Switzerland - 7 Aug 2008 - Muotathal and Shwyz

Uncle tan had been telling us about schwyz and how beautiful it is. I don't know whose idea it was or how we ended up with the decision to take a self-drive day trip to schwyz. The decision must have been rather last minute because we only booked the rented car the night before and ended up with a small beat-up opel corsa with manual gear. The car was so small, my hubby had some difficulty getting comfortable in the driver's seat. But ah kin and myself packed lots of food and we were ready for an adventure. There were some missed turns and problem with the car's power, or lack of it, especially when driving uphill and then there was the problem of fueling it up cos we couldn't find ways to open the fuel tank. But it was all worth it. We got to see the most amazing views of the alps and lakes and apple trees and farmers in action and ate some awesome food at Hotel Haug at moutathal, enroute to schwyz.

An amazing view that we would not have seen if we took the train.

Hotel Haug served the best cheese pan rosti I have ever laid tongue on.

One of the many apple trees in the area. I plucked one and tried. Not like the fuji or rose apple we have in s'pore. This one is sour.

We passed by a mini waterfall and stopped to see if we could dip our feet but the water was not clean. We also saw some very obedient llamas that went into the shed in a herd by themselves, probably to have their lunch.

This bakery in Moutathal offered some of the softest and yummiest cakes. Once we laid our hands on them, they didn't last for all of 5 minutes.

Another lake in Schwyz.

Uncle tan was so enthusiastic in getting all of us to explore the Holloch cave that he forgot to mention that the interior of the cave was 4 degrees celcius and and the whole expedition lasted 2 hours. I was a little worried cos I only wore a light top with a thin sweater and a fashion scarf - hardly items that would keep me warm. Ah kin was more worried. At least I have more natural insulation than she has. But her uncle tan was sweet to borrow a worker's jacket for her, so she didn't freeze her skinny butt off. The cave expedition was a fun adventure although the guide was like 100 years old and only spoke german. The most exciting part was when we had to pass through a gate or door. Once the guide opened the door, we could feel strong wind gushing towards us but it was only when you passed the door that you felt like you were literally swept away by the wind. Ah kin had to hold on the the guide and her uncle tan to stay grounded. It was an amazing thing. Where did the wind come from in the middle of an enclosed cave? Puzzling.

Towards the end, it was not as cold as I had feared. We all survived, and I was particularly proud of ah kin who used to need someone to hold on to while crossing the overhead bridge. She went on a full-day driving trip, braved the climb and the coldness of the rugged caves and risked being swept away by the strong wind. Although she was shivering for the rest of the journey, she was ok the next day.

The upward climb to the cave. We could feel the chills as we were climbing.

The skyview from the entrance of the cave.

We were in this adventure with about a dozen students and their teachers.

After the cave adventure, we treated ourselves to the cakes we bought from the bakery, at a scenic spot while driving uphill.

Another beautiful sight to behold along the way.

When we got home, it was late, about 9pm. We were all tired. So the boys returned the car and bought some take-away kebabs from uncle tan's friend. It was another fulfilling day. The next day, we were going shopping for my wind-breaker :)