Trip to Wales

Trip to Wales

This was a yet another wonderful trip to Wales (North Wales).

Team:
Sudhakar, Vikas, Munawar, Pankaj, Bhim

Date of Journey: 11-Apr-09
Date of Return: 15-Apr-09

Places visited:
1. Isle of Anglesey – Menai Suspension Bridge
2. Beaumaris – Puffin Island
3. Beaumaris Castle
4. Llanddona Beach
5. LLandudno Cable car
6. Llandudno Beach
7. LLandudno Pier
8. Great Orme Tramway
9. Conwy Castle
10. Conwy Suspension Bridge
11. Llanberis – Electric Mountain
12. Llanberis – Snowdonia Mountian Railway
13. Llanberis – Park
14. Y- Bala (Snowdonia National Park)
15. Betws y Coed – River Walk (Snowdonia National Park)
16. Swallow Falls

Distances:
Hinckley to Beaumaris – 175 miles

Stay: Ty Pen Cottage, Beaumaris

Trip to Lake District

It was a wonderful experience in Lake District trip. We 7 guys travelled in Ford Galaxy from Hinckley – Nuneaton – Hawkshead on 21st February 2009. The places we visited in Lake District were Roman Fort, Hawkshead, Ambleside, Windermere, Grizdale forest and Keswick, Buttermere. We stayed in Hawkshead Youth hostel. It was a youth hostel where all 7 stayed in a single room. The first day we visited Roman Fort. From there we headed to Hawkshead. There we hired bicycle and ridded for 2 – 3 hours. It was amazing, after a long time we ridded the bicycle. By the time we finished the riding it was 6-30 and next we headed to the hostel. Took some rest and again travelled to Ambleside to have dinner. We had dinner at Tagore restaurant in Ambleside. It was an OK restaurant. Then moved back to hostel and took rest for that night.
Next day, we started by having our breakfast in the hostel. It was an English Buffet breakfast. After that we vacated the hostel and moved to Grizdale forest. This forest was very well maintained, such that we walked about 4 hours. It was another beautiful experience in that natural beauty. After completing the Grizdale walk, we travelled to Keswick, where we had lunch. It was an amazing ride from Hawkshead to Keswick. Beautiful for the eyes and cameras to take the snaps. Then we reached to Buttermere. We climbed Buttermere hill and say a falls and Buttermere lake. From there we headed back to Hinckley. Finally reached home at 11.30 in the night. The whole trip we had fun and joy.

Newcastle Hindu Temple

This is was a beautiful and spiritual experience in Newcastle. On 3-January-2009 I went to Newcastle by catching a Metro from Sunderland with a Day Rover ticket. A day rover ticket is nothing but a ticket which can be used in Metro, trains, Buses in the Sunderland and Newcastle for any times in a day. I reached Newcastle around 2 in the noon. From there took a bus (10, 11, 38) which goes to West gate. West gate road is the place where there is ISCKON temple and Hindu temple. I got down at West gate road, opposite to the bus stop was ISCKON temple, but unfortunately it was closed and also there was a Sikh temple nearby to it. From there I walked to West Road, where the Hindu Temple is situated. It was about 20-30 minutes’ walk. Finally I found the temple in the corner of the West road. Now it was around 2.45 noon. There was no one in the temple, it was closed. I was disappointed. But I came to see a board which stated the temple timings. In usual days the temple opens at 9 to 11.30 in the morning and again at 6 – 8 in the evening. And in Sundays it was 10 – 4 open. So when I saw 6-8 open in the evening, I was happy to visit the temple in the evening. But confused what to do for the rest of time. Then took a bus to city center. I spent there around 3 hours in the city centre. It was a nice place and almost all shops were in the city center. There were lot of malls like Elsdon Square which was the biggest one and Monument Mall, the Gates and some more. Took some snaps and again took the 10 bus from the city center and roamed a full trip in the bus. Then I reached the temple around 5.30 PM. And I was happy to see the temple open and 2 people were moving inside the temple. The temple was very spacious with number of idols placed. There were Lord Shiva and Parvathi, Lakshmi, Radha Krishna, Ganapathy, Saraswathi and Durga Matha idols in a stretch and Lord Venkateshwara idol separately placed. Then the couples started to do alankar to the Lord Venkateshwara Idol and they started to sing Vishnu shahasranama. They told me too join in singing, they gave me a printed book of Vishnu shahasranama and I joined them. It was a great pleasure in singing. After which there was a pooja then followed by the prasadams. It was wonderful experience in Newcastle Hindu Temple. Finally I interacted with the couples, they have settled in UK around 35 years, he was a senior Doctor. And then left to sunderland.