Europe Summer 2017 6/17 - Switzerland : Grindelwald First, Superb First Cliff Walk, Basel and Off to Berlin, Germany!

"Fear is Only Temporary.

Regrets Last Forever"

- unknown

Do you spotted the metal walkway on your left side? It's First Cliff Walk at Grindelwald, Switzerland :)

Day 7 - Tuesday, 20 June 2017

One night is not enough at Grindelwald, hope to stay longer in here. I checked out earlier and store my bags at their baggage storage, anyway it's Free. I am truly in love with this hostel, Mountain Hostel, I had my breakfast which I could tell was a fancy breakfast I ever had during my entire traveling when I stayed in hostel, so many choices of breakfast and everything is gut! Later on I guess I will write a review about this hostel because I had an amazing stay even it's just for a night.

I took a local bus where the bus stop, Grund is just next beside the hostel, I went to Firstbahn Bus Stop to take Cable Car to Grindelwald First. The journey took about 10-15 minutes from Grund to Firstbahn. I love the ambience here, when I get on the bus, I am the only one passenger. The driver will greeting you and it just made my day, I showed him my visitor's card but he got it already and said "It's okay, just get in" (while smiling). Anyway it's also common for a dog to get on the bus too, at first I was amazed when I saw a big dog get on to the bus with their owner. Lot of people take their dog with them and take a walk or even ride the bus hehe.

my breakfast in this morning

the view while having my breakfast, lovely!

the environment around my hostel

waiting the local bus just next to the hostel

A Very Useful Visitor's Card at Grindelwald :)

I am the only one passenger :D

view from the bus

another passengers came and yes, it's a big doggy :)

the Grindelwald Local Bus

at Firstbahn, buy your Cable Car ticket there

Lucky me to get this visitor's card from my hostel because I can get discount 30% for Cable Car ticket to Grindelwald First so from CHF 60 I can just pay CHF 42 instead. It's still expensive though but well I am here already so why not to take a ride while in Switzerland. It's not crowded, it took 25 minutes ride until the top, Grindelwald First. My first impression when taking the cable car was spectacular! You can see the amazing view around you, I can't stop admiring the view during my way on the Cable Car to Grindelwald First.

The Locket for Cable Car or any package for the ride

Exciting to get on the Cable Car!

Round trip Cable Car to Grindelwald First cost CHF 42 using vistor's card

wohooo~~~

the view was just so awesomee, it takes 25 minutes!

2 more stop for First!

it's getting spectacular!

That's Flying Flyer if you want to try, anyway we almost arrived!

After 25 minutes ride, finally I arrived at Grindelwald First. Grindelwald First, with elevation 2,168 m, there are so many activities that you can do there like First Flyer, Hiking to Lake Bachalpsee, First Cliff Walk, First Mountain Cart, Trottibike Scooter etc. Some you need to pay extra but some of it are free. I don't have much time because I need to catch my flight to Berlin at 7pm from Basel. 

Arrived!

That Directions will tell you where to go or explore at Grindelwald First

So, I am heading to the nearest attraction and it's free, First Cliff Walk by Tissot. I was so excited at that time, apparently some people will feel thrilling to try even passing this bridge, walk is narrow and metal walkway built on the side of the cliff in the Swiss alps with 45m high where you can see valleys and pastures below. But at the end of platform you can see the magnificent view of Swiss Alps, you can also check from the high-tech binoculars to let you know what's name of those mountains such as Eiger, etc. The view from the top is truly amazing and I felt so grateful to be there. 

Anyway at the end of the First Cliff Walk, there is a transparant glass below you, haha, well, don't worry it's safe! :) Did I tell you already if the narrow walk with metal also see through? haha..cool, isn't it? Feel the sensation yet windy when you pass the bridge :p I love it!

When I was already at the end of platform, of course I want to take picture there and asked a tourist I found there but she ignoring me..zzz..but there was a Japanese woman behind me and saw it, so she help me instead, yay! I love Japanese people. It's a best spot to take picture so there was a line for that spot haha.

First Cliff Walk by Tissot :)

are you ready?

found this 

snap..snap..haha, it's not that cold by the way

let's continue!

this is superb!

okay..get on the line to go to that spot :)

awesomeeee!!

the valleys down there

no worries, it's safe :)

Such a beauty, 45m high of First Cliff Walk, feel the thrill and sensation, it's worth it to go here :)

observation point

cool binoculars!

me at the end of  point of First Cliff Walk

It was a sunny day, nice weather so I feel like I want to stay there around pastures for a moment and enjoying this moment. I saw family, couple or even solo traveler like me at that time also having a great time there. The view was just too awesome and I can't believe I am here in Switzerland. I saw some guys going to the cliff and they will do paragliding, wow!

