Swiss bike-trip..wrap up

I wanted to make a proper and long article about it, but I think it is useless as the photos will tell the story Just a couple of words about the trip. It was tiring, it was physically a lot more challenging than the previous Dutch-Belgian trip but the places you see, the scenery you get is just incredible!  It was great meeting up with Javi again and once again we proved that a new challenge good be done and who knows when is the next one going to take place.

It is hard to get an impression of a country in a couple of days, but Switzerland is a country that is worth being explored. We crossed the French and the German parts and in both places the people were extremely friendly and helpful (Honestly, not kidding) and it is strange to see how they greet you on the streets. It is a country that combines perfectly the modern cities with its rural, traditional areas. 5 minutes away from a city you will be standing next to old Swiss houses, decorated with flowers, where cattle grazes silently in a foggy morning. It somehow offered me the experience I had on my previous bike-trips back home, but don’t forget that it is a country touched by modernity. It is really hard to find truly remote and isolated places. There will always be a high-ways, road, railways or army bases not so far away.

Following the bike-lanes you will discover that it is not like Holland. Bike-lanes can vary from dirt-forest tracks, to proper bike-lanes to the edge of a national road. But still it is a country that can offer you incredible hospitality and scenery. Both of us were struck by the huge number of army bases in such a neutral country. Almost each city has an army airfield and it might sound strange but you will see tanks, helicopters and fighter jets all around Switzerland.

Couchsurfing in Switzerland is really reliable and we have to give a big thanks to hosts Denise in Friburg and Marco in Luzern. Hostels up in the mountains can be relatively cheap and you will probably find some great rooms at this time of the year.

Don’t forget that it is an expensive country and most of your money will go on supermarket food and train-tickets.

Overall it was an amazing trip. It wasn’t easy getting up in the morning, especially because it got dark after 5 p.m. so we always had to get up at 6 a.m. and depart at 7. The mornings were chilly (actually never forget gloves and warm clothes) but by the afternoon the weather was extremely pleasant. The smell of cows and goats will follow you all the way through and please stop at one of the rural houses and try out their milk or honey, because it is amazingly good. But enough of the words. Here is the trip in pictures and numbers.

Lausanne – Payerne – Fribourg – approx. 70 km – moderately difficult, lot of climbing when coming out of Lausanne, mostly hilly terrain after wards. Bike-lanes can get confusing

Fribourg – Bern – Thun – Interlaken – approx. 105 km – quite easy terrain, not a lot of climbing, mostly hilly and flat terrain. In the back-ground the Alps

Interlaken – Meiringen – Brünig Pass – Luzern – approx. 95 km – extremely difficult terrain, sometimes 20 % climbs but amazing scenery and plus a lot of downhill extreme dirt riding

Luzern – Cham – Baar- Zurich – really easy terrain, only one bigger climb. Hilly landscape but take care because the bike-lanes are part of the extremely busy national roads

Last day in Zurich we enjoyed the company of a couple of liters of beer so we got on the train to Lausanne “slightly” tipsy and laughing like crazy people. At 4 a.m. I had to take the train to Geneva airport, I nearly missed my flight (they were already calling my name), I landed at 8 a.m. in Amsterdam and started working in Utrecht from 9.30 a.m. till 7 p.m. and arrived to Maastricht at 11 p.m….Now I’m sleeping all day long

Swiss bike-trip begins

 

Getting up at 5 o´clock in the morning is not easy, but I have to thank the services of ¨Hotel Fanja¨ (she´s a friend of mine, it is just nick-named a hotel ´cause when I pass through Utrecht I stay at her place) and of course a cute Estonian girl who woke up this morning and got with me to the train-station on her bike. So basically imagine this. 5.45 a.m. in Utrecht, everyone is sleeping, I am riding a bike with a blond girl in the back who is pulling my trolly luggage with her hand….It was like a miniature noisy morning train disturbing the sleeping residents.

Take the train to Schiphol, fly out to Geneva, Switzerland where my HERMANCITO Javichel was waiting for me. Long time since I´ve seen Javicito. One and a half years have passed since the end of the Parnassos team…hhhyeaa… So we visited Geneva, took the Japanese style photos then got the train to Lausanne.

