North Wales - Snowdonia

Jin and I planned to stay with Mages in Walsall for 2 days but stayed for a week instead. It was really nice seeing her again. She is working and living there for a few years already and never failed to look me up every time she comes back to Malaysia. So seeing and spending time with her was a treat for me.






Scenic drive to Snowdonia.














Another scenic drive to Snowdonia.








Mages suggested that we drive to Snowdonia, North Wales which she voted as one of the most beautiful places to see. We were not disappointed but the drive there was long through winding road. It took us 3 hours to reach Llanberis but the drive was scenic and awesome with jagged hills, lakes, rivers, farmlands and green open lands. I was bewitched by the scenery and wished I could stay for days.




Unfortunately, when we reached LLanberis ( pronounced as Klanberis), a tiny accident occurred when Jin backed out of a parking area, she banged at a car behind which came suddenly out of nowhere. There was no damage except a tiny winny scratch at the person's car but he was so nasty by insisting we damaged his paintwork. He was such an arrogant white man. That was the first and only time we encountered a nasty person in UK. Eng's tiny car has no dent or scratch at all. Anyway Jin didn't argue but gave him the insurance cover and declined to give her name and address and said we came from Malaysia.
After a long tiring drive, that incident spoiled our day and we had no mood to go around to see the place. We cooled off at Padarn Lake which is so stunningly beautiful to calm our nerve.
After coffee and lunch, we drove down to Llangollen (pronounced as Klangoklen) to see the town but at 5 pm everything was almost dead. Most shops were closed except one or two souvenir shops. Llangollen is another very pretty town near a river.
This is Lake Padarn, Llanberis.








Stunning Lake Padarn in Llanberis.











Llangollen town, quiet after 5pm, even tourists were few to be seen.













A friendly owner of a souvenir shop in Llangollen which was still open after 5pm.















A river runs across Llangollen town making it very scenic and alive with water activities even after 5pm.











Llanwst, another pretty town we came across.















A unique cafe by the roadside near the river at Llanwst covered by poison ivy which are turning red for autumn, on the way back to Walsall.







Though we had quite an upsetting experience, the visit was exciting and satisfying with fantastic beauty of the scenery all the way. By the time we reached Walsall, I counted 22 roundabouts we had to cross which we had to be ready to turn on the right turning. It was quite tiring and boring. Most country roads we passed are narrow with little or no road shoulder. Anyway we reached Walsall safe and sound. Mages has already cooked curry salmon heads and rice. Hmmmm, delicious.