formal tour with Gean Odermadd, the owner and interior designer of La Claustra. He was a very intelligent yet cool and down to earth. He welcomed us to the hotel and started with the tour. He showed us a room used for conferences and meetings, the front wall had a glass wall so all of us could see inside. It had a big gong inside that looked ancient, he said most of the furniture donated. I wondered who donated them and why. After we walked past a separated part that had red carpet and with lights underneath the water. He said that was a room for excess water. I didn’t believe him at all. Not when it looked like it had a bench inside the pool in the square shape of the pool.

The hallway to all the guest rooms. 

The Winery at the Hotel La Claustra.

He then showed us the spa area that had two jacquzzi baths and a massive shower with three stools inside and a wide shower head. It was incased in frosted glass square. Then he showed us the bathroom which I already saw. He said the light fixtures were imported and the scent within the room came from an oil used in all the rooms. I really liked the oils and will look for it in New York. However, it was co-ed.

Then we saw a guest room which had two beds and and a standing closet plus mirror. The sink inside had a mirror that was doubles a view of the Alps once you turn off the sink lights. He mentioned that the rooms were not allowed to have bathrooms because of water regulations, even if the only had 17 rooms. We continued on the tour and walked inside the wine room. After a walk through the kitchen, the tour was over and I was ready to leave. Everywhere there was a drip drip on my hands and face. My original hotel inspection paper was bleeding because of the dripping water.

I had to use the bathroom again, but had to run and catch up with everyone because they left us behind. Once in the van I dug into my food because I was starving. I left the hotel feeling a little weird about the place but couldn’t place my finger on the real purpose of the place and its weird location.

We went back down to Andermatt and had our chance to take a tour of our own – but it was raining – so we stayed at the station. At the train station some people left for their weekend, a few made reservations for the following day, while others headed back to Chur.

We walked under the train station because it was cold. We then saw some soldiers and took a picture with them. Soon our train came and we clambered on board. On the train we saw some more soldiers and took pictures with their guns. Adele was checking them out but Gia was not having that. We changed trains at another station 20 mintues. The we were on our way to Luzern.

Once in Luzern we headed to our hotel that was in front of the strait that ran in town. I was very happy to get away from the school and relax and just have fun. As soon as we were settled, we explored the local area. We got maps from the Luzern Tourist Information center, and found a couple of attractions. I got a couple of things at Migros- the Swiss Whole Foods Market. We kept exploring shopping district in town and Adele found some interesting clothing pieces. 

Gia and Adele on the river near our hotel. 

Gia and Adele consulting a map

AAdele and I, taking a chill pill. 

 Gia advertising COOP City products.

I was in a shopping mall and I mentioned getting drunk and a guy heard and responded in an American voice, “If you need help on getting drunk, I can give you pointers.” I was just kidding and he knew it too. So laughingly I asked if he could recommend a restaurant for us to eat instead. He said that there was thai food place nearby that had pretty good food.

After a while of trying to find it, we came across it and looked at the menu. I asked the girls if they were interested and they seemed okay about. The food we ordered was really good. I had prawn and sweet chili sauce while Adela and Gia shared a pad thai plate. We all picked of each other’s plate in good fun, but we left very full. Afterward we toasted with a beer to celebrate Adele’s birthday at another location.

We walked around but the temperature dropped and we were ready to sleep. All of us felt great about going to bed becasue we didn’t have to wake up at 6 am the next morning.

Today was a lot more easy going than the earlier couple of days. Had an earlier breakfast and settled in for the day. The trip was cancelled due everyone feeling a little run down from running from place to place all the time. We decided to stay indoors today and do some class work together.

We had class discussions with our Conducting Tours textbooks and read through some of the topics. Some of the chapters, we actually did practically by doing tours earlier in the week. This lasted for a couple of hours, then lunch time was up.

He had lunch at Paulaner in the school. After the lunch, we headed back to class and talked about the advantages and disadvantages of Multi-day tours. I believed we all shared the feeling of the exhaustion a multi day tour can become. Also the tour guide needs to be aware of the customers needs and be ready for any emergency that may come along.

After class we had time for day reflection, and time to blog our trips. Some of us stayed in the lobby and did some work in our textbooks. I really needed some rest so I did what I could in the textbook then went to bed. I was feeling glad to hit the bed, but read some of my book. By 1:30am, I was ready to turn in.

Today was a good day in Chur for all of us. I woke up early as usual for a croissant, jam and butter breakfast. If there is something the Swiss people are known for, consistency is one of them. I had the usual croissant with butter and jelly breakfast with a side of fruit. I didn’t eat much the night before so breakfast was a welcoming treat.

