Category Archives: Travel

21 – Life in Fast-Forward mode

It is hard to express what all happened in the last two weeks. The easiest is to give a quick overview of the main events. It has been quiet of a ride.

23.02.2017 – Last day at work, saying good-bye is always a mix of feelings. In my case it was saying good-bye to many gifted and respectful colleagues, to a great company, and an outstanding working environment. On the other finally a dream came true, an exchange semester, a different city, and a different culture – Vienna. To make this transition more pleasant I was very happy to organise a good-bye Apéro (yes, there are a lot of Apéro in Switzerland) at work before leaving to Berne the same evening. (To be noted here, thank you everyone who dropped by and found time to enjoy a Märzen with me). Arriving in Berne I was very fortune to be greeted by all my Bernese people, with whom we went along some places in Berne. Merci zäme!

24.02.2017 – During the course of February I had the pleasure to live in Berne at my friends apartment (ou hie, merci!). As it comes I had to move my stuff to my parents place, whereas I enjoyed a last supper with my family. This was the evening it became very real that I was soon to departure. There is a difference between packing a suitcase for two weeks or four month. Things you normally leave at home suddenly become more valuable or more import.

25.02.2017 (Saturday) – Headphones – check, laptop – check, passport – check, suitcase – check, ready to rumble! Having the privilege to be driven to the bus, which leaves to Munich, makes life easier and I was able to spend some more minutes with my sister and mother. There bus ride to Munich consisted mostly of traffic jams. Interestingly during the previous two months I made a tone of plans what I should do during the bus ride to Munich, but being in the bus I was lost thoughts and suddenly my life was played fast-forward in my head. Despite the traffic jam and the missing conversations with others I arrived around 8 PM in Munich and went to my grand mothers place. Arriving at the lovely place I was fed with 8 Weisswürste, 4 Bretzels, and liters of good Bavarian beer (Andechs). Andechs, it is my favourite monastery which brews beer, if you are around Munich and have half a day to spare, go to Herrsching, then walk to Andechs, and reward yourself with a fresh drink.

26.02.2017 (Sunday) – After a good nights sleep I enjoyed the day with my grand mother. I can not recall all the things we did during the day. One highlight was walking around a lake with her and having these long conversations about life. The few times I am able to spend time with the generations ahead of me, are very enriching. Before dinner we went by my aunts & uncles place, where I was finally able to speak to my cousin. He is on the verge to become an adult person. During the last year he was looking for an apprenticeships and found a well suited job last summer, of which he already could tell about his first success stories in software engineering. This was a very rewarding talk, because we spent multiple hours on skype last year in which we went through reasoning tests, how to behave in an interview, and finding out what he really wants to do in life.

27.02.2017 (Monday) – The big day, leaving my grand mothers place, heading to the ZOB (central buss station in Munich), I was about to board the bus to Vienna.

To be continued…

11 – Arches National Park

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// 28.06.2014 In the morning we were greeted by a lizard. Not leaving the park we enjoyed a 6 hours hike from the campground through the Devils Garden. As imagined that the arches are standing alone was proven wrong that day. The hike brought us to the bottom of canyons and of the top of buttes. The first 3 hours we were one the “mass tourism road”. After that we enjoyed a very pleasant when not toasty hike, going by the private arch. Hot doesn’t describe the temperature, it’s combined with very dry air, leaving us with the urge to continuously drink water. At 3 o’clock we had lunch and drove to the other arches and had a quick look at them. If you planning on staying at the campground of the Arches National Park you have to reserve in advance. They recommend to do it it 4 days in advance, but we were lucky to get a place 3 weeks in advance. We stayed 2 nights at the campground.

/* lizard in the morning */

/* Landscape Arch */

/* Navajo Arch */

/* Private Arch */

/* wind carved rock */

/* Red Rocks */

/* Double O arch */

/* balanced rock */

07 – Way to the Colorado National Monument

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// 26.06.2014 After a fast escape from the Mosquitos we headed up the dirt road and passed by the ranch and petroglyphs from Indians. Arrived at the top we spend some minutes to overlook the Dinosaur National Monument. I will post a video form the miles between the two monuments later so you have an impressions of endless miles of the west. We ended in Colorado National Monument, which wasn’t planed, but it is beautiful. We will try to catch the sunrise tomorrow. Cheers!

/* Morning at Echo Park Campground */

/* Steam Boat Rock */

/* Petroglyphs at Dinosaur National Monument */

/* Red Rocks */

/* Wagon from Chew’s ranch (see post 06) */

/* random bug */

/* valley of the Dinosaur National Monument */

/* Chew’s Ranch from above (see post 06) */

/* Lizard at Dinosaur National Monument */

/* Random tree */

/* Typical road through the Rockies in the east */

/* Truck climbing its way to Dinosaur National Monument */

/* Arrival at the Colorado National Monument */

/* Colorado National Monument I */

/* Colorado National Monument II */

05 – Flaming Gorge to Dinosaur National Monument

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// 25.06.2014 After a warm night at the Mann’s Campground at the Flaming Gorge Recreation Monument we made our way to the Geological Loop. (I will post a time-lapse later on, when a steady internet connection is available.) On the short trip to the Dinosaur National Monument we passed by the Red Fleet State Park, where we had our obligatory Lunch. Arrived in south of the Dinosaur National Monument we got into a dirt road and got a few miles into the Echo Park Campground. I lies right on the foot of the Steam Boat Rock on the other side of the river. (A time-lapse of the road later on.) At the campground we had very unpleasant surprise beside the beautiful landscape. The birthplace of mosquitos we have encountered. It made us go early to bed and getting up with the sunrise and then leaving at earliest possible.

