CYMRU

The general synopsis was, as I headed off on the train from Edinburgh to Cardiff, that I was making a mistake. I had heard aphorisms like, "Why da fook ya goin't Waylz?!" to "Get a new travel agent!" when I told some people I had met on the train to Crewe of my final destination. The disadvantage Wales has is that it is so sadly neglected by coming to Britain, who opts for the more illustrious and hyped England and Scotland. Only 5% of the British population is Welsh and they don't quite have the festivals, the fame, and, most importantly, the extraordinary capital cities their rival pair of Kingdoms possess.

Despite these obvious drawbacks, there are definitely reasons to go to Wales. It is probably the most culturally strong and authentic of the three Kingdoms on Britain. Wales is in fact one the oldest countries in the world with some of its rocks found to be more than 3000 million years old. There is evidence of human habitat in Wales dating back some 200,000 years before the Celts drafted in around 600 BC. Wales became a recognizable entity around the 9th and 10th century as its individual kingdoms began to unite in order to survive onslaughts from the Vikings. This unification was set back in 927 when they recognized Athelstan, the Anglo-Saxon ruler of England, as their overlord in return for protection against the Vikings. Wales continued to fight for it's independence from its neighbors until the Acts of Unification came in 1536-43 under King Henry VII. This brought with English law and rule in return for parliament representation. The title Prince of Wales is still given to the monarch's eldest son after Llwelyn the Great attempted to set up an independent Welsh state.

"Everyday when I wake up, I thank the lord I'm Welsh" is not only the chorus from the title track of Catatonia's International Velvet but it is a slogan written on T-shirts, shops, signposts, pub walls and everywhere else you look in Wales. Welsh nationalism is as strong as ever right now. The Welsh are friendly, warm and somber people ... that is, as long as you don't mistake them for being English. Not too many Welsh will even call themselves British, simply referring to themselves as "Welsh". Plaid Cymru (aka; the Welsh National Party) was formed in 1925 and it has since encouraged cultural separation from their English neighbors through the preservation of their heritage and language. Although many will claim Welsh a dead language, it is found on signposts everywhere and sometimes even appears ahead of its English translation. Although not too many of today's Welsh generation are fluent in their own language, Wales celebrates it's own TV station, Sianel Pedwar Cymru (SC4 - Channel 4 Wales). The Welsh flag is another major ingredient behind this uprising nationalism as the red dragon proudly flown all over Wales. To boost the Welsh confidence, in 1997, the majority of the people voted for home rule. This means that the people of Wales will be governed by a Welsh Assembly based in Cardiff, rather than send 38 MP's to the House of Commons in Westminster, London.

Cardiff castle is one of Wales biggest tourist destinations

Cats in Cardiff have a reputation for being a bit "stoned"

After the all the commotion in Edinburgh, it was quite pleasant to arrive in Cardiff. It was in many ways the absolute opposite of Edinburgh. There were plenty of places to stay, sunshine, relatively inexpensive prices and best of all.... virtually no tourists! Even my tour book, the Lonely Planet Guide had warned against "city hopping" in Wales, stating the best way to see Wales would be through excursions in the countryside. Unfortunately I did not have time for this sort of a journey so the only plausible option was a short stopover at Cardiff. All I really wanted to do was get a general "feel" of Welsh environment. That I certainly did. Cardiff has been the Welsh capital since 1955. It's highlights include Cardiff Castle, Bute Park & Sophia Gardens, Tiger Bay (aka Cardiff Bay), the newly built Millennium Stadium and Law Courts & City Hall. It took a good 6-7 hours to reach Cardiff by train via a stopover in Crewe. I easily found myself a cozy bed & breakfast for 20 pounds just across Pontcanna Fields. While it seemed like every tourist in the world was in Edinburgh, I was somewhat of a novelty in Cardiff. This came as quite a surprise to me as Cardiff is boosting itself as a major tourist destination right now. The city is currently reinventing itself and after hosting the 1999 Rugby World Cup, is being dubbed as the "fastest growing city in Europe". Nevertheless, the owner's of the B & B seemed delighted to have an American staying at their guesthouse.

After a short rest, my first destination was to walk straight through the cities centre all the way to Tiger Bay. The walk takes you through the heart of Cardiff, passing both the Castle and the impressive Millennium Stadium; a 75,000 seater built on the shore of the Taff River especially to host the final of the 1999 Rugby World Cup. The Bay itself was a little disappointing however. The whole re-invention process is currently at its peak and tractors, forklifts and construction utilities reared their ugly heads almost everywhere I went. There was still some charm to it left thought once I managed to get onto the promenade with some beautiful blend of Modern and Victorian architecture, most notably the Pierhead Building. I went out for a nights drink but found not too much was happening being it a Monday night and there not being any students around due to the summer break. After a comfortable nights sleep, I rose early to do a days worth of sight-seeing in order to catch my afternoon train to Borough Green, Kent. Right; the decorations outside the impressive City Hall are a real sight for soar eyes.

After a wonderful walk through Bute Park, it was off to Cardiff Castle. While it didn't quite have the same instant appeal as the Edinburgh Castle, the beautiful grassland surroundings gave it a decorative supplement. The decorative walls of the castle added to its beauty with stone carvings of bears, lions and wolves placed on top of its walls.

The millennium stadium (left) is located just across the street from the castle and makes a nice photograph. And then there's the City Hall, a must see due to its surrounding decorations of dragons and Welsh figures. After the sight-seeing was done, it was time to let my effeminate side out a little and do some shopping. I was determined to take home the cool Welsh flag so I found one at a local souvenir shop for a relatively cheap price. I did not dare try speaking the language however; Cymru (Welsh for Wales) is pronounced "coom-ree" while the Welsh translation for good morning may be spelt madding va, however it is pronounced "madain mhath". Left; the famous Millennium Stadium has become one of Cardiff's most spectacular sights.

So then it was back on the train and off to England to see Damien in Kent. My stay in Wales may have been short, no longer than twenty hours even, but it was a beneficial and rewarding trip. My only regret was that I didn't get to spend more time exploring the "Land of the Dragons". Oh well, that will be another day another trip. Till then it's off to England and as the Welsh would say, "Un yee ish oo ghoe, ciamar a gheibh mi gu da iawn tuh ee beck merched!"
-Hwyl!

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