Afterwards we had a class discussion with both professors about networking and selling your self as a valuable asset. This can benefit your experience in the tourism industry if your willing to exchange something for something in which both parties get what they want. She used Gore-tex shoes as an example of getting comps. Comps are items that are free of charge and given sometimes for promotional reasons. The gore tex shoes we where on our expeditions are practically walking advertisements for the company. As travelling professionals, Dr.Garely stressed that it’s vital for us to use all of our assets such as being bilingual. The more languages you know, the farther your message or ideas can be heard.

After class, we had a cooking lesson with the Head Chef of the Swiss School. Mr. Schmidt gave us a lesson in Swiss cuisine that I will never forget. As a cook starting my own business, I wanted to know as many techniques the Swiss use for their cooking methods. We were split into four groups so we all could create a three course meal for lunch. I wanted to do the entree, but I decided to do the simplest dish for the sheer fact that not everyone cooks like I do for a living.

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This was the trip we all were waiting for. Mt. Pilatus is a famous mountain in Switzerland for its long history and grandeur. Our day started with an early breakfast and a bus trip to the train station in Chur. Once there our tour guide for the day Pragya, directed us to the correct train platform. Once on the train, the scenery captured me. The natural beauty of this country is still hard for me to grasp. After about a hour, we had to change trains at Thalwil station for the next train to Luzern.

I was amazed at the mix of old world grandeur and modern environment of Luzern when we reached the city. I wanted to explore the town but our prepared itinerary didn’t permit any leisure time for Luzern. So we whisked through the station to the city bus which led us to Linde-Pilatus, the street for the path to the mountain. Once of the bus we trooped through the street towards the entrance where we meet Mrs. Colette Ricther, marketing and public relation at Mt. Pilatus. She was a little disappointed that someone discovered the Gore-Tex diamond prize before we came. I wasn’t discouraged if anything very excited about jumping in the cable car for the trip up the mountain, even if there wasn’t a “golden ticket for Willy Wonkas chocolate factory”.

The cable car started up through Kriens-Krienseregg, the first part of the mountain. As we continued to ascend further up the mountain, I noticed the creeping cold because I was hot on the ground before we climbed inside the cable cars. The view I saw from the cable cars gave me an expansive view of the city of Luzern. I was blown away by the picturesque view.

One of the stops for the cable cars on the mountain brought us to Krienseregg(3369 ft), where a playground was available for children. We continued going up for another 15 minutes through the second part of the mountain called Krienseregg-Fräkmuntegg. I noticed how thick the air felt while breathing. The third stop at Fräkmüntegg(4649 ft) where people can play on Central Switzerland’s longest suspension rope park. They have a zip line for people to “fly” through the air suspended by a single cable and harness. I really wanted to join them but our schedule for the mountain was tight enough. We waited for about 10 mintues for a bigger cable car to take us all further up the mountain. As the cable car continued to hover over the mountain, we saw Switzerland’s longest summer toboggan run (1350 m). I found it wonderful that the mountain offered activities for the winter and the summer seasons.

We finally reached the summit of Pilatus Klum at 7000 ft. I remember the Mrs. Collete Ricther mentioning how Queen Victoria traveled on an easel (donkey) up to the top of the mountain. That’s why part of the top of the summit was named Esel (6953 ft) after the horrendous journey the animal had to trot while carrying people or items up the mountain. We get of an see all of the city of Luzern in its sunny yet glacial glory. The cold was hitting me hard and I felt stupid for not remembering to pack my jacket. I ended up one at the gift shop along with items for the family back home. Once done shopping, I walked out on the platform where people from all nations were also enjoying the mountain. We meet a lot of Americans from all over the states such as new Orleans, Georgia, and California just to name a few.

There’s a cave which had an archaic yet airy environment. I walked through it feeling amazed at the view and alp mountains range that seemed to stretch for days. Mrs. Ricther said that the mountain had a legend from the Middle Ages among locals believing that the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate had found his final resting place in the former Lake Pilatus. There also a myth about a dragon that lived on the mountain but was helpful a kind of a protector of the mountain. I continued to walk through the cave with my fellow classmates, all of us were speechless at the beauty was saw.

We walked to the end then turned when we saw a sign saying Hotel Pilatus-Klum. The hotel was built in 1900 for only the creme de la creme to enjoy its spectacular view of Switzerland. It still open for people to afford a stay for 62 CHF a night for double room occupancy. For single occupancy the price is 77, both feature breakfast included during the stay. Children up to age 2 are free of charge but is still quite affordable for families to stay in the historic hotel.

