We followed this river inland for about half an hour. Betws-y-Coed is in a region as rugged as Appalachia. Sheep graze on green fields ringed by stone walls, and they're tended by farmers living in picturesque homes built from the same stone. We made our way onto a walking path straight up the mountain into a forest of moss, ferns, and suspiciously young timber. At the top of the mountain is Lake Elsi, the source of the water supply for the town below. Occasionally, our peaceful setting was disrupted by the passage of a low-flying fighter jet (!). We found out later that this is normal training territory, and it had nothing to do with the war that had just begun the previous day. As our trail went back down the mountain it got trickier, as we were directed onto what was essentially a steep, narrow, rocky stream.

One other thing about Wales: the Welsh language is alive and well, as most of the signage was in Welsh and English (Welsh was always on top).