After breakfast I finished some letters and reading the National Geographics. I left Dr. Seiler's after 11. Loaded my bike on the train and left Chur at 11:37. Climbed up the beautiful young Rhine to Disintis, where I had a two hour layover. Left at 3:40 on the narrow gauge rail and we climbed high over the Oberalp Pass and pulled down into Andermatt at 5:30. It was too late to cycle on to Shattdorf so I tried the youth hostel in Goschenen and found it was closed. So I put up off the road outside of town. A strong wind blew up that night and continued on the next day.
[The Oberalp Pass marks the eastern border of the Uri Canton of Switzerland. This is the home of the legendary William Tell.]
Train expenses 15 SF
Wrote and read after breakfast until lunch. Then set out toward Liechtenstein. The sky was covered with dark clouds this morning, the first since Vienna. It started raining just before arriving in this tiny country. Across the Rhine river in a single-lane wooden covered bridge and I was in the mountain principality. Drove through Vaduz and partway up to Triesenburg. The sun poked its head out of the thick rain clouds ever so often. Cycled through Balzers on the South end. AFter dinner I went back up to the Youth Hostel to check for mail. Found none but talked with two English boys and an American cyclist from Pennsylvania. We're going to meet in Kandersteg on the 8th for some mountain climbing. Wrote and read. Retired late.
[Liechtenstein is situated in the Upper Rhine valley of the European Alps. The entire western border of Liechtenstein is formed by the river. Measured north to south, the country is only about 24 km (15 mi) long. In its eastern portion, Liechtenstein rises to higher altitudes; its highest point, the Grauspitz, is 2,599 m (8,527 ft)]
Mileage: Chur - Liechtenstein - Chur 81 km
Expenses .25
Had breakfast of bread and butter, honey, chocolate. Indulged myself in Rolf Seiler's fine collection of National Geographic magazines. After lunch of creamed potatoes, calves tongue, and peas, I started catching up in my writing. Continued throughout the night. Dinner of cheese, bread and butter, raisin cake, oatmeal fruit dish. A fellow law student who just graduated from Geneva came over this evening.
Stamps 7.50 SF
Stationairy 3.65 SF
$2.55
[Letter I wrote from Chur on Oct 28, 1968 to home]
Dear Folks,
I’m now in Chur, Switzerland and this crazy tzpewriter has the z where the y should be. I’m in the home of Dr. Wolf Seiler, his wife, their 13 zr. Old son and 7 zr. Old daughter in the middle of this beautiful citz. Dr. Seiler is the Scoutchief for the Canton of the Grisons, the capitol of which is Chur. (Pronounced like Coor). I’ve got mz own room on the top floor of a nice apartments with a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains.
After pushing, walking, czcyling, and climbing the Ofen pass 2149 meters, and the Julier pass 2284 meters, I gave in to the urge of self preservation and took the train for the first time since mz bike broke down in Germany. Our friends in Morges couldn’t help me out with addresses, but the Swiss Scout Association did and now I’ve got warm beds and hot meals throught the countrz. I’ll use the monez saved to take the train through Switzerland.
For some reason the good Lord has switched to my side and the weather in this beautiful country is equally beautiful. Instead of freeying rain and snow which is normal for this time of the year, each day the warm sun comes out and one can see the majestic alps in all their splendor. I never believed that any place in the world could be as beautiful as the postcard pictures taken of it. But in Swiyerland there is no such thing as an unbeautiful view. If this great weather keeps up I’ll do some climbing (without the bicycle) at Kandersteg, the international Scout Hut.
I failed to find anz mail for me at Trieste, Italy. I don’t know why, but if you sent any it will be returned in 30 days. Although I have no definite, day to day schedule from here on out, write me next at Chambery, France. I’ll be there Nov 17 so get the mail off plenty before that.
The address is: Rene Bonaz
Ecole du Stade
73, Chambery, France
Don’t write me at Geneva since it’s so close to Chambery.
