Kingston Chinese Association 京士頓華人協會

Three Days in South Wales

Eating the breakfast that we prepared together

On the 10^th April 2012, young adventurers began their epic journey to the South of Wales.  For the next three days a cosy cottage, overlooking a stream, became our home.

On the first full day we hiked through the beautiful Welsh national park called Brecon Beacons. We followed the marked trail through verdant fields, babbling brooks and wild woodlands. The highlight of the day had to be passing through a vast waterfall and listening to the gushing water overhead. To me it was a very special moment, being so close to a running waterfall. Although I would have been soaked if it hadn’t been for the waterproof trousers I was lent!

The next day we went on a long winding walk around the coast, the Gower Peninsula. That was the most tiring day and I had the blisters to prove it!  However it was worth it for the picturesque scenery and that day was brightened up further with the wonderful weather, which was so great I got sunburnt. Who would have thought it being sunburnt in Wales, a place renowned for being constantly rainy. Once we thought the hiking for that day was over, Michael announced that the tide had gone down and we would have the special opportunity visit an isolated island usually surrounded for miles by the sea. This little island is called ‘The Worm’ and is approximately 1 mile long and a couple of hundred yards at its widest point. A few moments were a bit precarious; crossing over a rocky bridge, a thin ledge, gusty winds and deep drops in some areas. Having conquered all this and the fatigue from earlier on, three friends and I managed to reach the summit (the others didn’t have the stamina) led by Michael and Eileen. My efforts were rewarded with a stunning sight. Looking around we were surrounded by the glistening blue sea and no one else around for miles. This is another one of the special memories I would be able to take away from this trip.

I am lucky to have had the opportunity to take part in a wonderful trip with lovely people and feel that I have learnt a lot from this experience, for example how to cook and prepare a raw chicken. The amount we had to cook each day was absurd (bearing in mind we were cooking for 14 hungry people), just preparing it made me feel full.

Another thing I have taken away from this trip is the knowledge that I can apparently walk 10 miles a day or 5 hours non-stop so the hiking has probably made me physically stronger. On the whole I thoroughly enjoyed myself on the excursion to South Wales and would definitely recommend the next trip.

Thank you Macille, Michael and Eileen for organizing it and giving us such a great opportunity to experience and learn from the trip.

 A cottage with a view. This was right in front of our lodging.

Natural beauty in Brecon Beacons...