The Canada Episode
Place & Year: Toronto/Niagara, Ontorio ,Canada / 2007
2007 has been a year ,I've been with a wheel on my shoes all the time for sure.This time its another country.I guess once it starts ,it doesnt stop :)
It was on August 28th 2007 ,I had been to GM HQ in Detroit Downtown to get my Canadian Visa.For all those from India,getting a Visa might seem like a process of a week or so,but to the people of USA ,its just a matter of minutes.I got my VISA in 30 minutes with no questions asked.
CN Tower, Toronto
Four of us,Started the trip on saturday morning with all our passports ready.The car was only a 300 mile done Pontiac G6 GT.The journey started with the Sun staring at us.We filled the tank and went on.After an hour it was the immigration check that we were on.The border between Canada and USA. It dint take us much time and we entered CANADA thru a road that said its name was "INDIAN RD" and I was even surprised to see a sign board saying "Delhi-->" Later it was "London" and I was sure Canada doesnt have names in their country except for the state's name Ontario.We landed up in a Burger King in some place in Canada since we were really hungry.In another 1 and half hours,I could see a Board saying "TORONTO" and the first thing that hit me as a movie buff was that I was in a city where the "TORONTO FILM FEST" happens.At a distance,I was able to see MR.Tallest,CN towers,the tallest tower in the world.We had planned for a temple first but since we couldnt find the route properly,we had settled down our mind for the CN towers(Canada National Towers).
On the way to Toronto
Canada had more Srilankans and Sikhs than in India(exagerrated).Saw a lot of turbans in the CN towers basement.A lift guided us to the top of the world(as the neme board in the tower said).It was almost like a view from Sears towers that I had been earlier in Chicago ,the third tallest.But the most surprising thing was the "Glass Floor" in which you can stand and watch the ground 140 floors below.It was one of the most thrilling moments in my life though one of my friends was scared to almost death.I waslked in it with a tremble;tried to take photographs which dint come well;and I was sure this was the moment of the tour.
After that ,it was the high speed windy tower walk inside the floor.Pretty cool and Chillin. We came down hungry which let us to drive thru' the streets that had chinese,pakistani and Indian foods.There was an Udupi restaurant that caught our eye.we headed;had "FULL MEALS";Headed towards the 400 million budget "Swami Narayan Temple(Akshardham)".After a long chase to the temple,reached there to see awesome carvings in marble of gods and goddess.It was classic and I had a lot of things to pray;for my work that makes me sick everyday was the first of the items:)
After the photo session,started to "THE NIAGARA FALLS". One hour from there;it was dark when we reached Niagara;It was lighted up with Neon Lights and since we watched it only from car,couldnt see it properly;went to the motel "Candle Light Inn" where we had booked the room.A Typical "American Motel" it was.People who would have seen "21 Grams" or "Rain Man" or "Road to the Perdition"would know it well.
That night had our dinner in "The Passage to India" ,a pakistani restaurant and went to Niagara falls at 1 o clock in the night.The breeze was chill,the lights were off and We could see the drizzle of the falling gushes of water covering the moon.Spectacular.With only around 10 people gifted to get a view of it. Then late at 2:30 went to the room;had a great sleep till 9:30 in the morning;woke up;took bath;had coffee from the coffeemaker and Breakfast of Paratha that we had got from Detroit;Packed up again to the falls.
Swami Narayan Temple,Markham,Ontario
Now it was really NIAGARA.Guys never miss it! Two falls,the American and the Canadian Falls.The American Falls is small and staright;The canadian falls is horshoe in shape and is massive.Both are at the instersection of the world's most developed countries,USA and Canada.Both of them can be viewed from both the countries although everyone prefers Canadian View since you can see both the falls 90 times better than from Newyork State of USA.We could see people from USA watching the falls although the numbers merely matched Canadian ones.To the end of the American Falls was the bridge that connects both the countries.It certainly is a cool view.
We then had a package tour to "The Journey Behind the falls",wherein we were taken to the bottom and behind te falls; "The maid in the mist" was the boat ride in between the falls,where I had my first photograph of a rainbow and "White water walk" which wasnt that catchy except for a few photographic sessions.The first two were just breathtaking.
Inside Canadian Horseshoe Falls,Niagara Falls,Ontario,Canada
It was almost 7 in the night when we finished all this and we had to watch for another two hours near the falls since one of our guys had taken to car to meet his friend.It was fireworks that day in Niagara from USA side and you could guess how beautiful it wouldve been with one of the biggest crowds.
It was all over then ;when we moved to the restaurant ;had dinner and started the engine to roar upto Detroit;I was accompanying the fren who was driving althrough the night journey which took us a little long with frequent stops at the Tim Hortons for a coffee.
Again it was the Immigration wherein my friend got screwed up for his carelessness over a board that said "Stop Before the board".Then we managed to get in to "Michigan" again and then back home at 5 in the morning.
IT WAS ANOTHER COUNTRY TO MY LIST THEN.