Tuesday, November 22, 2005

FINAL ~ Bangor 291005


[NOTE: For a better read, please start at the bottom. Don't ask me why, that's how it works. And click image for better view.]


Bangor at last, but it is a bit of a let-down, especially at low tide. A quick drive around and we decide to move east to do dinner at Llandudno, supposedly another pretty spot. But with the weather turning dark and wet, we do a quick meal and leave for our Liverpool home right away.

Not a bad day-trip to northern Wales. If only the weather has been better, but still, thorougly recommended! Posted by Picasa

Dolwyddelan 291005b


I still find Welsh an odd lingo - a bit too many consonants, and double consonants too. Posted by Picasa

Dolwyddelan 291005a

As we push northwards, the weather turns grey, and we chance upon this ancient castle in Dolwyddelan. Can't spend much time here. Need to reach Bangor before it gets too dark, and then back to Liverpool. Such is a traveler's schedule! Posted by Picasa

Blaenau Ffestiniog 291005d

... whose lower parts are littered with thin slabs of flaky stones. Interesting geology. Posted by Picasa

Blaenau Ffestiniog 291005c

Pretty main street, and note the rocky hills to the right ...Posted by Picasa

Blaenau Ffestiniog 291005b

The Steam Railway Station. Posted by Picasa

Blaenau Ffestiniog 291005a

Close to Mt Snowdon, Wales's highest peak, this is the town of Blaenau Ffestiniog. A major tourist attraction here is the classic steam train which plies a scenic rail-track to the coastal west, crossing the most scenic part of Snowdonia. Posted by Picasa

More Sheep 291005

From Bala, we head southwest to Dolgellau, then swing northwards to enter the famed Snowdonia National Park. I am expecting untouched natural beauty, but what do I get? More sheep, well at least they are handsome ones. But anyway, it's strange to find livestocks in a designated national park. Posted by Picasa

Lake Bala 291005b

... but the ducks and the birds are not bothered one single bit. Posted by Picasa

Lake Bala 291005a

And this is the very windy and chilly Lake Bala, next to the town of Bala, ... Posted by Picasa

Welsh Sheep 291005

And yeah, sheep everywhere. From afar, looking like white fat maggots feeding non-stop. Posted by Picasa

Autumn Colours of Northern Wales 291005d

On the way from Ruthin to Betws-y-Coed, another pretty Welsh town. Posted by Picasa

Autumn Colours of Northern Wales 291005c

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Autumn Colours of Northern Wales 291005b

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Autumn Colours of Northern Wales 291005a

Beautiful autumn colours of northern Wales. Somewhere near the town of Ruthin. Posted by Picasa

Our Set of Wheels 291005

To cut the story short, we land at Manchester Airport and pick this puppy up - a Chevy Lacetti 1.6, at £58 for 2 days - and drive to Liverpool for the night. First thing the next day we head for northern Wales, in particular the Snowdonia National Park. Posted by Picasa

The Flight Path 281005c

Closest I get to the Caspian Sea, at least for the moment. Posted by Picasa

A Special Passenger 281005

A special passenger admiring the views from his seat. Been lucky, this is one well-behaved kiddo! Posted by Picasa

The Flight Path 281005b

See the abrupt swerve to the left. Btw, on the ground 34,000 feet below us, the Delhi-Agra-Jaipur loop is a wonderful route, but you need at least 2 days to do it in a car (with a driver, self-driving not recommended). We did it in '04, overnighting in Jaipur, the historical Pink City.Posted by Picasa

The Flight Path 281005a

Four hours later we are in the heart of India, but there's an odd left turn after Agra. To avoid Delhi and northern Pakistan airspaces? Posted by Picasa

Engine #4, the Culprit 281005

Working on Engine #4. I mean these blokes ain't your ordinary car mechanics. They follow strict SOP in trouble-shooting and repair works. Job done in due course and our plane takes off at 2.00pm - 3½ hours late. Thank God, no need to change planes. Posted by Picasa

The Waiting Game 281005

Three+ hours to kill. And we get free lunch too, at MYR25 per head. Posted by Picasa

FIRST ~ Kuala Lumpur International Airport 281005

We are leaving for Manchester today (en route to Ireland), and after settling down in our seats on the plane, the pilots get their 'push-back and start' clearance.

When the pushing is done, time to start the four engines, and yes, they all light up except #4. After a while the captain mumbles about having to swap the starter motor or something, so the plane is towed back to the gate and we get off (with our cabin bags in case we need to swap planes too!).

Splendid start, Mr MAS!