Thursday, 10th of October, 2019.
With my decision of taking the Beautiful View Way, I must to try to go to a town called Linthal. That is what I write in my sign. But of course I am not going there, it is just the way. I am waiting outside of Brienz and Willy stops for me. He is an old man but he was probably a wild person in his youth. I think that because of the feeling he emanates but also because of a tattoo I can see he has in his arm. I explain to him that I want to take the way with the view and that is why I am trying to go to Linthal. But maybe I was not clear enough or I should have said the names of the town I would like to pass through, because he drops me in the way to Lucern, from where you go if you want to take the “normal” way to Appenzel. I also did another mistake: I did not tell him, when we pass the entrance to another town, called Meiringen, which is in the way to the BVW, that he could drop me in there. So stupid of me! Anyway, luckily I realize his mistake and go to this really nice coffee shop just in the road. Oh! everything in there looked so delicious… The nice lady agrees with my thoughts and she says that there are, of course, people taking that way. So now I must to go back to Meiringen, and from there trying to carry on.
I write down, under Linthal, Meiringen. But I have the feeling the cars are not going to stop so I decide to walk. I remember that the sign in the road is not far, so maybe is better if I just walk. After a little bit, a travel bus stops and the nice man says he can drop me in there. I am very surprise! Simon is from Romenia and also used to hitchhike. But unfortunately I miss the exit to Meiringen and he also do not see it so he drops me back again in the road which leads to Brienz and Meiringen. A setback. Which would be just that if was not for the time. It is middle afternoon already and since this way it is beautiful but not often taken, it might take the whole day just to travel a few hours. I would love to get in Appenzell today. That was the plan. But now I am screwed. And since I am screwed anyway, I should just carry on with the plan, right? Afterwards, I would just lose one day. But no, I do the stupid thing of change the plan again and decide to go directly to Appenzell. Why in the hell I did that? Well, I think that my thoughts were concern about getting stuck somewhere there in the mountains and freeze to death plus not having time to see Appenzell. All stupidity. I could always ask for help / shelter in people’s house. I knew already that they are very welcome and friendly here in Switzerland, so they would not let some one freeze to death in the mountains. Plus, my travels are much more about the views, the beautiful landscapes than about towns. Why in the hell it was so difficult to get into those conclusions back in there? Stupidity.
I am not in a good spot for hitchhiking. I would need a miracle to get some lift from here. My miracle is called Frank and he is going to Meiringen. A very lovely guy, also cute, who works with wood, like carving wood. He is going to work now and decided to pick me up. Maybe because he also did his travels already and by hitchhiking too. He drops me out of Meiringen, right? Now look how stupid I am: I start to hitchhike to Appenzell again but in the direction of Linthal! Is like my heart wants to go there so hard, or as I supposed to go there anyway. But I realize my mistake and change spots.
A big guy with tattoos in a pick-up stops for me. He is going to drop me in Lucerne. Supposedly. Now that is a funny lift. First because we do not talk too much, since he does not speak English much. But that is OK, I understand. Then, he stops in a gas station to buy something to drink, and he even ask me if I want something, I say no for courtesy but also because I need to pee. Then he makes a lot of phone calls, one after another. But the funniest thing is: he is eating this thing, from his pocket or somewhere in the car, I do not know, but he is kind of hiding. Hiding like shit because of course I can hear the noise of the package plus I can see and hear him eating! I do not get it. You do not need to offer me what ever you are eating, it is all right, but do not do this stupid thing of pseudo hiding or whatever. It is so ridiculous! He drops me somewhere out of Lucerne. It is not a good spot but also not bad. I supposed to get someone going to Zurich from there.
I see this orange 500 Fiat passing and then coming back. The lady hit the horns when she pass again to call my attention and makes a sign. I observe her having a bit of trouble to make the turn and I feel sorry that she is doing all of that just for helping. And really just to help me hãm, because she lives in Lucerne but want to drop me in a better place to get a lift to Zurich. Her name is Ester and she is a lovely old lady. We talk a bit during the trip and she also gets surprise and concern about my travels. She tells me a little bit about Lucerne and how, unfortunately, is becoming more dangerous, as much as Zurich. So I must to be careful. Ester drops me in the exit to Zurich, in a very busy road. I get out of the car to take my bags and when I come back to say goodbye, she is hanging a chocolate bar in her hands. For me! Oh, Loki, what a joy! As she had not already helped me a lot! Lovely! Just lovely!
Another Frank picks me up. But a completely different one this time. This Frank is German and do no speak English at all. And the funny thing it is he believes that anyone can understand German. Or maybe because I told him I could understand a bit (I do not know why I said that, maybe just because I can understand a bit of the context of any language) he presumed that he could just speak freely and I would follow. It makes no sense at all anyway. Apparently there are much more people in Europe, apart of the French cliché, who believes that their language it is truly important and everybody speaks or should speak. I do not believe that English or any language it is more important than another. But I do believe that we need to have one language in common, one that we all can talk, to make everybody in the world to be able of communication. For different reasons, the English it was the chosen one. And now, to try changing that by force, just do not learning / speaking English instead of your own language, like a spoiled child, it will not change the global situation. The only thing it will happen is that you and all of those who are doing the same as you, will not be able to meet and talk and discovery amazing other cultures and people of the world. Just that. You all, French, Italian, German and all the others like that, are the only one losing something.
So Frank keeps speaking in German and assuming that I am understanding everything. I do get something here and there but most of it no. And again, I feel the sexual tension coming from him. He is going to Zurich but to another part, not to the North from where I could easily go to Appenzell. This is South East. He drops me in a Parking Lot. A place in the middle of the highway where people stops to take a break, or to use the bathroom, eat something. It is after five in the afternoon and I do not believe now I will get someone going to Appenzell. I do not think I will get anyone going anywhere. The place is almost empty and just a few people stop. So I feel like I have to go to the highway and try there. It is the only way I can move tonight. Before Frank leaves, he gave me forty Swiss Francs. I try to refuse but he insist harder and even put the money in my backpack. I could see by his car and clothes that he is someone with money, so I did not do the same mistake as before and I accepted. He left telling me to take care of myself.
I talk with one of these two old man who are just staying in there, and ask about my chances of going to Appenzell from there. He says it is fine and I can get someone. But I go to the highway. After just a few minutes, a female police officer comes to me, from the Parking lot. How the hell she got in there? I did not see any official vehicle. The thing is, they came in an no official vehicle, I do not know why, to help those two old man with something that had happened. I just do not know why, I simply saw then talk and talk for a while. She was nice and just ask me, politely, to go back to the Parking Lot because in the highway I cannot hitchhike. It is too dangerous. She check my passport and again, apparently as every single police officer in Europe, she cannot find the stamp of Malta / from where I entered in Europe plus she also knows nothing about Schengen situation for Brazilians. But since I am doing nothing wrong and ain’t no liar, she leaves me alone.
I try to show my sign to a few cars but it is getting dark and looking around, it is a huge Parking Lot, with a lot of green space, so I decide to camp there for the night. When the police is leaving, they even tell me that if I get stuck, I can cross the Park and I will hitch the next town then. I do not know what they were assuming with that, but they were very friendly and were just trying to help. I have my popcorn for dinner, with my delicious chocolate from Ester as dessert, make my camping just beside the road, behind a bush wall. I could try to go deep into the park and hide myself but why? I felt it would be fine stay there for the night. There were two or three trucks parking in there and also the two old men in there caravan. I had a good night of sleep and next morning I was early trying to go to Appenzell again.