I didn’t get a chance to explore the hotels but I was ready for the next part of the “Golden Round Trip” which included a trip up the mountain by cable car, then a ride in the cogwheel railway. The point of the mountain we were located for the Railway was called Alpnachstad-Pilatus Klum. It was the world’s steepest cogwheel railway that winds up through lush meadows and pens up to the lake AlpnacherSee. The ridedown was dizzying because of the steepness of the mountain as well as the decent from such a high aptitude. I noticed how locals also explored the mountain by hiking and walking through the green valley. I never seen a place where fresh water flows from the rocks all over the place. It doesn’t surprise me anymore why at the Swiss school, we’re serve water with every meal.

Sasha in the cogwheel car on Mt. Pilatus

After about 20 minutes of gasping at the beauty and my dying camera battery, we finally landed on solid ground from the mountain. All of us were still talking about the mountain as we continued on the trip towards the boat that would take us back to where we came from which was the Luzern Rail Station. The Star Luzern was a boat that sailed the lake, while picking up other people to enjoy the light cruise through the turquoise blue waters. it made stops along the shores to Rotzloch, Stansstad, and Hergiswil. Different people of many nations also were on the boat and I took in the different languages and dialect being spoken. Most of them were talking about Mt. Pilatus or the view of the mountain from the lake as well as the panoramic scene around us.

Enjoying the view on the lake of Alpnacher See

I took as many picture I could take without my camera dieing on me. After about 50 minutes and various stops made along the shore, we reached back to our original starting point at Luzern Rail Station.

Gia directed us toward the station so as to not be late for our train back to Chur.

I started to feel to exhaustion settle in after we applauded her brilliant effort as tour guide for the day. Once on the train I took a short nap to recover from such a lengthy excursion. We had to switch over at the same station for a train leading straight to Chur. We reached back at Chur rail station on right on time for a bus taking us back to Swiss school with still enough time to have dinner.

After relaxing for a moment we trooped down for dinner and had a discussion about what we say at Mt.Pilatus. This was a trip that will go with me to the ^grave and couldn’t wait the get some rest for the next new day.

I was awoken by the beaming light of the morning sunrise of the day. I wanted to stay warm and cozy under my comforter. Then I noticed my alarm clock read minutes to 15 minutes to 7 and didn’t go off. That motivated me to rush out of bed, wake my roommate and run to the shower. Once dressed I went downstairs feeling better physically then the day before. I was able to eat breakfast - I was very hungry. Once everyone chatted and eaten we  waited in the front of the School for our next destination. Beat Wicki came outside and greeted us, then informed  us that Sophie (his assistant) was to give us our Swiss passes and the audio tour. The audio tour was for us to put in our ipods, mp3, and mp4 players. This was problematic because not everyone could put the audio file on their devices. Sarah and I couldn’t put the file on our ipods because we both have Macintosh format. I decided to work on my blog and put some pictures up which didn’t work out but Elliot helped me by saving them on his laptop.

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My study abroad course in Switzerland started in May (23rd and 28th – predeparture classes) but I really felt it was coming together on May 31 when I arrived at JFK’s Terminal 8. I was so excited that I could not stay at home..so I set out for the airport very early..before the rest of the team and even before some of the AA employees.

Once at the airport, I was on the lookout for anyone that was apart of the trip. I saw Prof. Garely at 12:10 and was slightly relieved that someone showed up – I thought I perhaps had the wrong date. As we were to check in at the first class desk, we both were greeted by an irate counter agent. She made it quite clear with her attitude that she did want us at First class check-in. However Prof. Garely explained the arrangements that had been made by Bill Clark, and she realized that she needed to look into our special status and not draw conclusions based on our ticket. Within a few minutes a ticket agent supervisor appeared and she welcomed us to the first class check in area and the process was implemented. We presented our passports, placed our baggage on the scale, received the luggage receipts and waited for the rest of the TTA team to arrive. After everyone else checked (some students did not follow directions and checked in coach) we were able to start the tour of JFK. Our leader was Bill Clark and he has an enormous amount of AA information -that he was anxious to share.

He explained the screening process as well as the instruments used such as the puffer, a device that screens your body for traces of illegal substances such as gunpowder, and drugs.