There was some maintenance for cable car when I want to go down so I need to wait for some time before taking the cable car, enjoying my sandwich for my lunch where I got from the hostel breakfast :p There was a toilet and you can also fill your drink bottle there, I also found a locker but I don't know whether it's free or not. Actually I want to do hiking to Lake Bachalpsee but I have not enough time, because I woke up late and too relax until I didn't check the time. Maybe if I have another chance to go, then I will give it a try. It will take an hour hiking from First to Lake Bachalpsee.

I want to stay longer here

WOW! so blessed to be here

relax..everything gonna be alright :p

paragliding ready..set..

GO!

Flying Flyer

a restaurant with this amazing view

lockers that I found in toilet

itadakimasu!

playground 

Back to my hostel at Grund to pick up my bags by local bus and heading to Grindelwald Station by local bus to save cost CHF 4. From Grindelwald Station, I bought my ticket to Basel SBB, CHF 72.4, the expensive train ticket I ever bought during my trip, if in Rp is around Rp 1 million @_@. It will take about 2 hours and 40 minutes.

I like seeing that Cafe

at Bus Terminal, Grindelwald

Grindelwald Station

my train ticket from Grindelwald - Basel SBB

I know you're tired but it's not right to put your leg like that, then the officer came and telling her to put down her legs :)

well, this is all you can do at Grindelwald and around it

passing Interlaken Ost

Arrived at Basel and no more free toilet at Basel Station, not like Grindelwald Station :). First stop at Basel Station is heading to the market to buy snacks and heading to find Tourist Information, I bought my bus ticket to Airport at Tourist Information, Bus No. 50 cost CHF 4.7, Basel Station is very big, remind me with Bern Station. Taking a map and went around Basel this time. I won't miss a chance to stroll around new city along my way before heading to the airport.

Checking the maps and there are 3 courses consist of 3 different routes, the officer telling me to heading to Rathaus area or Marktplatz, so I plan to heading that way with randomly routes following the map but kind of try to combining one route and another. I have no Wifi so I am depend on my map and GPS if the blue dot is still there or just ask people around you.

arrived at Basel Station

4 different bins for trash @_@

Basel Station from the outside

remind me with Louvre :p

I was passing by Kunstmuseum Basel/ Fine Arts Museum Basel, the largest and most significant public art collection in Switzerland and listed as a heritage site of national significance. Next beautiful building that caught my eyes was Basel  Münster or  Münster Cathedral, it was built between 1019 and 1500, this is one of famous landmarks in Basel with red sandstone, two towers and coloured roof tiles. Behind this cathedral we can see Rhine river and the town, it's really interesting to see, apparently the spot called Pfalz.

Kunstmuseum Basel

the map that I got from Tourist Information

Basel  Münster

Rhine River from behind of Basel Munster Cathedral

I like to see those colors of that buildings

Heading to the Rathaus at Marktplatz, Rathaus or Basel City Town Hall, a 500-year-old building where sitting the Basel Government and its parliament, you won't miss this building because its bright red colors and dominating this Marktplatz area. In front of this building you can have and fill your drink bottle. It was so hot at that time and that water kind of saving me.

heading to Marktplatz

at Marktplatz

Rathaus :)

inside the building

life safer :)

Thinking to go back to the station through Falknerstrasse from Marktplatz, a street full with cafe or shops, etc. I am trying to walk with another street to explore around Basel as much as I could. It was quite far by walking though, especially by dragging my trolley bag around haha. I almost lost because was bit hard looking out the direction on my gps when I found a confusing intersection, but just asked people around me and I am good to go.

Back to station and you can spot Bus Euro-Airport No. 50 (CHF 4.7) so easily because they stop right in front of the station and Euro Airport is just their last stop so you won't miss it, make sure you get off on the last stop which is the Airport.

For me, it's nice to explore around Basel even just a little bit, another different side of Switzerland, maybe because it's a city so there were pretty crowded and I could feel Basel is way more hassle and totally different with Interlaken or even Grindelwald where they are more closer with nature, and I prefer especially Grindelwald to Basel.

inside the bus on my way to Airport, Bus No. 50, CHF 4.7

Arrived at the EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg in about 15-20 minutes where technically already located at France. I had another urgent thing to do at the airport which is packing! I got Easyjet flight from Basel to Berlin Schönefeld Airport (SXF), cost around 33 Euro, the flight is very strict since they just allow you to carry 1 bag into cabin without mind the weight of your bag but they care with the elevation which is not more than 56cmx45cmx25cm. I almost think to buy checked luggage but no way, the price is almost the same as my ticket price.