/* Mann’s Campground (on the right bottom our place) */

/* Red Fleet State Park */

/* Flaming Gorge Reservoir */

/* Tree */

/* Somewhere, somewhen on the road */

/* Dirt Road we took (time-lapse will follow) */

/* Echo Park Campground */

/* One of the army of mosquitos */

/* Steam Boat Rock by night */

04 – Drive down to Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area

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04 – YNP – Grand Teton – Colorado Desert – Mann’s Campground

// 24.06.2014 Early in the morning we left Yellowstone National Park as we have a long journey ahead of us and have to reach Archers National Park on Friday. First we spent a few hours at the Grand Teton National Park, which very much looks like the Alps. There are thousands of things to see (as in Yellowstone National Park), so we chose to have a Pic Nic at the Jenny Lake and then make our way through the Colorado Desert. Endless straight driving, very hard to capture in pictures. The game we started playing was to guess the time until we pass the car on the other lane. The longest we had was 40 secs and that’s only because weren’t able to see before the next elevation. In the evening we made it to Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. Let’s see what the next days will bring!

/* Flower I at Grand Teton National Park */

/* Flower II at Grand Teton National Park */

/* America */

/* Lake ** at Grand Teton National Park */

/* Woods in the direction of one of the many mountains of the west side of the park */

/* For some its called freedom */

/* Short stop I in the Colorado Desert */

/* Short stop II in the Colorado Desert */

/* Short stop at a gas station */

02 – Drive up to Glacier National Park & morning at Glacier National Park

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// 20.06.2014 Finally we reached the Glacier National Park! We didn’t choose the most direct way, so let me quickly explain to you how we got here. Starting at the State Park at lake swan we drove to Kalispell and organised food for the next two days. From there on we took the Highway #2 west until one stop after Happys Inn. Then up north to the Libby Dam. A short break on the west side of the dam and then on the west side of the lake Koocanusa we worked our way up north. It is to say that the east side is made for trucks and larger vehicles then the west side. A few mile south of Canada we crossed the lake and hit Euroka (see pictures). A few hours later we arrived in West Glacier. Unfortunately the Going-To-Sun-Road is closed, so we will look for an alternative program. In the evening it rained for a few moments, when moved into the car and planed the next day. On Saturday we will go for a hike.

// 21.06.2014 Early in the morning my dad and I went to the lakeside and tried to capture some moments. Below you can find the pictures. When my parents went to get themselves done I played around with the camera.

/* View to Canada */

/* Bridge at lake Koocanusa */

/* lake Koocanusa */

/* Euroka, Montana */

/* Morning – I – at Glacier National Park */

/* Morning – II – at Glacier National Park */

/* Morning – III – at Glacier National Park */

/* Flowers at Glacier National Park */

/* Paying around with the camera */

/* chipmonk at Avalanche Lake */

/* Avalanche Lake */

/* Avalanche Greek */

01 – Flight to USA and first impressions

// On the 18th of June the journey has begun. Early in the morning after a long night before, I’ve made my way to the Zurich airport. Verena, my sister assisted me with the luggage and made sure we had enough coffee in the morning. Thank you Verena! At 7 o’clock in the morning the first flight left from Zurich to Frankfurt. A bit strange to sit between suited men, all travelling to Frankfurt for a meeting, myself ready for sitting endless hours in planes and airport. In Frankfurt I got into the plane to Seattle, a 11 hour flight. As it turned out next to me sat a very friendly Italian. The pain from sitting anonymously 11 hours in a seat dropped rapidly. It was pleasure to talk to him about different topics and knowing you are not alone. He, a young family father, traveling to his sister’s weeding in Alaska, has a passion for electronics and its use in life. He told me about projects he has and is working on ranging from testing electrical wearables for Mount Everest expedition to improve the life of disabled people bound to a wheel chair. Trough customs and security we stayed strong. Eventually we left from the same gate in Seattle, so there was time for a quick drink before our journeys separated. Thank you Paolo for making the journey more comfortable!

// Arriving in Bozeman I finally got together with my parents. What a great moment to see them again. In the evening of Wednesday we ate a local saloon in Bozeman and then went to sleep. On the 19^th we explored the region around the Missouri Headwater. The same day we drove up the way to the Glacier National Park and set tent on a State Park next to lake Swan.

//Currently we on our way to the Glacier National Park.