We just got back from a really good deal as well. Only 25  swiss franks (approx. 17 euros) for a really good 24 speed bike. We are just packing in this very moment, but of course in the mean-time we stopped to get a beer as well.

Getting home was one of Javi´s great inventions. So we had only one bike, it was down hill, but theres was a basket on the back of the bike. So we could not sit in a basket. Sooo… I was sitting on the bike-sit, while Javi was pedaling and sitting in the air. I cannot describe you guys how it looked like, having to guys sitting on the sit of one mountain-bike, but imagine it. Once again it felt great. Leaving trouBles behind, flying with the bike on the streets of Lausanne. Yepp…Just exactly what the doctor ordered.

Tomorrow we depart at 7.a.m. The route is the following: Lausanne – Payenne – Fribourg. Approx 65-70 km and we are gonna sleep at couchsurfer host, Denise´s place.

So good luck for tomorrow and all the best

Javito and Gashito

Approaching Swiss bike-trip…Csavargó’s getting back in business

 

I’m gonna put things short. I have still two exams left, but after the two exams I’m heading back to Utrecht to work for a day, then  getting the plane from Schiphol to Geneva Switzerland. Now why would I go there? My former Parnassos room-mate, Javiiiitoo, studies in Lausanne at the present moment. Now you might think I’m going there for a couple of days of rest, sunshine and mojitos…Well first of all winter is approaching, sunshine is scarce and for a good mojito go to Mexico. No, my hermano and I decided to do a second wacky bike trip together, just for good old memories. Now I know it’s cold, windy, chilly, snowy but whooo cares???? Another good adventure awaits. I’m gonna drink the mojito at freacking sixty, not now….So Javichel get ya bike ready ’cause I’m coming.

The route is still rudimentary but it includes: “Fribourg, Bern, Lucern and Zurich, starting from Lausanne.” Hell ya.

CHeck the previous Dutch-Belgian Bike trip (this was in January and February 2008 ) http://gashicsavargo.wordpress.com/2008/02/06/met-de-fietsen-in-de-benelux/

Maastricht 16th Oct.

Miami Sunrise

Six o’clock in the morning and my alarm goes off. 12 people crammed in one hostel room. I don’t wanna wake them up…One guy is snoring heavily, while I get my flip flops and my camera. I’m in my Spanish shorts, flips flops on my feet and a blue jersey on my back. I gotta see the sunrise. I don’t really see it that often back home…

Sometimes I wonder how did I even get here… I go up on Collins Avenue, take a right turn on 5^th Street and head to the beach. Finally South Beach sleeps. It’s still amazingly quiet. Only a couple of cars role on the empty tropical streets. Somewhere over the horizon the Sun is still rapped in its wavy blanket…

…I sit down on the white shores of Miami South Beach and start staring in the seemingly infinite horizon… Two girls sit down a couple of yards away. They brought their chairs with them. Not a lot of people want to see the sunrise…

- Sorry mate. Can I sit down next to you? – I turn and this seemingly Hispanic guy, with long green pants sits down next to me…

- Yeah. No problem…Where’re you from? – I ask the guy as he is the fourth person joining the Sunrise Watching Club.

- Originally from New York man. But now I live in Florida. I moved here with my lil’ daughter.

- You have a daughter? – I ask him quite amazed as he still seams as a young guy. Or maybe he just ages slower than me.

- Yeah. I have a one and a half year old daughter. I’ve been with this woman for eleven years. We just split. She asked me if I wanna take the kid…he stops for a moment and stares in the distance, seemingly reliving those moments…Of course I took the kid. So that’s how I moved got to live with my mom…

- Good thing you took your daughter with you…Are you working or..?

