The problem of too much proximity

I got some time from my stay in Switzerland to visit Jungraujoch and the highest point in Europe. The trip was fantastic. I started at 7:00 in the morning and after my changes...La Chaux-de-fonds, Biel, Bern, Interlaken OST, Kleinn Scheddig, I reached Jungfraujoch...the final leg of the trip is all in a tunnel dug into a mighty mountain called Eiger. This tunnel is a wonderful example of the no-holds-bar engineering that you see in these parts of the world. You also wonder how much lead time people have in Europe with respect to engineering knowledge. I guess right from the time of Renaissance following the medieval ages, they have been at one thing or the other...Did someone whisper in my ear that Da Vinci had the design of an airplane??? Well, making Da Vinci part of any discussion is making sure that you really cannot discuss any other thing at all.

So 5 hours later, I am at the top of Europe...I walk around...see the glacier and all....and I am done in 10 minutes!!! Is there something wrong?? Did I have the same feeling at some other place as well? Yes...last year...Toronto...Niagra Falls...Prateek drove me down to Niagra...there was the huge Victoria Lake in between and I kept asking Prateek when will the falls come....I had assumed that there would be some buildup in terms of difficulty of terrain and all to get to such a big fall....Not at all...we drive all the way up to the fall...Ahhhhh...it was such a disappointment. To some extent, I feel the same at Jungfrajoch. The difference this time around probably was a wonderful train ride at a pretty steep terrain but it takes you right there...right there and that probably is my problem.

I like this big things at some distance...too much proximity kills my interest. I remember watching the mighty Nanda Devi from Auli more than 10 years back and the sight of that mighty mountain at a distance is still pretty vivid....not so much for either Niagra or Eiger...I went right there, felt them happen in front of me and the myth was washed away!!! Nanda Devi still remains at quite some distance...a 7000 meter plus mountain and when people decide to track it, they have to cross a ferocious Alaknanda on a rope...at times, an unlucky one even gets washed away....