Three Cliffs

Date of trip: 23 June 2008

Lauded as Britain's best beach by 'BBC Holiday at Home', Three Cliffs Bay in the southern Gower peninsular is so highly recommended by many locals that it is incomprehensible that I should miss it, especially with the reasonable fare up to Swansea.

Hopping off the bus at Parkmill and transversing a tranquil forest path by a stream, I was greeted by a plain of grass and sand between lime stone cliffs. The ruins of Pennard castle stood on the left, while the metallic roofs caravans and camps glimmered on the right.

As I move seaward, the greenery give way to the open sea.

That morning, the tide was in the process of ebbing. It was absolutely great to amble on the soft wet sand, letting the refreshing sea wind caress your face and watch the sea retreat.

One of the most wonderful unexpected joy of the trip is meeting Tony, an Irishman living in Swansea who regularly visits the bay. Walking together and learning from his rich experience in enjoying the Three Cliffs is very enriching. I'm very thankful and pleased by his generosity in sharing information and his merry companionship. I do hope the sea is warm enough for him to swim in, by today.

With the receding waters, some sea creatures are bound to be washed up. Considering it is the breeding season for jellyfishes, you can see at least one every few meters you walk.

This is the first time I touch a jellyfish, it feels well... remarkably like jelly. I wouldn't have dare to hold it if Tony has not done it first.

One of the reason why Three Cliffs is so enchanting is because it is so clean. I have not been to too many clean beaches. Perhaps this is the reason why there are not too many seagulls as compared to places like Stonehaven.

The crystal clear water and the fine flawless sand.

While the beach is a heaven for swimmers and sunbathers, the namesake cliffs are what fascinates me more. After all, we don't really have this kind of coastal landscape in Malaysia.

Unlike the other cliffs, very few people travel on the western cliff. I find it rather unsettling walking there alone. One can constantly hear a strange sound akin to the rattling of a rattle snake though I not sure it is. However, I did catch a glimpse of a brownish snake slithering away into the knee high grass from the narrow and overgrown path. That was what sent me back without daring to venture deeper into this alien and vaguely prehistoric landscape.

Looking at the vegetation, I would not be surprised if someone wanted to film a mockumentary about dinosaur and rat-sized mammals here.

From the western cliff, the nearby homesteads are visible. I find the tree in the middle of the picture very curious. It does resembles an oversize nail sticking on the ground.

The middle cliff is more about limestone, sandy hills and grass.

The defining cave that appear in many postcards is right in the center of the middle cliff.

Outside the cave, straight vertical lines cut through the limestones. A mark left by quarrying activities on the now jagged rocks.

On top of all these, many bovines graze blissfully right up to the very edge.

Commanding such a vantage point overlooking the whole bay, as you walk closer to the bovines, one couldn't shake off the feeling of being watch. Among the seemingly oblivious grazers, there are bound to be one or two who look at the two-legs intently.

Another blissful bovine, I shall dedicate all these to Mr. snappycow.

Gentler slopes of sand and grass lay between the middle and the eastern cliff. This is the first time I realize how tiring it is to climb a sand dune where every step forward and upward you take are hindered by gravity and lose sliding sand. This will increase anyone's respect for camels.

Further up from here, there is a scenic golf-course.

For those fancying a walk, the eastern cliff stretches on as far as the eye can see. And there are more flowering plants here as well.

I'm not sure what flower is this, but it does look like a tough one. Perhaps surviving under the harsh sun and howling wind demands no less.

More cows graze the cliffs and their 'mark' is all over the place (luckily big enough to see and evade with ease). After getting this close to a herd, I can only say cows are very noisy eaters.

A perfect pastoral scene where cows and calves lay down to rest. Now is the time of the year where you see animal babies everywhere.

Sea-gazing cow - humans are not the only one who knows how to enjoy a good view.

By 2pm, the cerulean waters have receded enough where the Three Cliffs Bay joined as one with Oxwich Bay, forming an even longer picturesque walkway.

As I continue eastward, there are less sandy shores but more rocky formations.

Once more, drinking in the majesty of the natural world and be awed by the hands that hold these spectacular places over the millennium.

Blue, green, gray and brown, colors of the seascapes. Here, it feels timeless, where things that seem pressing becomes inconsequential, and the rhythm of life slows and beat in tune with the natural.

On a clear day, you can see the shoreline of Devon across the Bristol Channel at the horizon. Now, I wonder how the shores of Cornwall will be, compared to this.