We headed to the conference room to American Airlines executives. Our first speaker was Jeff Clemens who was manager of Passenger Service , shared with us a current view of the Airline industry at American. Despite the economic decline in the US, American Airlines is still making strides to make it easier for passengers to fly. A second speaker, Chris Painter, gave us a look into his career in the airline business. Even though he is young, he had extensive experience which has led him to be the Manager of Terminal 8 at JFK. Afterward, Joe Daly, manager of Ramp Agents showed us the system that directs the baggage to the correct flight and is screened by TSA. We then had a brief tour of the Admirals Club and Flagship Lounge for first and business class passengers only. We went back to the conference room and received American Airline bags, t-shirtsand pens as well as lanyards from the Partnership for Safety. Bill told us to grab our bags because we were to be boarding soon.

We then wentto the Control Tower where we were able to see how the AA agents communicate with all the planes about to arrive and/or depart. We were so interested in the Tower that Mr. Clark had to remind us that we were running out of time. Our flight was already boarding. Thanks to Mr. Clark AA held the plane for us.

Once on the plane we got settled in our seats and buckled in for a 7 1/2 hours flight.

On the flight we received fairly good service from the flight attendants. After take off, within 2 hours we got beverages and dinner. I had beef with mashed potatoes and gravy which was decent but salty. I tried to sleep but could barely find a comfortable position. I slept for a couple of hours then woke up. We were served breakfast (a croissant and barely a pack of jelly and butter). My nose doesn’t lie because I smelled sausage and eggs with cheese and I asked for some. Of course we in coach – so there was no way I was going to be served a hot breakfast. When I am hungry I am grumpy so between the lack of sleep and not enough food, it was way passed my time to land in Zurich.

Finally off the plane, we were greeted by Doris Brüderün, a member of VIP service team of Zurich Airprt. She gave us a tour of Flughafen-Zurich(airport) which thoroughly impressed me. I was surprised at how quiet the airport was but she explained that the last flight left before 12 midnight. The airport isn’t 24 hours . As we walked through the airport, we took a train which led us from one terminal to the next. She then gave us a brief tour of the airport which included a visit to the nursery. I was impressed that they had a nursery for people flying with children and catered to their special needs. It is available for free. She escorted us to baggage claim where we found our bags waiting for us on a trolley. I was very surprised and impressed at the speed and efficiency and the kindness we received. As we walked along towards Customs, all she did was wave her card to the officers and we kept moving through. We then proceeded to the information desk where we were able to pick up brochures and pamphlets about Switzerland. She mentioned that at the Info desk, people can leave keys, documents, or anything personal from the passengers to other people who may need to pick them up. She gave us a 10 Swiss Franc voucher for anything in the food court and sent us on our merry way. I really appreciated that voucher as I was able to purchase breakfast quickly.

After that we we walked around the airport, visited a currency exchange, and bought a Sims card for my phones. The clerk at Swisscom was exceptionally nice. After everyone had breakfast we proceeded to the exit where we waited for Beat Wicki, the CEO of Swiss School of Tourism and Hospitality, for our ride to Chur. As we waited in the arrivals area, a representative from Swiss School, Mary Ann found us and directed us back through the airport to the parking lot. There we met Mr. Wicki. He helped us load our luggage and our selves into the school van and off we went to Chur. The drive on the way to the Swiss School was beautiful. I never saw hill tops and mountains so lush and green, except in Jamaica. However, these were bigger mountains and a more hilly terrain. I saw 2 waterfalls flowing through the rocks in the mountains, it was awesome. I took a short nap and when I woke up we were almost at Chur.

Once we reached the Swiss school, Mr. Wicki gave us a brief tour of the school and a bit of history about the building. I was very tired and worn out by this time, but still had enough energy to be excited about finally reaching Chur. We had a small lunch, then he showed us our rooms and told us dinner would be served in a couple of hours. Once I reached my room I fell on the bed and didn’t wake up until it was time for us to go to dinner.

At dinner, we were introduced to Sophie a former student at the school and now a Junior Consultant. She opened bottles of wine and toasted our arrival and wished us a safe journey through Switzerland.

We mingled with some students from China who were studying at the Swiss School and were preparing to take final exams. We then proceeded to dinner and had a discussion about our trip experience so far. Sophie gave us our passes and both professors were very upset since the passes were booked as a group pass and not individual passes, which we needed in order to move effectively throughout Switzerland. Prof. Garely said she would correct the problem and we all then proceeded back to our rooms. Once back in the room I unpacked my bags then showered. I was so ready for sleep I could hardly wait for my head to hit the pillow. I was delighted that we reached Switzerland safely but needed to sleep so I could be energized for tomorrow’s next adventure.