And now a word about finances.I’ve kept to my 2 dollar a day budget on food and housing, but I’ve had so many unexpected costs come up that I’m now down to a starvation budget, common to many European student travelers. Right now I have 240.00 dollars left, with 60 days left. The return trip will cost about 230.00 so I have 10 dollars plus what I get out of the bike to last me 60 days, plus free meals and lodging at many places. I could probablz get 80 dollars for the bike, so I have about 1.50 per day for the remainder. However, I would like to keep the bike. Not only because I plan to continue biking back home, but it’s one of the best in the world, and also has a lot of sweet memories attached to it. It might make a great conversation piece with I’m old and gray. To bring it home would mean I’d need about 80 dollars more. So what do you think. Do you want to see the world famous bicycle for the tune of 80 bucks or should I try to sell it in Luxembourg?
Mr Seiler was digging out of his old National Geographics for an article on Oklahoma and did you know that issue of May 1957 had a big article on the Wichita Mountains Refuge? It’s real neat to be in Switzerland reading about home instead of being home reading about Switzerland. For Christmas if any relatives want to know what I want it’s subscriptions to National Geographic, Time magazine, and Reader’s Digest. Being awaz from the daily newspaper and TV has given me a new interest in news and geography. The November issue of Geographic has an article on a 16-year old boy who circled the world alone on a sailboat. It seems that his gripes to his tape recorder are the same as mine are to my logbook.
I’m staying here three nights. Tomorrow I’m going to Liechtenstein without my luggage. I’ll just cycle up there, look around, have lunch, and come back. It’s only 30 miles from Chur on the Rhine river. Then the next day I’ll take out for Lucerne on the train.
I had a job offer at a swank hotel in Bolzano, Italy, but declined because I don’t have the time. I’m anxious to get back to work at the club and rid my debts so I can plot my next great adventure, which I’m sure will be hitching through Southern Europe, up to Moscow, through Russia in 7 days on the Trans-Siberian, from Russia to Japan by steamer. And I hope you can get me some more information on the exchange. Even if it doesn’t pull through I’m going anyway.
St Moritz was mz first encounter with a genuine resort town. A loaf of bread cost me 30 cents, compared to 9 cents in Italy. The zouth hostel was closed and the cheapest hotel was 4 dollars so I roughed it on a bench in the vacant camping site. They probably would have been around to collect their money for that too, if it hadn’t been so cold. On top of the Julier pass one old Swiss man admired my strength of will power to travel alone for five months. It is bad, but I don’t have much other choice.
I’ve got 10 other letters to write so I’ll close for now. I’ll send zou a postcard from the top of the Matterhorn.
Love, Mike
On awakening the scene was white. I muttered, "O God, it couldn't have" and sure enough it hadn't. It was only the crystal whiteness of the morning frost that at first resembled snow. At noon I was off over the Julien Pass. The climbing was too rugged and I decided to take the train at Tiefencastel. Met two English boys having breakfast on the edge of a sparkling mountain lake. They were traveling by station wagon. Got into Tiefencastle after a lovely drop of 1200 meters at 4 pm. Got the 5 pm train to Chur. The terrain we passed was breathtaking, but it was dark as we got into Chur. Had trouble getting my bike out. Arrived at the Seiler residence about 8 pm. Good bath, retired.
Train 9.20 SF
Mileage: St Moritz to Tiefencastle 49 km
Julien Pass 2287 meters.
After breakfast I finished some letters and reading the National Geographics. I left Dr. Seiler's after 11. Loaded my bike on the train and left Chur at 11:37. Climbed up the beautiful young Rhine to Disintis, where I had a two hour layover. Left at 3:40 on the narrow gauge rail and we climbed high over the Oberalp Pass and pulled down into Andermatt at 5:30. It was too late to cycle on to Shattdorf so I tried the youth hostel in Goschenen and found it was closed. So I put up off the road outside of town. A strong wind blew up that night and continued on the next day.
