More Ducks 301005

Ducks and more ducks! Or to be more precise: Mallards, Ruddy Shelducks, Common Shelducks, Common Pochards, Greylag Geese, Common Coots, etc. I wonder how each one tastes on the dinner table. :-)

Ducks 301005

Yup, ducks of all shapes and sizes and colours. And hungry ones too.

FIRST ~ York University 301005a

After the quick northern Wales tour, we overnight at a friend's place in Liverpool (thanks to Dr Aizi, Khai and kids). The next morning we hit the eastbound motorways, taking us right into the heart of Yorkshire.

We are visiting the venerable York University, where the missus did her masters degree exactly a decade back. And where the lake on the campus is full of wonderful birds (or ducks if you want to to call them).

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!

Dolwyddelan 291005b

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

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!

Blaenau Ffestiniog 291005d

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

Blaenau Ffestiniog 291005c

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

Blaenau Ffestiniog 291005b

The Steam Railway Station. 

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.

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.

Lake Bala 291005b

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

Lake Bala 291005a

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

Welsh Sheep 291005

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

Autumn Colours of Northern Wales 291005d

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

Autumn Colours of Northern Wales 291005c

 

Autumn Colours of Northern Wales 291005b

 

Autumn Colours of Northern Wales 291005a

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

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.

The Flight Path 281005c

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

A Special Passenger 281005

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

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.

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?

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.

The Waiting Game 281005

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

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!