So the ridiculousness continues with minor hangups. Got to LAX and apparently the United person (first leg of the journey) did not check me in on both flights. So after running from the United terminal about a half mile to the international terminal I was told "you're too late." But somehow this team of filipinas got me on the plane and warned me that my bike would not make it.
Sure enough, after actually getting a great seat and sitting next to a sweet old swiss woman, I made it to zurich sans bicicletta! doh!
After speaking with the hottest lost baggage girl ever I was told that I could pick up if I called a phone number or they would deliver it probably that night. We were going to be out that night, so I said I'd pick it up tomorrow.
Getting to my couchsurfing (cs) house was somewhat easy...I realllllly had wanted to bike there though...it's like 75 degrees here! (or 20 deg C). It looks like a fairy tale over here. I've never seen so many beautiful women in my life. And I mean truly amazing looking...not that any would talk me and my giant scruffy, hungover, jet lagged, tired ass self!
So I met Ken, who is Irish and quite a great guy with a nice apartment, wifi and all that. We hit up the "Lokal" bar, where I promptly walked into the ladies room by accident. What? it was an emergency, i had to pee after all those tallboys!
Then it was on to see a guy from the UK named ironically enough "beardyman." Needless to say everyone thought I was him! So I enjoyed rock star status, a girl even dragged me on stage...where I proceeded to rile the crowd up properly...then get drug off by security. I'm sure that confused some people!
My cs host got so blasted that he stumbled home...very stumbly he told me later. So about 5am, with just a tshirt, totally cold and miserable i tried to climb into the windows of his second story apartment. I even had a backup plan and that guy ditched out on me cuz he was wasted! What's goin on with these people! haha...anyways, I buzzed his door soo long the neighbor below screamed from somewhere inside "gooo awayyyy!!!" So I did...then came right back a half hour later. Again, it's freezing out. So I tried climbing to the second story window. I accidentally rattled his windows on the way up and this is what he said "I have a wife, a kid and a gun! GO AWAY!" I figured him a bluffer, but the territorial/protection instinct can be quite strong...so even though I was almost in...I had to turn back...
After about 4 hours, riding trains, walking fast to stay warm...and actually seeing zurich at a very pretty time, but suffering still, I finally see ken strolling up to the sidewalk outside his apartment where i was sitting. Apparently we missed each other by like 20 minutes, and he doesn't remember squat. But he woke up on the couch and didn't know where I was so he went looking for me.
Then came the trek for chinese food (only thing open on good friday here), which was pricey and mediocre. Then the trek to the airport. no luck again! and their system was down so they couldn't look it up. They also said "yeah, it will be here same time as your flight yesterday for sure!!" So we took the train back to middle of town and found a field next to the river. Holy crap is Zurich pretty. The trees have a lighter/brighter coloring, almost like a little more yellow than the ones in the states. We passed out all afternoon...I hadn't slept at all at this point, so that was a welcome relief. Then I used a public toilet with strange buttons and the largest toilet bowl I've ever seen...we're talking almost 3 feet in diameter! Buttons all over the sides...pretty neat swiss engineering. and the whole thing was in probably a 400 year old little tiny building.
So my bike finally arrived via courier, I'm about to set it up. Looks like its probably in one piece, and hopefully I can a map and get going tomorrow!!! woohoo!
Heres some pics both pre and present europe...
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