PK’s Document…..
1.
Gimmelweld
2.
Lake
Como
3.
Pompeii
1. Gimmelweld
This one’s really off the beaten track. Checked almost all
the traveller’s guides on the shelf but only Lonely Planet mentioned about it,
and even that info is scant. NGGB (National Geographic Guide Book) offered
more:
It’s close to Murren. To get there, we take the train down
from Interlaken, bypassing Lauterbrunnen. Cost, according to LP, is about
SFR9.40 (but SFR15.00 in Frommer’s; which one’s right?) LP then states that
from Murren, we walk down the hill to Gimmelwald, a 40 minute walk.
There should be access to there via cable car, and according
to NGGB, it’s a nice view enroute to the top of Schilthorn Mntn., where there’s
a rotating restaurant. Not sure about the fare for stopping midway instead of
reaching the top, but the full return fare, according to LP, is a whopping
SFR89. Think LP(Central Europe) shows a few cheap places ranging from SFR15-16
in Gimmelweld.
Oh, and there’s something about a hot air museum somewhere
there. Not sure whether they offer balloon rides, but… can find out more.
Haven’t seen anything about a ‘OPEN EXCEPT XXXDAY’ yet…
One last note: the live pictures in NGGB show SNOW, oodles
and oodles of it. Murren lies just west of the Jungfrau, highlands famed for
skiing. Either I saw the pics on the wrong page, or we’re dealing with c-c-cold
altitudes here. Be warned…
2. Lake Como
It’s right to the north of, yep, the city of Como, which in
turn is about 10-20 km (if I haven’t scaled the little map wrongly) north of
Milan. Think there’s a train that leads from Milan to there, but I think
Hui-Ping’s idea was more that we stopped at Lake Como right after Switzerland.
Will look into whether there are trains to Como from Switz, otherwise it’ll be
a stop in Milan before heading for Como.
One thing of note: for those who don’t know it, Como’s famed
for its production of silk. Says in Frommer’s that it’s an industrial city, so
expect pricey quarters if we choose to stay there (Will check it out).
Lake Como’s niiiice; ‘nuff said. There’s boat rides, nice
scenery; oh, it’s got a lake too. As for accommodation in that area, the name
Bellagio (or something almost like that) appeared in NGGB, and Frommer’s. Not
Bergamo; it’s Bellagio or something, located snug at the fork of the lake some
ways north-north-east of Como. NGGB says it’s a cheaper alternative, not to
mention being scenic, and it’s possible to get there by bus… or even a boat.
(Will check further about prices)
3. Pompeii
(ruins, not town)
(*laughs and shakes head* How could I have forgotten about
Pompeii!?… It was the 1st town I researched for that subject… what
was it called, by Mario Guhtjar, in 1st year 2nd sem? The
map they had in there of the ruins didn’t looked exactly like what I’d drawn
for my presentation, except they had train lines and names of ruins around it.
But I’m disgressing…)
Like Hui-Ping said, this one’s packed like sardines with
inquisitive tourists. The ruin’s south-east of Naples, about 20-25km away, and
its cause for destruction, the dark foreboding Mt. Vesuvius (which, according
to a general knowledge book I chanced upon, is still active. True, or
bulls***?) is about 10km away from it.
In the matter of Pompeii, Frommer’s Guide to Italy (only
Italy, NOT Europe) is pretty good. There are 2 ways to get to Pompeii:
1) from
Naples, take the train running towards Sorrento, then stop at the stop
‘Pompeii/Scavi’ (‘Pompeii/Ruins’). That one’s about US$1.50 for a round trip.
2) from
Sorrento, take the train up towards Pompeii. Think it’s US$1.25 one way, but
will recheck it again, since it doesn’t seem too logical.
There are buses as well, I think. Will look into the matter.
Entrance into the ruins is about L12,000 (RM24), according
to LP, and about $US6 in Frommer’s. As to their operating times, there’s a bit
of a confusion. NGGB says it’s open from 9am to 7pm daily, while Frommer’s says
it’s from 9am to 4pm. To be safe, assume it’s the latter. Besides, it’s highly
doubtful we’ll spend a whole day there from morn to sunset.
There’s of course the other ruined town, Herculaneum, to the
west of Pompeii. The stop to that town, Ercolano, has a bus that operates to
Mt. Vesuvius; that one’s about L7000 (RM14) with return, according to LP.
There’s also buses from Pompeii, but that one’s a tad more expensive; with
return, it’s L12,000 (RM24). One more thing; upon reaching Vesuvius, we MUST
get a guide, which’ll be around L9,000 (RM18).
Frommer’s discourages staying in Pompeii town owing to lack
of security and high theft possibility; most visitors stay in one of the places
around like Naples or Sorrento. Naples is well-known in Italy; check the LP for
more details. I read somewhere else it’s notorious for organised crime and
mafia gangs, not to mention snatch thieves (ladies, watch out), but now those
in charge are doing their best to turn things around, and for the past few
years they appeared to have succeeded. Will find out more about accommodations
here.
Another place to stay would be Sorrento, a quaint town of
small population that’s more known for being the gateway to Capri. It’s
supposed to be jammed during summer, but it’s autumn now, so it should be fine.
Will find out more on that one too.
