Again, I seem to have ended up in a place that is good for me. That keeps happening. The last couple of days have reminded me, AGAIN, that I do in fact enjoy traveling by myself. Of course there are places for it, like Switzerland, and places I wouldn’t, like Jordan or Morocco. I am blessed to have both.

I really liked Zurich for the day I was there. Clean, organized, friendly, pretty, environmentally conscious. I could see living there for awhile. I’m sure Deha had some part in that welcomed feeling, but even running my errands was enjoyable. The train ride out into the mountains was beautiful as is Zermatt.

The town has grown up as a mountain resort since the end of WWII, and has been a mountaineering destination for even longer. There are no cars here, just the odd electric taxi, probably hundreds of hotels and more construction on-going. The prices are ridiculous as I was warned; as I looked at a few menus walking in my brain thought, “12 for nachos or garlic bread, that’s not bad.” But I was stuck in Moroccan currency! Instead of the dollar I was thinking, it was about $13 for an appetizer, and most mains (including things like burgers and kebabs) were between $22-$40!

After arriving and snacking on some light dinner my first night, I happened to walk out the front door at the same time as a group of four Irish/Scotsmen who are on a week long hiking trip. I was planning on just seeing the town for a bit but after their invitation we shared some very pricy beers and returned late in the rain. Everyone was hoping for a view of the Matterhorn the next day and with the extra moisture it didn’t seem likely that the clouds would clear.

The next day they were headed up to the Hornlihutte, the Matterhorn base camp, but I opted to go up the ridge opposite to see the Gornergletscher and Grenzgletscher glaciers hugging the huge form of Monte Rosa, which is even higher than the Matterhorn at 4,634 meters. The Matterhorn peaks at 4,478 meters but because of its near perfect pyramidal top it was considered impossible to climb until the 1850s.

Between 1857 and 1865 there were 18 unsuccessful summit attempts, 15 by Italian teams and 3 by Swiss. Finally in July 1865 a group of 7 Swiss accomplished it the same day as an attempt by more Italians. Tragically, four of the seven were roped together and after one slipped on the descent the four fell to their end after an auxiliary rope snapped. The remaining three camped on the ridge and that night reported seeing shadows on the face in the shape of crosses. One of the bodies was never found. There is a cemetery in town reserved for mountaineers that have died on the heights.

Today there are many gondolas and trams that take you up into the mountains. I took the GornergratBahn tram up to a fantastic viewpoint at 3,089 meters and after taking some pictures started the walk back down. I spotted a marmot standing up on his back legs like a huge prairie dog. He was so still I thought he might have been a marmot-shaped rock so I climbed down in his direction until he lumbered away into his hole. The clouds continued to swirl around all day intermittently obstructing the magnificent views. I chose to walk down this path so that I would be facing the Matterhorn nearly all day, and was rewarded with a few good glimpses. However I foolishly forgot to tape my knees and although I wasn’t in pain, I could feel them being stressed. Again, Jonathan’s trekking pole was a big help.

After making it down to Riffelalp at 2,211 meters I traversed along the next valley which brought me away from the panoramic views. I might have regretted it if I hadn’t stumbled upon an ibex! (I think it was a female because its horns weren’t huge, although it might have been a chamois. But it was big.) I was between passing two older women and as I looked up and saw it I gasped and pointed; the woman behind me promptly hollered at her friend which sent it bounding down the mountain. It was possibly the most beautiful animal I have ever seen, all muscle and paint. A special gift.

I continued up the valley, across the river and then started my way back down as it started spitting rain. For awhile the trail was overtaken by construction; I was geeking out a bit spying on their equipment, locking gaskets and fittings. It was strange to be that close to work this far away.

The rest of the day was uneventful; I was back at the hostel at 2:30, the weather was turning and it was too late to start another hike. After showering I visited the Matterhorn Museum which was free with my Swiss rail pass. The museum describes life in a Swiss town before tourism, and the history of mountaineering in the region, including artifacts such as the broken rope from the first tragic ascent.

One of my favorite bits was a small display about a guide named Ulrich Inderbinen. “I live how I climb a mountain: my walking rhythm is slow and deliberate, but steady and determined.” He worked as a mountain guide from the age of 25-95. He summited the Matterhorn more than 370 times, the last when he was 90 years old in 1990. He died in 2004 at the age of 104.

After the museum I wandered around the old part of town in the rain. The oldest buildings are from the 1600s, and you can even rent some of them for the week. The newer buildings are just like you would expect; mountain chalets, most with good views and bright window boxes. One interesting thing is their roofs; on the train ride up I broke into a conversation some Canadians were having about the massive pieces of slate that seem to be just laid on the roofs without any clips or anything. We were wondering how they stay put and don’t leak; I later learned that they need to be checked every spring because they can in fact slide with the weight of the snow in winter.

Still pondering my post-Germany options I was about ready to investigate the Russian visa more until I realized that the extra 6-7 days on the train would make me miss the Eagle Festival in western Mongolia, which I am very interested in getting to. So I had to make a decision and after checking again about the requirements for going through a Russian embassy (original passport, bank statements, new passport photo, invitation and application) I sent out a bunch of e-mails to tour groups participating in the Eagle Festival and bought (refundable within 24 hours) a ticket from Munich to Ulaanbaatar. At this point I just need to commit to one or the other and start getting excited. I met an Australian woman last night who has been to Mongolia and wants to go back, specifically to see the eagle hunters. She said the problem with getting around in Mongolia is you have to travel in groups of 4-6 to fill up the Russian jeeps that they use to transport. She said once she flew a domestic flight to a National Park and there was literally no transport from the airport. No taxis, no buses. She ended up getting a ride from a tour guide but she really recommends organizing trips and not just showing up. So it may not be as cheap as I hoped, but I’ll only be there once! We’ll see what options show up in the next few days.

Now I’m off to Grindelwald for another couple of days of hiking. I hope these grey skies open up soon! But I am feeling sunny nonetheless.