To understand why did we go, I must move you back to Poland. In the middle of spring, 2008 me, Ela and Mary decided to spend holiday in the UK -to earn some money for our unpredictable student's living. If you've already read some parts of my diary, you know I'm a kind of perfectionist. That's why I wanted to have everything finished in Poland before I left. I also wanted to prepare birthday gifts for everybody who was going to have birthday while I would bee 10000 km far away. For very good friend of mine - Kate, I've bought a book of polish traveler, called: "My Africa". But last page description made me so curious, I started to read it. From the book I learnt something very important. If you love traveling nothing can stop you. After a while of consideration I could say: "Oh yeas, I really love traveling. I must try to travel the way she did".
I started to look up on the Internet and I found what millions of people have already found. Hospitality Club and Couchsurfing.com sites. I signed up and from that time I was seeking for good reason to try it out.
Going to the UK was reason good enough. The year before we were working in London. I can't say it was BAD. I recollect it quite good time - at least test of mine self-confident. But we were so so concentrated on working we didn't find time to make any trip around. This time I promised, it would be different. I told my plans to Ela. She passed it to Mary and we had our dream-team collected. We knew, it would be in the end of our stay (working was still our primary aim). We still didn't know where exactly we wanted to go, but we knew we wanted to try Couchsurfing out.

Working already in Leicester - at TaylorBloxham printing company I carried out little investigation among my friends - where to go and what to do. I also visited local carboot and bought brilliant UK road atlas (for WOW 10p!). On basis of my investigation and map study I chose: Wales. In the meantime it turned out, that for all of us the best time to go would be Bank Holiday weekend.

We decided to go there hitch-hiking. All our friends told us, in the UK it's impossible or dangerous at least. To feel more confident we tried it out - on our way to carboot. Results of the trial were very surprising. Both ways we were waiting less than a quarter.

Days of work were long. It gave me a lot of satisfaction but in the end I felt quite exhausted. I was so glad that the date of our trip is coming. With a help of my friend from TaylorBloxham - Derek, we chose the route. He also offered us help with getting out of the city in the morning. We were so thankful to him. Why? We wanted to depart at 4am (!).

30.08.2008

First car stopped after 5 minutes. I said we were heading Wales and asked if we could go with the driver. He said something not clear for me but gave us sign to get in. He was a guy in thirties - Iraqi immigrant. He started to be suspicious for us after first hour of our way. He still couldn't clarify where were he exactly going. Firstly he mentioned he was going to work, several minutes later he said he had day off (he had just decided to take day off). I was trying hard to pull his tongue but with no success. He was kind but horribly strange for us. We were going for more than 2 hours with him and Ela was more and more afraid. He claimed he wanted to give us a lift till the end of our way.
Suddenly I got an idea. I asked him to stop the car in the nearest town cause we planned to visit it's castle on our way (actually we didn't plan it, but I saw it on my map). Finally we persuaded him to stop. Then he wanted to visit the castle with us, but we kindly thanked him and gave him last farewells. After few minutes we could breath deep.

We were in Llangollen. Beautiful city - our first sight of Wales. It was impossible not to fall in love. There are some places you see for the first time in your life and you know, you could settle down there when you retire. This way we started our trip. Shocked by the beauty of this mountainous land. We left our bags inside a nice pub and walked up the castle mountain. Walking (running of joy) amongst medieval ruins I felt like an old, legendary duke of Wales. I suppose It's hard to understand but I really love ruins.

When we finished visiting Llangollen we caught the next car. This time it was a van full of young guys from England. After about 10 miles they were turning so we got out and found ourselves in the middle of nowhere.
It took us several minutes and some 2 miles of walking to improve situation. Finally a Chinese couple offered us a lift and we reached Bala.
Small and nice town (pueblo) but because of its lake full of tourists. All we did was one photo with Bala Lake besides us.

After one hour of trying our luck (with no success), we started to think what was wrong. Well. Nothing was wrong with us. Just every single car was full of tourists or was driven by woman. After 2nd hour it was clear for us. We must take a bus to let out of this nightmare. So we did it. By 8pm we were in Aberystwyth.

I suppose, it's boring to read all the time that it was beautiful and beautiful and so on. But concerning Wales, you can not do it another way. Aberystwyth is a city of my dreams. Rocky coastline and furious sea. Old buildings and charm of lazy Spanish Pueblo. Rain and mystery you shouldn't try to solve. Few buildings fighting all their life with wind and rain. Few hundred meters besides them grazing cows.

