Lucerne - Mount Pilatus & Temptations of a Gambler

Finally getting restless from my ‘Holiday from a Holiday’ I moved on to the next place in Switzerland, Lucerne.

I was starting to believe that all cities in Europe were small in comparison to Asia. You needed some kind of transportation either subway/MRT/metro/underground back home with a combination of buses to get to most places and here I was surviving on foot other than long distance travel.

Lion Monument

I stayed at the ‘Lion Lodge Lucerne Hostel” a nice place within walking distance of the central but secluded enough to be peaceful. Companian was getting quiet too since Florence and I was starting to long for a bit of company. Dorm mates were two cute asian girls which did not past the standard introductions of a backpacker. Hence I don't even remember where they were from.

Lucerne had few things of interest such as the Lion Monument which was carve out of the mountain on a single rock. The Lion sad in its nature looked to be dying and was a memorial to the massacre of Swiss guards during the 1792 French Revolution. The Chapel Bridge was also not to be missed; it's said to be the oldest Woodbridge in Europe and is beautifully lighted up at night. I avoided all museums as funds in Swiss franc were running low.

Top of Mount Pilatus

Mount Pilatus

Missing the chance of Mount Schilthorn I choose to do an excursion to nearby Mount Pilatus instead. Short train ride I reach the base of the mountain which entrance tickets pointed to 68 CHF. F*ck … I sadly departed with my money and hope it would be worth it. The ride up was by cogwheel railway and the steepest one at that in the world. A unique of its kind and I felt slightly better in the money spent.

The journey was slow and noisy hearing all the wheels and cables working hard to get the entire tourist up the mountain. Slowly but fast enough to feel the change in altitude making your ears popped. The view was always good from high ground and I stayed there a long time enjoying just the view and weather making that ticket earns its money.

Top of Mount Pilatus

Engineering Marvel

Cogwheel Train Station

I met new company too awkwardly enough. A Chinese girl was trying so hard to take her own mugshot that I offered a hand. Click click …. She did not stop asking me to take pictures for an hour after that first shot. She was from China doing an exchange program to Sweeden and was on a short holiday. She actually did a day trip from Zurich which was my next destination after Lucerne.

Chapel Bridge & A Friend

Chatting and getting to know each other I couldn’t help notice a familiar slang in the English. More poking and I found out she was an undergrad of NUS my former university on the exchange program.

Hahaha … I just laugh meekly when she remarked how small the world is.

Another new aquintance made the company a trio. An asian guy who grew up in Holland who would not stop talking in cantonese or mandarine. His first languege was supprisingly Dutch.

My fully packed picnic lunch was shared with her and many more picture shots later we headed back to Lucerne. I gave the small tour to her for the Lion Monument and The Chapel Bridge and part ways as she headed back to Zurich.

Temptations of a Gambler

When I first reach Lucerne I had noted the small Casino location marked on the map and decidedly filled myself with activities steering clear of the place. After sending her off on the train back to Zurich I was alone and it was the last night in Lucerne too.

If I ever imagine the devil and angel on my left and right shoulder that was definitely the time. Oh how much I was moral guilt conscious of considering treating the casino as an ATM machine when my fund was about to finish. There was always a chance you loose money and not just win and I was fully aware of that.

I however decided since it was my last night in Lucerne and next stop was to be Zurich there would be probably one more casino there as well. I mean I have seen one in every town I visited in Switzerland so why not the bigger city Zurich.

I would latter find there was no casino to my desperate findings inside the city maps or my bad attempt in wrong keywords searching for a hope of casino in Zurich. I never did found the casino in Zurich thou I now know there is a few there. I carried my itch out of Zurich and Switzerland with a spare 100 CHF.