- I used to work. Now I’m gonna finish my education and get a degree as a premed. Probably I’m gonna stay in Florida or I’ll might just move to Hawaii. I can’t go back to New York while She’s still there… I sometimes miss a New York sunrise…

The guy continues with his story, while slowly emerging sunbeams start to shatter the morning clouds…Every one of us has a story. I just happened to know the story of this guy… The horizon is cloudier than usual. Minutes pass, while we anxiously wait for the Sun to show his orange fingers…It’s just one of those moments. The Sunrise Watching Club stops for a moment. We just stare…Speechless, while slowly day emerges from the Atlantic waves…It’s just one of those moments…

Miami, Florida, 3^rd of April 2009

Miami est

Magyar billentyuzet nelkul, javito program nelkul fizetem a husz percre a ket dollart…de oszinten nem igazan erdekel…egy kerek napot tolthettem Miamiben…Greyhound-dal jottem es Greyhound-al indulok vissza holnap delben…Fura egy orszag ez az Amerika… Rancos arcu, feher szakallas deli “southern” ember ult mellettem. Eros deli akcentussal mondta, hogy Indianapolis fele megy…

8 ora ma reggel es mar Miami utcait koszalom..egy utcaember utbaigazit…Kikotok a South Beachen…9 ora es mar pirult borrel figyelem amint eletre kell a tengerpart…Ket magyarorszagi lannyal is talalkozom kozben…

A nap jarkalassal telik el…Palmafak, nagy keblu barnult nok es idegen autok. Fenykep a Miami Ink elott, de nincs penz tetkora. A legolcsobb 300 dolcsi…majd valamikor maskor…Legalabb megvan a foto..

Eltelik a nap, eljon az est. A Klubbok dragak. A Jazz hostel kis kertjeben foglalunk helyet. Talan harmincan. Gitaros brazilok enekelnek. Neha brazil enekeket, neha Beatlest neha Marleyt… Nemetek, angolok, argentinok, danok es egyeb nemezetek keverednek ossze egy Sprite-os Bacardi mellett…Mindenki jokedvu…a meleg levego meg mindig tikkasztja a Miami Beachi utcakat. Nehezen szoktam meg a harminc fokos levegot, amikor otthon meg esik az eso…Palmafak alatt egy gitaros est egy pohar Bacardival….Ennel tobbet nem is akartam…

Fel egykor indul a Greyhound Orlandoba. Szombaton repulo Baltimoreba, szallas Virginiaban Charlie otthonaban, repulo visszafele Washingtonbol. Talalkozas Adelaeekal. Valtas New Yorkban, Zurichebn es busz a Ferigyehrol. Majd jovo heten otthon leszek…Addig is udv mindenkinek a South Beach, Collins Avenue, 321-es szamtol…Jazz Hostel…Reggel fel hatkor majd a nap is folkel..Fenykepek kesobb

2009, aprilis 2 vagy netan 3, Miami, Florida

Mekkdonáldzzz…

A New Hempshire-től nem messze, egyik mellék utcán találtam menedéket. Az üzletek túl drágák, a „rendes étel” pedig meghaladja a büdzsét. Nincs más választás. Újból egy McDonald’s menü…

Nem is tudom hány éves lehettem, de nem sokkal a rendszer megdőlése után, kezdték elözönleni az otthoni üzleteket a „szabad világ” termékei. Talán ötödikes lehettem amikor anyum legelőször vitt el a Szécsényi téren nyílt csoda gyorsétkezdébe. Különleges alkalom volt. Nem emlékszem már, hogy egy jó jegy vagy az év végi átlag volt az oka a nagy napnak. Afféle mágikus helynek tűnt, ahol minden álma valóra válhat egy kölyöknek. Talán még épp egy Toy Story játék figurát is kaptál egy teljes menüért. Afféle szelekt hely volt ez, ahova néha napján eljártak a gazdag gyerekek vagy netán egy különleges alkalomkor megvendégeltek a szüleid. Túl drága volt ott minden….

… Alexék még az üzletben vásárolnak. Túl éhes vagyok, hogy megvárjam őket… I’d like three McChicken and a Medium soda, please. (Három McChickent és egy közepes üdítőt kérnék szépen.) – szólok a kasszás nőnek. Alacsony, kis hízott asszonyka. Latin amerikai és tört angollal felel vissza. Hátraszól a kollégáinak spanyolul, hogy készítsék el a menüt. Addig helyet foglalok. Két kupaknyi mustárt és ketchupot is teszek a tálcámra. Megtöltöm a poharamat narancslével és várom a sorszámomat.