With map printed from google we reach home of Georgina - girl from CS that invited us. We found her very nice and helpful. Before we went sleep we discussed carefully what to do the next day. George offered us her ultra high-scale maps and gave all clues how to spend a perfect day in mountains. Due to her advices we decided to wake up early and take bus.

There is something worth mentioning at this point. Some time ago traveling Spain I met girls from Sweden. Not knowing why, discussion moved to the field of weather. Joking I complained that when there is weather breakdown in Poland, in most cases it is because of some weather revelations over Sweden. She answered that it is similar situation with Sweden and Great Britain. What's interesting is that Wales is know as a core of bad weather, spreading it over all the United Kingdom. Well. It must be some big piece of truth in it.

31.08.2008

That morning weather was totally English. We spent few hours trekking and admiring. For the first time in my life I've seen British moors. It was really perfect. Mountains covered with an endless carpet of fresh grass and moors. And these sheep everywhere. I was really shocked. What was even better - till midday, we've met nobody on the path. Just love it!

That's why, when he discovered my idea he exploded with anger and sent me threatening texts (I decided not to answer his calls). I didn't believe some of threats, some were more serious, so I had afternoon with mind storm in my brain. Finally I felt much better cause I thought that even if I had to stay there for the time of trial I could live in Aberystwyth (which I've already fell in love) and make lazy life there.
This thought made me so good mood that with a joy I went with Georgina, his friend and girls for a beer. That time my friend Marcin called me. He was still in Leicester at Peter's flat, trying to persuade him, that he wanted too much. And they reached some compromise so I agreed and thought of first trial in England left my mind for ever (hope so).

01.09.2008

The next day we woke up in the very morning and made last one superb fast walk in Aber. Weather was perfect to admire this mysterious place, worse for hitch-hiking. Firstly we took a bus as long way as we could go on a ticket from the previous day.

And the next time we found ourselves in the middle of cloudy and rainy nowhere. And... we caught a car after 3 minutes! It was so ugly weather, driver probably felt pity as he saw us and big smiles on our faces (BTW - good smile is the main rule of hitch-hiking).
I took the front seat witch I had to share with 2 ADHD but lovely dogs. Driver was a young man (about 25) going back from holiday. It was a pity we could talk for such a short time.
After some 30 miles We left the car (I was totally white covered with dog's fur) and stinky but happy. It was good place to catch another car - petrol station. We could see few cars being filled with petrol, one old caravan amongst them. Nearly at the same second each of us gasped... "Oh how nice it could be to catch this one...". So we found good place on a road and tried our luck. 5 minutes and nothing. And suddenly one car stopped. Guess which? Caravan of course.
Inside - much of space and it was so comfortable! I am so glad we met those people. Living their lives without cell phones and Internet - simple and happy. Working when necessary to and travelling as often as possible. Travelling with all the family. Not focusing on big money and new clothes. My philosophy is the same as their. Life is a miracle. Life is simple - not everyone can see it though.

They left us on the skirts of Stoke-on-Tent and we decided to eat something before we start to worry what to do then. Eating I came up with an idea (I think only when I'm not hungry and not sleepy). I persuaded girls to write big banner "Leicester". Maybe someone would be ready to help us.
We found a big road going good direction, stayed at emergency point and started trying. Girls were smiling to drivers, I was supplying them with chocolate. It lasted about 15 minutes till one BIG TIR stopped. We were stunned. Thinking how was it possible we ran to the driver and we heard "Yeap, Leicester, get in. C'mon!".

I've never before gone by TIR (inside driver's cabin) and it was really great experience. Driver was very kind and talkative. It was his private car and we could get know all the history of his company. Firstly I had millions of questions (as usual:) but it was so comfortable, I felt sleepy. After few dreams I woke up in Leicester.

Saying "thank you thank you thank you (...)" we left the truck on skirts of Leicester, near ASDA shopping mall. It was 2pm. In the morning we thought it would be cool to reach Leics by getting dark (!).

It is said, that men think in a practical way. There are some girls who think practically though. Ela and Mary are amongst them. We were near ASDA so they decided to make big shopping. I was far less enthusiastic thinking how much of walking would we have and how uncomfortable my bag already was. As they thought they did and loaded with tones of flour, sugar, milk, bread, chocolate, pants, shoes, toys, books, and plants we reached our home (my new one). So glad, we did it.

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