The Ibnu Al Battutah's Apprentice: Jungfrau....Top of Europe

Jungfraujoch ....ooooo......jungfraujoch! Here I come and bring me up there. To touch the sky and grasping the stars. I'm craving the 'tembakul' eggs. Opps, there is no periophthalmus modestus the amphibian in Schweiz. Just adapting a script from an old Malay folklore. Hehehe. Of course I was too excited to taste the Alps ice at the top of Europe. What is Jungfraujoch? A car? An animal? A musician? Nope....It is a place in Swiss or specifically a stunning tourism centre located in the Alps, Switzerland. To find more, just click here and here. Though this place is not the highest part in the Alps, but at least you can get the experience of a place at 11,000ft above the sea level. Why we need to be there? There are few reasons but my priority are these four: 1) Enjoying a mesmerizing scenery at the top of the Alps, 2) To feel the atmosphere at the height of 3,400m highland, 3) Recalling and verifying of what I had learned in my geography class, 4) To witness the greatness of the Creator. Besides, you can go for skiing, playing snowballs, meeting with client, proposing, having a hot chocolate etc. Believe me, it worth.....although the train ticket is quite expensive. At least you can climb the range in no hurry, relaxing and in a safe journey.

My journey started early in the morning. I took the train from Interlaken to Grinderwald, a small Swiss town and the starting base to Jungfraujoch. Actually there are two routes; via Grinderwald and via Lauterbrunnen. Then, I changed the train to Jungfraujoch - a very special and unique train. You can check the latest price here. The journey was so adventurous and thrilling. I came here in April, so it was still cold. There are few stations where the train will stop; Kleine-Scheidegg, Eigerwand, Eismeer and the last one is the Jungfraujoch. There is a big, so called 'station' at the Jungfraujoch. This station accommodates a mini museum, restaurants, toilets, souvenir shops, Ice Palace and the last but not the least the Sphinx - High Altitude Research Station. This research station is open to public and you need to take the elevator to be at the station which is 3,500m above the sea level. Can you imagine that? It is just 500m++ lower than the Peak of Mount Kinabalu in Borneo. The panoramic view? Excellent and really took my breath away. Then I realize how small and weak I am. Here, I saw many parents brought their children together. I'm not going to suggest this because at this height the pressure is very low and less oxygen. I grew tired easily. However is you're a sportsman or a black belt holder or a ninja student, I think this is a good place for you to test your physical and mental strength. Awesome! One more thing for those who are not familiar with the snowy place, do not forget to WEAR THE SUN GLASSES! - an advice from local people. The purpose is to protect your eyes from the UV and intense light of the sun. Otherwise, the intense sunshine will damage your retina and you might (the worst case scenario) ....BLIND!