Like I mentioned in my last post, I didn't sleep too well. Probably because I was constantly worrying about missing my stop, even though the train wasn't going anywhere after the Zurich stop. When I arrived in Zurich, I knew I had to get to Frauenfeld. I also knew that mom had gotten Willi's phone number to his mothers house and that Nathan and I have been talking via Skype. But, since I was so rushed to make my train and no Internet on the trains, I could neither facebook Nathan, or skype mom. I was heading to Frauenfelt knowing nothing. I took the next train from Zurich to Frauenfeld. It was a short 45 minutes and I met some cool dudes that were in boy scouts and who swore it is not like it is in the States. I didn't believe them. lol. After they got off, I noticed a girl next to me wearing a shit that had Swiss wrestlers on it and said Frauenfeld 2010. I figured she must be getting off at the same stop as me. I need to get to the Schwingfest, the eidgenössisches! She said to follow her off the train, because there are shuttles that take people from the train station to the festival. I walked with her to the festival and told her how I have no where to sleep and that my plan was to just catch a train back to Zurich. But at the same time I would have to Lug my backpack everywhere. As we got closer to the entrance of the festival, I noticed tents everywhere! I asked if that's where she was staying, because she had a pack with a sleeping bag. She said she may, or she may not depending on what friends she meets there. I told her I had to tent, sleeping pad, or sleeping bag. She gave me option number two, which was that they were letting people sleep on the gym floor of a school.And the best part is, they supplied pads. She pointed me in the right direction to talk to someone about it. When I asked if there were sheets or a pillow with this pad, the best English he could come up with was that, "It is like a bed, but not a bed." haha. I mean, my fault for not knowing Swiss German while in Switzerland, but it was just funny. It cost 35Franks for a piece of real estate on the floor. With that as one of my options, I headed back to the train station to find Internet. The lovely lady at he information's desk was a sweetheart. when i told her I was American and here to watch some of my friends from back home wrestle, she knew exactly who they were. telling me that one of them was on TV. This was Nathan. I was pretty excited that people in the Town of Frauenfeld knew the American wrestlers. She then showed me where I could find Internet and also where to score free beer in the festival, although I never found the place. I B-lined it for the Internet cafe to get Willi's number and try to catch him before they left home. I had little hope though, since it was 12 noon. Of course Nathan wasn't going to reply to my FB messages that day, because he was wrestling. I decided I needed to just go back to the festival and get a spot on the gym floor. So I did.
Unfortunately, check in wasn't untill 3. it was half past 12. He showed me on the map where this gym was and told me they might be letting people in early. I was desperate to dump my pack somewhere, anywhere remotely safe. I was tired of carrying it through the 90 degree weather. I walked over the river and around the bend like he said, but I saw no Gym.Or anything that was marked as something that was part of the festival. There were a lot of big buildings in this industrial like area, but nothing marked that I could see. I approached 2 Swiss Army fellas and figured they must know where it is, because I knew I was in the general area. Maybe a block away (I was. I was less than a block away). But he didn't know and looked on his military map and was trying to line the roads and river up with my map then pointed in a direction to give me his best guess. With no other option, I headed that way. I walked and walked. Comparing names on the map and the ticket I got for the gym with the signs on the road. Everything was in frickin Swiss German. Again, my fault, not theirs. But it got really frustrating, really fast. Nothing came close where I was now to a school gym. I stopped an elderly gentleman who was walking and asked if he spoke English.He said a little. He really meant a little. I pointed to the map, he gave me his Swiss German jibber jabber. I said ya ya. I was thinking, no no. Jibber jabber. Ya ya. Jibber jabber. LOST. He finally pointed and I told him thank you in German the best I could and waited for someone else to wal by. But I was in farm ville on the back streets and the outskirts of the festival. There was a car or two, but no walkers. I found some shade to wait. I waited. I sat. I waited. I leaned on my pack. I waited. I laid on my pack. I waited......Lights out. I was so tired, I had fallen asleep on the sidewalk against an old building in the shade. It felt so good. I felt so lost. I needed a little bit of sleep to escape the frustration.
I got up about an hour later and feeling a lot more energetic. I felt good. I was ready to give it another go. I walked across the street and back toward where I came from. I saw some sings on a post about 20 meters down that looked like they were part of the festival. i wondered down the driveway and figured out it was a parking lot for the festival. i walked a little further in and saw across the way, a building that looked like a gym. I thought to myself, no way did I pass that on my way in. My eyes must have been glued to the map. I headed for the building. Past a barn and around a tractor. I got excited when i saw someone closing the back doors to the gym looking building. He must be working there. I got around to the other side, and sure enough, that was it! I was so relieved. The guys there spoke really good English and were really helpful. I told them I had no sleeping bag and asked for a blanket. they had non, but they told me they would fine something. One guy came back with sheet and the other with a pillow. This was working out great!! I was set! I threw my pack down and tried out the pad. It was thick and very comfy. this was around 3:30. With knowing no one, having no ticket inside the wrestling stadium and after making a round through the festival, I went back to my pad to take a nap.
I was woken up at 5:00 by two girls loudly talking in Swiss German. I looked up and they blabbed something at me. I said, sorry, I don't speak German...English? They said ohhhhh.....what are you doing here. I told them them about how I Swiss wrestle back home and my friends are there and what not. I asked them, "What are you 2 doing here?" they said to drink beer. I said, really? you don't have a ticket to watch the wrestling? they said no. I thought perfect, and said, Me either. This couldn't be working out any better. They asked if I wanted to join them. I said of course, I don't know anyone and don't have a ticket either. I showered quick, dried off with my shirt (I forgot my towel at the last Hostel) and we were off. There were so many people drinking beer at this place under dozens of huge tents, I felt like I was at Octoberfest. It was a lot of fun. Drank some beer, had some Jager.
I even watched a little bit of the wrestling highlights on the big screen. We went to this bar that served this hard coffee stuff. It was delectable. it was getting later and later. I watched people and rode a mechanical bull. That was a lot of fun. I was getting so angry with these people who rode it with both hands on the horn. Don't these hicks know you are supposed to put one hand in the air. I gave it my best shot with one hand and think I did pretty well. I got thrown off pretty bad so everyone could laugh. But that is the whole point of it anyways. I know I was laughing at everyone who got in that thing. Even the two girls who went double. The crowd went crazy for that. lol. Everyone whipping out their phones and cameras to snap a picture. We went to a club and danced all night before going to bed. I had such a great time. Met a lot of other random people on the way who I could barely tal to. Met some older folk that I needed to get translated for me. The older generation really gets excited when I tell them I am part Swiss (a guy told me today, the 25th, on my hike that I was a homesick Swiss. I told him exactly. He is visiting Switzerland, where he was born, for 3 weeks. He has been living in South Africa for the past 25 years). I had a great nights sleep on my pad, sheets, and pillow. It really was like a bed........... But not. The guy couldn't have been more right with his choice of English words.
It was scorching today during the festival. Another reason why I didn't need more than a sheet.
Hope all is well and you all have god weather back home as fall comes creeping in.
Love you all,
Kurt
No comments:
Post a Comment