Wales

Wales is a land of stunning beauty. It hardly compares to England, which has been largely industrialized. Even the colleges in Wales, especially Prifysgol Bangor (Bangor University) is a marvelous work of art. Aberystwyth is a charming community on the western waterfront, and I felt like a kid again running through the ruins of the castle on the beach.

While I have finished my tour of Wales, I must say I did not do it correctly. Wales is not meant to be traversed by bus through the cities, which are primarily filled with universities and students. Wales is meant to be trekked through with a tent and a sleeping bag, or just a sleeping bag for the more adventurous type. And as much as I like the cold, I think the summer months for that kind of travel will be better than the sub-zero temperatures I experienced when I was there.

Already I am working out how to get rid of as much of my current gear as I can and replace it with proper camping gear. I definitely plan to come back to Wales in the near future and travel through it correctly. I now know that this is the correct way to travel through many other countries, such as Iceland, Scotland, Sweden, New Zealand, etc.

My biggest disappointment with going to Wales was the lack of photos I was able to get. On the bus from Aberystwyth to Bangor, I passed by Llyn Mwrngil, a long lake surrounded by small mountains. On the day I passed by, the sun was setting behind the lake, and the mountains to the side were snow-capped, with clouds clinging to them halfway up. Easily the most breathtaking sight in my travels so far.

But despite my lack of photos, my host, Lola O’Reilly, was kind enough to share some of her own adventures through the country. She is an art major at the local university, and her photos say it all: