A Wale of a Good Time

Apologies for the long delayed response time on the blog. It has been a crazy couple of weeks filled with rowing practice, debates, essays, and all sorts of social fun. However, two weeks ago Katie and I took a trip to Aberystwyth, Wales and had a great time exploring the western coastal country of Wales. Although, our trip getting to Wales was a bit more interesting. We left work/class at 5:00PM heading for the rail station in Oxford with tickets to have us arrive in Wales at 11:00PM. Bags on our backs and tickets in hand we sat at the Oxford station waiting for the train for an hour. With an anticipatory vision of either the Polar Express or the Hogwarts Express in mind we watched as our train approached and stopped in front of us packed to the brim with people standing like cows in a transport. The train was overcrowded due to a train failure earlier in the day, which explained the delay, however my first train ride was spent standing pushed against the bathroom door surrounded by BO and techno that I could hear clearly from the people's headphones around me. It was a great experience, but we were glad to exit the train in Birmingham. When we exited we asked the railman when the next train to Aberystwyth was and he told us 7 in the morning and walked away. A bit disheartened and frustrated by missing our connecting train and the thought of having to sleep in a train terminal, he then came back and told us to take the next train to Shrewsbury, which we did. Upon arrival a cab was waiting, paid by the railway, to take us the last 2 hours to Aberystwyth by car. Little did we know, we were getting into the taxi of Shrewsbury's version of Dale Earnhardt, talk about Intimidator. Hairpin country roads at 80 mph was a bit nerve wracking and stomach upsetting at times. However we arrived at our bed and breakfast, Yr Hafod (Welsh for Your Welcome), at 1 AM to the sleepy greeting of the owner. All together great night. But the next two days were filled with hiking, eating, drinking, football (soccer), and a long search for a waterfall which we ended up finding. Highlight of the trip was certainly Sunday morning after going for a jog during sunrise, climbing up to the top of a hillside cliff that was unbelievably cold and muddy and looking down on the beauty of the coast and countryside. Capturing the beauty of the place on film does it no justice without the crisp cool salty air blowing off the sea and the smell of the dew on the expansive sheep pastures. However pictures are up on Katie's facebook and you can check some of them out. Also another highlight came later that afternoon as Katie and I sat in a pub waiting for our train with my computer out, and none other than brother Benny skype's us and we talk to him while eating with headphones on in the middle of a Welsh pub. Wow, they must have thought we were nuts you say, but they were so absorbed in the Tottenham match they probably didn't even know we existed. Anyway, it was a great first adventure but I have to go meet Katie for dinner with some friends so have a great day and we will get back on here soon.

Love,

Jordan and Katiegirl