1399. PROFESSIONS: A passionate tour guide is self-motivated. 2013 Swiss Tour.

 

 

 

 

April 29, 2013 Suisse Majestic Grand Hotel. 6.01 am. Switzerland

I returned the phone call to Clara the groomer. She asked about her cousin's old Schnauzer which had peed blood and is warded at Toa Payoh Vets. It was 11.30 am in Singapore. "Most likely urinary stones if there is blood at this age," I said. "Phone Dr Daniel for more info as he is in charge." I had sms her but she did not respond and so I phoned.


Before arriving at Suisse Majestic, we went to Zermatt to view the famous Matterhorn mountain. Old folks do remember Matterhorn cigarettes and so it was significant for me. The mountain was covered by clouds and so I could saw an outline. "It is not even the highest mountain," Charles the coach driver told me. "But it has the supporting chalets and tourism facilities," I said. Support counts in the mass tourism business..

Glacier 3000 - end of ski season now. Lots of snow and strong winds. Now, no more skiing in summer in all mountains, Charles told me. To preserve the glacier as global warming melts glaciers.
 
Saw the Glacier Express which costs 300 Euros for 300 km with meals. Deep yellow fields are
rape plants, Charles told me after he took the trouble to find out. The seeds are for crushed for vegetable oil and for automobiles.

Charles is a Dutch national but has vast knowledge of Switzerland. He would like to live in Switzerland but all workers are given yearly employment passes.  He told me more about the Bern's brown bears as follows:

Brown bears from Finland. Crotia. They shoot them in Finland. Too many. Not many zoos interested. Too small unlike grizzly. Live up to 30 yrs. Eats vegetation. Old bear died old age. "10 Euros" donation enables one to have his name inscribed on the stone for the pavement or some places in the enclosure. So the fund was raised to build the new bear enclosure."

I was incredulous. In Singapore, the Zoo asked for rich donors. Not $10.00 but thousands. "There are numerous small stones, don't worry," Charles said to me.

So that was how the new bear enclosure was built. The old one is still around but solid concrete and a terrible pit which all animal lovers will never sanction. Bern is named after a brown bear shot. "Why not get a brown bear from Bern?" I asked. "Not many around. Finland has too many." Charles said. Charles is an unpaid tour guide. He is a coach driver too and drives very carefully. He told me he prefers driving up the mountain road.

"Too narrow," I said. "Too risky for cars. You may smash into one."

Once he stopped at the side and waved a long row of cars to pass him by switching on his right side lights.
"I can see far ahead from my coach," Charles meant that he could see any downhill cars from the winding road. The motorists in the cars trusted him and sped by. "You saw the sports car double blinking his back lights? He is thanking me." There is no loud horning as in other countries when the coach rounds the winding road corner. It is much more civilised in Switzerland.   

It is rare to know of a passionate Singapore tour guide who can explain the surrounding European countryside, culture and villages.

My guide can relate anecdotes of robberies (Chinese tour guide in hospital for 2 months after mugging in Paris), the fainting 19-year olds, numbering 20 in the group, who rushed around in Jungfrau's thin mountain air and having to spend one hour looking for a missing one. She was found fainted in the toilet.

After he related this incident and warned us to sleep early, one young lady (the one-year married couple) who is thin and does like to eat meat, fainted and vomited in the toilet. They managed to catch the same train but was in another coach. The high attitude sickness affected some more than others. For me, I had difficulty breathing after a short walk. For another man (married 5 years), he had headache and took Pannadol.
 

I spotted this Korean tour guide has a microphone as this is important to brief all 32 travellers in her group. I can see her pro-activeness. As for me, I will make a poor tour guide as there is much effort to entertain and educate the group.

Her photo is updated by Adobe Lightroom in 6 Feb 2024.

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1398. Fell from escalator in Montreux, Switzerland

May 1, 2013  .
Suisse Majestic Grand Hotel, Montreux, Switzerland
5.38 am Switzerland, 11.38 am Singapore

Of the 28 Singaporeans on this packaged tour, the travellers over 40 years old predominate. There were one couple (married, one year), another one (married two years), 3rd couple (married 5 years).

Yesterday, we had to lug over heavy luggage up two flights of a narrow escalator to walk to the entrance of Suisse Majestic, an expensive hotel according to our guide. A woman in her late 40s fell backwards down the escalator and hurt her right hand and back. At the lobby, her friend palpated her head (no pain). "Wait and see if there is vomiting," another lady suggested, bringing forth a packet that I thought was the Chinese herbal patch. I asked the hotel receptionist. She said: "No hotel doctor. Take a taxi to the Emergency department of the nearby hospital." Travel can be dangerous when hotels are not easily accessible.

This morning at 4.30 am, I could not log in my iPhone 4 and consulted the receptionist. He finally figured out to log via Safari. I asked if it was OK to go out. "Very safe in Montreux," he said. I exited the revolving door. The air was slightly chilly. The street was deserted. The train station which has rumbling noisy trains now and then was across the road. "Should I risk being mugged?" I asked myself. I wanted to return. The revolving door did not open. I rang the  bell. No response. I looked for a place to flash my security card hoping to gain access but there was no such panel as in a condo with gated security. "What should I do?" The air was fresh. The sky was getting lighter. My solution came from the British as 4 well-dressed people in coats and good quality nice dresses were moving towards me after being lifted up by the same escalator that caused my travelling lady to fall backwards.

The group increased to more young couples and a senior citizen with a younger lady headed towards the hotel. The ladies were in their late 20s. One did not wear shoes, the other wore black stocking, carrying the shoes. British accent. "You are not going to knock on the glass door, Annabel," the brunette said to the fair lady with blond hair, bare feet and red dress. I studied in Britain 4 decades ago and understood a bit about the Caucasian culture after a few drinks and being happy and vocal. It was 4.30 am now.  Annabel rang the bell. No response. Anthony asked: "Did you ring the door bell? What time will you be leaving? 10.30 am? You may as well go to the train station to wait for the train!"

The trains were running. Another lady banged on the curved glass door.  "Knock, knock, anyone inside?" There was the kind gentleman in his 40s who had got the internet access for my iPhone. He came and opened the door.

So, this is Montreux for me. Is it really safe to walk at 4.30 am alone? The hotel door self-locks too at this time. So I guess I have been lucky as  I did not go out alone. Who knows? The drug addict may be around looking for victims.