| PART I |
Stephen | Right, I think we’ve got everything. |
Ashlie | Here, let me help you with that. |
Stephen | No, it’s OK, I’ve got it. |
Ashlie | We’re here in the beautiful mountains of Snowdonia in North Wales. We’re here for a short relaxing break. We’re going to put our feet up and have a complete rest for a couple of days. That’s right, isn’t it Stephen? |
Stephen | Speak for yourself, Ash. Snowdonia is a great place for outdoor activities. You can go climbing, cycling, walking... I can’t wait to get out onto the mountains and get some fresh air. Come on Ash. Let’s check in. |
Receptionist | Hi - Can I help you? |
Ashlie | Hi, yes. We have a reservation for two nights. |
Receptionist | OK, what’s the name, please? |
Ashlie | Walker. |
Receptionist | Walker. Is that Stephen and Ashlie? |
Ashlie | Yes. |
Receptionist | Two rooms for two nights? |
Ashlie | Yes. |
Receptionist | Can I just get you to fill this in, please? |
Ashlie | Sure. |
Stephen | Hey Ash, have you seen all these leaflets? There’s loads of stuff to do here. I’m going to hire a bike and ride to the top of the mountain. Do you want to come? |
Ashlie | What, now? You’re joking, aren’t you? |
Stephen | Yeah – take these, can I have my room key, please? Thank you. I’m going to go get changed. I’ll meet you back here in twenty minutes. |
Ashlie | OK. |
| ..... |
Ashlie | OK, so I think I'll have the manicure, the pedicure... |
Assistant | OK. |
Ashlie | Oh, and I’ll have that Indian head massage, too. And can you just tell me, what’s the hot stones massage? |
Assistant | Well, we use volcanic rock. You know, stones from a volcano; we heat them up and then we massage them over your body. It’s really relaxing. |
Ashlie | Yeah, that sounds nice. Maybe I’ll have that, too. Oh, and I see you do treatments for men? |
Assistant | Yeah, we do a lot of treatments for men. |
Ashlie | Stephen doesn't know what he's missing. |
| ..... |
Ashlie | Look at you! |
Stephen | It’s great, isn’t it? I’m all set to go. What are you going to do while I’m racing to the top of the mountain? |
Ashlie | Well, I thought I might try this… It looks really relaxing and much better than cycling to the top of some old mountain. |
Stephen | Yeah, it looks like hard work. |
Ashlie | Go on you, get going. Have a good time – and call me later. |
Stephen | Bye. |
Ashlie | Bye. |
| ..... |
Ashlie | This is just so relaxing. |
| ..... |
Ashlie | Hello. |
Stephen | Hi, Ashlie. |
Ashlie | Hi, Stephen. How are you doing? |
Stephen | I’m... exhausted. I can hardly speak. |
Ashlie | Me too. This is lovely. I’m so relaxed. |
Stephen | Ah, this is really tough. I’ve got a long way to go but I'm going to make it to the top. |
Ashlie | OK, then – well you just take it easy. |
Stephen | Yeah, alright. |
Ashlie | OK, see you later. |
Stephen | OK, bye! |
Ashlie | Snowden Mountain Railway. I think he’ll see me sooner than he thinks! |
| PART II |
Ashlie | Hi. Can I have a return ticket, please? |
Ticket Seller | Yes, of course you can. |
Ashlie | Brilliant. How much is that? |
Ticket Seller | Twenty-five pounds, please. |
Ashlie | Great. Thank you. Twenty-five. And when is the next train? |
Ticket Seller | Four o’clock. |
Ashlie | Four p.m. Thank you very much. |
Ticket Seller | Thank you. |
Ashlie | This is the Snowdon Mountain Railway. Now, this train goes all the way from here, up to the top of the mountain. It’s a steam train so it is quite slow but I’m sure I’ll get to the top before Stephen. Now, I must take some photos. |
Train Driver | Yeah – that looks good – nice one! OK then? |
Ashlie | Thank you. That’s lovely. Are you the train driver? |
Train Driver | Yes, I drive these locomotives and I’ve done so for about 29 years now. |
Ashlie | So how long does it take to get to the top? |
Train Driver | Just under an hour. |
Ashlie | Under an hour? It must be pretty high then. How high is it? |
Train Driver | It's about 1000 metres and it is the highest mountain in England and Wales. And it gets very cold there as well, so if I were you, I’d wear something a little warmer! |
Ashlie | Don’t worry, I've got a big coat. |
Train Man | That’s good. |
Ashlie | Thank you. |
Train Man | You’re welcome, bye. |
Ashlie | What an amazing train! |
| ..... |
Stephen | Ashlie! What are you doing here? How did you get here? |
Ashlie | Oh, hiya Stephen. What an amazing place. You know, it’s a shame about the view though. |
Stephen | What an amazing place? How did you get here? |
Ashlie | Well, I got the train, of course. You know, it’s much easier than cycling. |
Stephen | You got the train!? You mean to say while I’ve been riding up the mountain all afternoon, you…. |
Ashlie | Oh, and I also got a spa treatment. Look, aren’t they lovely? |
Stephen | You’re unbelievable! |
Ashlie | You look exhausted, Stephen. Come on, shall we go and get a coffee or a sandwich or something? |
Stephen | A sandwich? You’re on the top of a mountain! It isn’t some kind of High Street, you know. |
Ashlie | Follow me. |
| ..... |
Stephen | Just what we needed; a café at the top of the mountain. |
Ashlie | OK, what are you having, Stephen? |
Stephen | Hmm. I’ll have a coffee and one of these, a cheese sandwich. |
Ashlie | I think I’ll have the soup and I’ll have a hot chocolate. |
Waiter | Hi there. Can I take your order, please? |
Ashlie | Yes please, I’ll have a soup and a hot chocolate and he’ll have a cheese sandwich and a coffee, please. |
Waiter | Can I get you anything else? |
Stephen | Yes, I was just wondering – it must be fun working here on the mountain. But how do you get to work everyday – you don’t cycle, do you? |
Waiter | No, we don’t. There’s an early train, a special train for all the staff who need to come up every morning. |
Stephen | And what happens when the weather gets really bad? Do you ever get stuck up here? |
Waiter | We do, we do get stuck sometimes. If the weather turns really bad, there’s accommodation for the staff to stay overnight. |
Stephen | Sounds cosy! |
Waiter | Very cosy indeed. I’ll just get your order for you now. |
Ashlie | Great, thank you very much. See, you should have got the train. |
| ..... |
Stephen | Right. Time to make a move. It should be easier going downhill. |
Ashlie | It’s easy for me. I’m going to catch the last train home. In fact, I wonder what time the last train is… |
Stephen | Ashlie, is it a small red and green train? Like that one? |
Ashlie | Oh, no! Wait! Ah, Stephen I’ve missed the last train! |
Stephen | Come on Ash, jump on. I'll give you a lift! You on? |
Ashlie | Not too fast! |