Aled and HJ's Holiday '04

4 Countries in 4 Weeks

For almost the whole month of July, 2004, Aled and HJ travelled from Korea to Thailand, England, Wales and France.

The photos on this page are only a taste of the thousands that we took on the journey.

For many more, including some of the best, and captions that tell you who/what is in the photo and when/where it was taken, browse through the pages of this section, using the menu on the left.

Koh Samet, Thailand

1st - 4th July
HJ appears on all three (reading on a plane in the last).

London, England

(4th - 8th July)
Seeing the Queen and princes was a bonus to all the usual attractions, as was the Formula 1 cars' parade down Regent Street.

Buckley, Llangollen, Llanelidan, Graigfechan, Ruthin, Rhuddlan, Rhyl, Bodelwyddan, Conway, Betws y Coed, Snowdon's summit, Llanberis, Caernarfon, Beddgelert, Ffestiniog, Bangor, Beaumaris, Aberffraw, Towyn, Aberystwyth, Machynlleth, Dolgellau, Wrexham, Erddig, Carrog, Llanelwedd and a few more places around
Wales

(8th - 22nd July)
The photos show some of the highlights of our time in Wales, which included visits to the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod and to the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show.

Paris, France

(22nd - 27th July)
A couple of well-known attractions appear here among a few other photos.

Hong Kong, China

We arrived 8 minutes late to catch our plane from Paris to London (we'd also missed the plane to Paris!) and subsequently missed the flights we were booked on to get back to Busan, Korea.

Taking it one leg at a time, we got to London just as our Bangkok flight took off, stayed the night at a friends house and got on the next Bangkok plane lunchtime next day.

Arriving in Bangkok early in the morning, after a night's sleep had been denied us by crossing time zones, I was in no state to haul ourselves and luggage downtown for the planned Kao Sahn Road shopping spree.

We got seats on the next flight to Seoul, later that morning, not realising until we'd checked in that we'd be stopping in Hong Kong on the way.

Seeing Hong Kong from the air was quite nice, but I'd have rather got to Seoul sooner because I hate arriving at Seoul's Incheon Airport when I'm tired and in a rush.

Korea

It always seems that the plane lands too soon and drives the rest of the way as it spends ten to fifteen minutes rolling around concrete airplane roads before coming to a stop.

And then, despite the number of international evening arrivals, it is seemingly taken that the passengers are all heading to Seoul as all domestic flights have stopped by about 8:30!

So, despite landing well before 8, it was after 11 by the time we left the capital on a bus for Changwon.

We were back at my apartment/oven by 3:30am Friday 30th July.

Aled Powell
August 2004
Photos: July 2004