Today I made my first alp ascent. I wanted to go up Bunderspitz but it was cloudy when I got up. I don't see the point in climbing a vertical kilometer to see a cloud. The clouds had burned off a bit by 9, so we decided to go up Silleren instead. (Not Slytheren). Silleren is neat because once you get up to the top you can take a scooter-like contraption back down.
First I had to get some money--because I wouldn't have been surprised to find that the scooter hire was in the neighborhood of 20 francs ahead. We went to the bank first, but my card didn't work in the machine. I took a chance and went inside to tell them that the machine would not give me any money. The man took my card, looked at it, told me the strip was probably not working and asked me how much money I wanted. He didn't ask me for ID or any proof of actual ownership of the card, just forked over the money I asked him for. Real secure Swiss banks.
Then we walked up the hill. It was steep, the view was pretty. At the top we ate some lunch in the playground by the gondola and rented scooters. A note about Swiss playgrounds: They all have ziplines and concrete tunnels and various other equipment that would definitely not pass US safety guidelines. Therefore, they are more fun.
The scooter rental wasn't terrible--8 francs. To get the scooter all I had to do was write my name down on a piece of paper. No address, no phone number, no liability waiver. Just: "Hey, there are some helmets there if you like, they're a bit more safe, have fun" And those scooters went fast. Super fast. Scary fast. I wouldn't call it a family activity. Again: it's more fun that way.
When we got to the bottom we returned the scooters by propping them up inside a doorway--again no set system. We could have kept the scooters forever if we wanted probably. Hummmmmmm....
In an Alpine Meadow. 
I got thirsty on the way up. So do cows.
For the record: We're at two castle ascents (2.5 if the prison tower counts as half a castle) and one alp--Silleren.
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