Anyway, this is important thing to know, Tips. Don't forget to print out your boarding pass because if not you need to pay if you print out the boarding pass at the airport, well that would be unnecessary expense. 

at the Basel Airport

I am heading to the toilet and packed all my stuff into this one trolley bag, remember how my bags were in beginning? (look at point No. 8) So, I put some clothes on, it made me sweating of course, lol, but gotta do that. Another my life safer at that moment was the rain cover for my trolley bag because after I put the rain cover on my trolley bag, I can still stuffed in my small backpack. And that's it, I managed to pack my things into my trolley bag, voila! I was worried whether I can pass or not when I was at boarding room yet I made it, yay! it was nerve-wracking moment for me, because no way I want to pay extra CHF, I will be broke, lol.

VOILA!

enter the boarding room

inside the Easyjet flight

It took an hour and 35 minutes from Basel, Switzerland to Berlin, Germany by flight. The flight was pleasant for budget airlines, nice and comfortable as the budget airline can be. So happy because this time, it only will take less than 2 hours from another country to another country and not hours like before haha.

BERLIN, here I come! :)

Finally arrived at Berlin, Germany, and another checked for my bucket list. I really wanna go here after years, so I am so happy to finally visit Germany in this Europe trip. Berlin Schönefeld Airport (SXF), the name of the airport of Berlin, there is Free WIFI on the airport, grab the maps offline, GPS etc and heading to information desk to ask what train to go to city centre. Anyway there were Passport Check Point at the airport but it went well, no worries :)

arrived at Berlin Schönefeld Airport

bought my Airport Express Train ticket there

It was still bright and I am grateful for that, the station located outside the airport, so from the exit just turn to the left then right. I already bought the ticket from the officer for 3.4 Euro for Airport Express Train, covered Berlin ABC. Tonight I am going to stay at Pfefferbett Hostel Berlin at Mitte, the officer said to take RB 14 (Nauen) and stop at Alexanderplatz then take U2 and get off at Senefelderplatz but I guess I just missed the train so by the time I was at the platform I need to wait pretty long and no Free Wifi there. It's around 9 PM when I was there. It's still bright but since the train that I was waiting for is not coming so I need to wait for maybe almost an hour, and there was no officer that I can ask because when the train is stop, usually there was no officer on the platform. I was to be honest bit panicked haha because no one beside me on that platform and it's dark already.

my Airport Express Ticket, cost 3.4 Euro

Berlin Schönefeld Airport 

inside the Train Station, I am heading to Platform 6

Nobody there

And also there ^^;;

it's dark already.....

Finally I saw some people and an officer so I asked him and here comes my train, apparently there was some changes so I took the train from another platform which is just beside my platform. Just follow the officer direction and yeay finally on the train on my way to Alexanderplatz, the journey took less than 30 minutes to Alexanderplatz.

Get off at Alexanderplatz and go to take U-bahn (U2) and alight at Senefelderplatz Station, my hostel is very close with the station so I was so happy. I already booked my hostel, Pfefferbett Hostel Berlin, mixed dormitory and it's cheap, 13 Euro/night, apparently it's located in the midst of fancy area haha, I like this hostel, the receptionist is available 24 hours. It's still so crowded on the lobby. I sat in the lobby and found this Free Walking Tour information at the receptionist desk and decided to join for tomorrow because I had no idea where to visit in Berlin beside Berlin Wall.

my train to city centre

inside the train

arrived at Alexanderplatz

Go and find U2 to Senefelderplatz

finally arrived at my hostel

bit fancy, isn't it

Put my bags inside my room and then go outside to find supermarket around my hostel, I found Rewe Supermarket and luckily I still have like 10 minutes before they closed, they will closed at 11.30 PM today so I better hurried. But looking around this supermarket after I visited Switzerland was feel like heaven because everything is so cheap comparing with Switzerland, I am a happy kid on that night! lol

Back to my hostel and time to get a sleep, anyway I also feel glad because the bathroom is inside the room, yay!

thankfully they still open!

<3333

at my hostel lobby

need to eat some vegetables, yum!

inside my room, 6 bed mixed dormitory room

See you soon on my travel diaries at Berlin and thank you very much for reading, have a great day!