It became dark soon and the only good thing was the fact that the road was not very busy and there were no semi-truck but it was pitch dark. I was trying to focus on the road and not fall asleep. There were many towns and communities that I could simply use an exit to get to them for a little rest and probably some beverages and food but I kept driving. The other thing I realized was the small parking spots at the side of the highway which were all had been shown by using a sign like a deep plate putting vertically, upwards! I stopped at one or two to stretch and get sleep out of my system.
Then another challenge was encountered: A automatic toll booth! I stopped at the bar and I couldn't figure out how to work it because every damn instruction was in Italian. Then I ran to the next line, luckily there was not any vehicle behind me, and tried to ask the guy. They, of course, were surprised and didn't even want to roll the window down but they were told me that he rental place should have given me a card! I ran back to the vehicle and pushed the " Assist " button and someone said something in Italian! I think I got them to speak English but what happened next was that I put my credit card in and without entering the pin, the machine spat it out after a few second, printed me a receipt and the arm went up! I sighed and got myself back to the road.
There were multiple spots on the road which all have been marked with signs and cones indicating construction was taking place and there were a lot of tunnels and at least, if I remember correctly, a couple of lights which one direction had to wait for the other to pass and then they could continue. Then the map directed me to a very steep road which looked like it was blocked. There was a guy nearby where it seemed to be a business of some sort. I tried to ask him how I can go to Lausanne, although i was not going there but I thought naming Gruyeres might not be such a good idea since the small village might not be known to all Italians. The guy didn't speak any English but he pointed at the direction and later I realized what that blocked road meant! It was the train (and that was what he was saying, I understood his Italian but couldn't figure out what does a train have to do with my trip) which you could use to avoid Simplon Pass's all dangerous, up and down, snake-like road!
I continued the road and then encounter a spot which from what I had seen in the map looked like border control but there was no guard, stop sign or even a car. I asked a person, who was sitting in his car, where the border crossing was and he said that was it and added that Switzerland's was 5 minutes drive from there, meaning that there was a sort of no-man zone in between!
No activity was seen at the other border control and I continued without having to stop but it was then when the damn telephone and consequently the man started playing a game: It lost the connection! I was in a way lucky that I found myself near a Shell gas station. I pulled into the parking. It was shortly past 22:00. I noticed a bunch of people and the store seemed open. It appeared that there were a group of Filipina ladies who travelled with a guide and the store was closed. They somehow just had accessed to the facilities. I don't know if it was open or they had somebody opened it for them. I asked one of them how long it was to Switzerland one of them who spoke English very well said that we were already in Switzerland! I explained to her the problem I had with my phone and handed it to her to see if she could figure the problem out. She realized the Roaming feature was not on and that saved my life! I thanked the group and I wish I had gotten some sort of contact from her because she seems a very nice girl. If anyone reading this happen to be at that Shell gas station in Switzerland on Kantonsstrasse, 30, Steg, please send me a message. I really would like to thank the Filipina girl group for their kindness.
I still had more than an hour too go and I was dead tired. Then there was a McDonald's on the way which I stopped for but they were close as well. I think it was around 12:25 which I reached the hotel. It was, again, pitch dark and I couldn't even read the hotel sign clearly. The sign says Hotel De Gruyeres but I was so dead tired that it was so dark that I read it Hotel Christmas! Then I walked around a little bit and I realized there was nothing else there but a number of cars. I then took a set of stairs and went up toward the sign where I was able to see it clearly and closely. I found the entrance and went through the unlocked door. I then went to the reception desk and found an envelope with my name on it as it had been promised to me when I told them I would be late due to my flight's change. I got back to the car, grabbed my gear and went into my room or as they call it in French speaking part of Switzerland where Gruyeres is a part of it, chamber!
This is how I drove through Simplon Pass, which unlike its name it was not simple at all. I read that Simplon is a German term and since other languages, French and Italian, are also spoken in the region, everyone has a different but somehow similar name for it! This pass would definitely unpassable during winter months or at least part of it would be. That is why the train service is available but I don't know about the details as I have no freaking plan to drive it even in a nice and sunny day because I already did that and that was on my way back!
(Photo: I stopped at this resting spot near the exit to the town of Villadossola in Italy for a few minutes. there were still more than 3 hours of drive)
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