Helyet foglalok egy sarok asztalnál. Minden falon az amerikai reklám mánia ordít. „Vedd meg ezt és még kapsz mellé egy azt! Csak nálunk ehetsz jól.” – meg hasonló baromságok, mosolygó fehérfogú kölykökkel. Körülnézek. Két lerobbant fekete utcaember majszol egy 1 dolláros szendvicset. Egy kopaszodó, elhízott rendőr rendel egy pár hamburgert… Anya, anya. Vegyél megkérlek egy Marty Zebrát is. – szól egy gyerek. Lenézek az kisgyerekre. Még mindig a Madagascar figurái a polcokon. Kis ázsiai származású gyerek. Az anyja tört angollal felel vissza. Első generáció bevándorló és ki tudja milyen bevásárló központban kell felmossa a földet. Most nincs pénz Marty Zebrára.

Pár elhízott iskolás kölyök is betoppan. Öltözetükről és beszédükről nézve nem a társadalmi létre tetején éldegélnek. Valahol ott a létre középső fokán. A tükörbe nézek. Pár napos szakállal majszolom a csirke szendvicsemet. Figyelem a mellettem lévőket, látom a már huszonéves arcomat…Latino elárusítok, fekete koldusok, első generációs bevándorló ázsiai; középosztályú iskolások és egy kelet európai egyetemista…Nem látom merre vannak a nagy fehér mosolyok, az örvendező gyerekek és az otthoni egykori gazdag gyerekek, akik csak néhanapján engedtek meg maguknak egy mekit…

Washington, marcius 28, 2009

E pluribus Unum – Out of many, one….

It seams like one of those contradictory terms that I still cannot fully comprehend. During yesterday’s visit to the U.S. Capitol (The place where Congress meets) we were shown a short film about the history of the building. This is the motto. E pluribus Unum. “Out of many, one”.

As an outsider and European I am sometimes full and sick of this seemingly brainwashing nationalism. Waiting for my Visa, at the American Embassy I was shown the same type of movie as in the Capitol. It starts out with the Bold Eagle (which is almost extinct), then it shows all the amazing and breathtaking landscapes, like the Grand Canyon, the Californian Coasts, the Great Plains and so on. From this it moves on, in the same manner, to presenting the great cities and it ends with a dozen people from all around the world saying that they are proud to be American.

The main idea is always the same. Good life, American dream, hard earned freedom, liberty and so on. Of course I will not try to argue about American democracy, a democracy which did not allow for full rights of black people until the ‘60s and the initial Constitution of which only gave limited rights to slaves.

I was standing there in this theater in the Capitol and I was looking at the faces of the average citizen, of the children, of the people who would like to come or just came to the U.S. Joy, hope, pride emanates from these faces. I feel somewhat of an outsider among these people. Brought up in a nationalist city, this is exactly what I don’t need. Eloquent and uplifting speeches of freedom, prosperity and one nation’s greatness,

But I would be too subjective if I would look at only this side of the story. I honestly was asking myself. How can you keep a nation together, a nation which is made up of hundreds of ethnic groups, where you can find all the people of the world and in many times from parts of the world where they were enemies? I must admit it isn’t an easy job… In many regions of this world the simple fact that you are of a different faith, you come from a different social class or you speak a different language divides regions and nations. Now, honestly how can you keep a nation united where blacks, whites, Indians, Asians, Jews, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, atheists, rich and poor should live in relative peace and prosperity?

Probably this indoctrination from an early age is the key. You have to show all these people that besides their deep and sometimes painful differences, they have to believe in one flag, in one motto, in one country and in one nation. Although as a European for me this seams out of plays and I could look at it as a great infringement of the freedom of thought and so on, but for me it seams like this is the only way the American state can keep so many people united. We can call it indoctrination, brainwashing, the everlasting Red White and Blue, the American Dream or the Realms of Freedom but I have yet to see one country in this world which can keep so many people united under one flag. (Even if sometimes seemingly united).

