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AUGUST29, 2003
The hostel is nice. Laurie and I have a room to ourselves and the room has a bathroom without the shower. The price includes breakfast.
Laurie and I took a walk to the train station so we could get money. Switzerland is not on the Euro so we have to get Swiss Francs. We didn't want to get too much because we are leaving in two days for Chamonix which is in France.
I am doing wash now. The system for the machines is a little confusing. Well, it's not necessarily confusing, I just couldn't get it to work. They even have pictures for us. I had to get someone at the desk to help.
Tomorrow Eva, Mary Ann, Jack, and Jim are coming in. I am looking forward to seeing them.
August 22, 2003
Laurie and I made our way to the airport. By the time Laurie and I got to the meeting place Eva and Mary Ann were already there. It was so good to see them. We had to wait for Jim and Jack. I had not met Jim and Jack before, but Eva and her husband know them from Hallmark. They are hikers and wanted to join us.
Jack and Jim came in about a half hour later. We took the train back to Geneva. The train only takes nine minutes. We walked to the hostel. The hostel has lock out periods so they can clean, but the woman let us in just so we could store their packs and luggage. Laurie and I had already checked into the room this morning.
Since we couldn't stay in the room at the hostel we went walking around the old city. We ended up climbing the tower of St. Pierre's church. We headed back to get something to eat and then checked into the hostel because it was open by then.
Geneva is on Lake Geneva and our hostel is pretty close to the lake. MaryAnn, Eva, and I walked over to the lake which is also where the botanical garders were. It was very pretty, peaceful, relaxing, and cool. It felt good to walk around there. As we walked back we stopped by the lake where people were swimming. We were going to put our feet in. The lake came right up on some rocks. I took my sandals off and I stood on the rocks. I knew I would probably slip if I didn't get off. I told Eva that they were slippery. She moved to a different area and as soon as she stepped on the rock she was down in the water. It was slippery for her just trying to get out. I held my hand out but I didn't want to get on the rocks in the water because I would have gone in with her..
She didn't get hurt which is a good thing. We walked back to the hostel and made plans to meet everyone at 7:15 to go to dinner. Between that time Laurie and I went to the internet to send our three week condensed journal to everyone.
Once we met, we walked to a Thai restaurant that the man at the hostel recommended. It was very nice and the prices proved that. I think I spent more for that dinner than I had for the last three dinners. We all got different things and sampled it all. It was very good, but I didn't like paying the price.
August 23, 2003
We all packed up, had breakfast, stripped the beds, and checked out. We walked to the train station. Eva, MaryAnn, Jack, and Jim had to buy train tickets to go to Chamonix. We were taking a train from a different station because it was cheaper. To get there we had to take a train. Many people don't speak English, so we had a difficult time getting information.
We found the train and found the correct stop. We were early so we just sat there and waited. This train station looked like it hadn't been used in awhile.
There was a woman that came and asked us something in French. We didn't have a clue what she was asking, but Laurie tried to help her. The woman was upset because she just took the tram to this train station to catch a 10:30 train. At the time it was 10:15. The problem was she was at the wrong station. I used my train schedule book to try to get times for where she was going. She is talking away in French, like we understand her. I had train times, but she would still have to go back to the other train station and wouldn't get there until much later. The woman was just about in tears. Laurie and Jack brought her to where the train picks up. I felt really bad for her.
We caught our train. We had two train changes and we arrived in Chamonix about 1:30. The ride was incredible with the mountains topped with snow and the glaciers. What a sight.