Washington, 25^th of March 2009

Washingtoni reggel

Öltöny, cipő, palton, elrendezett haj, gyomorideg… gyors léptekkel haladunk a New Hampshire sugárúton. Most ébredezik az amerikai főváros. Csípős szellők hancúroznak a kék ég alatt. Nincs igazán időnk körültekinteni. Konzulátusok, elrendezett kis kertek, tiszta járdák, ébredező emberek. Egyesek kutyákat sétáltatnak. Fiatal lány halad el mellettünk. A reggeli jogging. Lépteink egyre csak gyorsulnak. Átjáró, átjáró után. Fél óra és kezdődik a verseny. Még nem szoktuk meg az új stoplámákat. Néha pirosan kelünk át, néha fehéren. A Dupont körforgóhoz érünk…

Gyomrom kavarog az idegességtől. Mit mondok majd a zsűrinek? Lábaim sebesen lépnek a járdán, anélkül, hogy valami fáradtságot is éreznék. Rég nem izgultam ennyire. Érzem, amint verejték folyik végig gerincemen, habár nem lehet több 8 foknál…A Dupont Circle közepére érünk. Hirtelen minden lelassul. A verejték csepp megáll a hátamon… Fölnézek. Virítóan kék ég néz le rám. Még csak mostan rügyező ágak állnak feszesen a szürke fatörzseken. Szélcsend. Körülnézek. Egy fehér szoborcsoport álldogál egy szökőkút tetején. Két koldus ül a szökőkút melletti padon, rongyos zöld kabátok lúgnak vállaikon.. Az egyik vállát mozgatja. A másik fejét rázza. Nem tudom ha örültek, de ők biztos nem a gazdag konzuli negyedbe térnek haza. Pillanatra minden megáll. Rég nem érzett nyugalom fog el. Gondjaim pillanatra eltűnnek és állok az üres semmiben egy washingtoni körforgó közepén, a reggeli washingtoni ég alatt. Egy pillanatig minden tiszta….

Érzem a verejték cseppet a hátamon, amint megmozdul. Gondolatok kezdik ellepni agyamat. Lábaimban újból kering a vér. Fölkapom az iramot. Léptek, léptek után. Eltűnnek a koldusok, hátramarad a szoborcsoport. Épületek követnek épületeket…még 25 perc…

Gashi is traveling again…

Man…I have my last semester to finish, I’m running low on cash, I have a thesis to write, exams on my head, a possible internship in Amsterdam and not to talk about how the hell am I going to pay for my masters in Maastricht…But it looks like I’m getting my skinny ass to Washington

Well it goes like this. There’s this Moot Court Competition in Washington, our team got accepted, we got some money from our sponsors (even in this crises you can find kind hearted people J ) and now I have to wear a suite, stand before a panel of 3 judges and “Your Excellencies this, that and but of course it is evident”. So you get the idea. You go to Washington for a week, you meet other internationals, some parties, Moot Court (honestly I’m shi..ing my pants as I still have only half of my pleadings written) and a hell of an experience.

But it wouldn’t be Gashi, now would it if he didn’t think of something else. I’ve got 6, 7 extra days. Adela, Andra and Alex are doing this crazy trip around the East Coast. Philadelphia, New York, Boston and the Niagra falls….But I’ve seen these 6 years ago…It was just one of those moments. I found a cheap flight to Tampa Florida, Hayley my Erasmus friend happens to live in Tampa. SO I’m spending 6 days in Florida . I don’t know what I’m gonna do, but what the hack. It’s Florida. Tampa, Orlando, Disneyland, Daytona Beach and Miami . Hopefully I’m gonna get a little tattoo from Miami Ink

Kiss ya all guys and see you in a couple of weeks.

“I’m from Holland. Where the f..ck you’re from?”

Holland ain’t Amsterdam, and Amsterdam ain’t Holland. Yes, you can find the small villages (dorpjes) lost between the green canals with grazing cows, but then again you can find the Asian hookers next to a coffee shop. But who the hell cares. You can go for the hookers, for the joints, for the stropwaffels, for the dikes and the windmills or maybe for just one bike-ride. The main thing is that I’m going back for another week. I spent my best student year there but I still have to close something in that chapter. Don’t ask me exactly what, but I’ll see when I’ll get there.

Time left: 6 more days. And counting…

Route: Cluj (Kolozsvar) → Dortmund (plain) → Duisburg (regional train) → Utrecht (ICE).

Until then just listen to Bobby Burns. The lyrics are quite lame, but then again…it’s Holland.