Thursday, January 3, 2008
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Happy New Year
Happy new year y'all - hope everyone had a fun'ol time whatever you got up to!
Saturday I woke up very early and caught a train with Jen to Ontario, Canada to visit Niagara.
This was a v. long trip - 10hrs in total I think. Once at the train station we took a cab over the famous butterfly bridge to the Motel.
When we did finally arrive we checked into our Motel - The room was oddly like a room I had seen in a horror movie where the couple watch their deaths on the TV before it happens to them.. needless to say a little freaked out.... We did eventually put the TV on. It was playing 'so you think you can dance'.. lol... which was reassuring.
The Motel was 10mins walk from the falls - so we headed down to have a look. The falls are illuminated at night with multi-coloured spotlights- wich made a very nice effect and the 'festival of lights' which is held every december at the falls seemed to be adding to this quite well. By the time we had photographed this effect from every possible angle we were starting to feel the cold so headed into the casino - conveniently located mins from the falls. Here we drank, shopped and were generally tourists. This is when I first noticed the nice people in canada. Very friendly. very unlike New Yorkers. We took in the views a little more and planned the next days events then went to bed.
Sunday Jen and I went for brunch in this nice little diner we had passed on the way back the night before- Jen ate a HUGE pile of pancakes (and later regretted this choice), I had oatmeal, it was good. Then we decided to take a tour on the 'skyride' - a huge wheel simliar to the London Eye giving views over the falls- was v. good, once again exhausted the photographs - and as it was early, sunday AND we were english (and the only ones on the wheel at that hour) the guy kept the wheel going for about 20 mins... Jen and her pancakes were not too pleased about this. lol.
Having settled Jen on a stationary object fro several minutes we then headed to the 'skylon' - yes they really do have hundreds of these 'sky' things. This was a huge observation tower which you go up the outisde in a lift. (although we all accept now that its an 'elevator') At the top you can view the falls indoors and out, and we took hundreds more photo's - this was probably the best view as you could see the Buffalo, Ontario and US skylines from this point. Jen bought a HUGE pencil with canada written on it in the shop on the top floor then we headed back down past the revolving restaurant to the ground floor where we viewed our awful superimposed 'falls picture' we had taken on the way up. Needless to say we didnt actually part with money for it.
There was a brief Starbucks stop- before we went into the 4D cinema which was interesting. I now know I will not do that again. I was shot with water from the seat in front, snow fell from the sky and the seats shook like a rollercoaster at intervals. The film itself was ok- some story about a woman who was of native american decent and had to save the falls.. all rather twee - but entertaining for its naff-ness.
After this we walked down the hill to Horeshoe falls where we went underground and through a series mining tunnels behind the falls. This was really rather interesting-the guide told us about the history of the falls and the making of the tunnels. Apparently a woman once went over the falls in a barrel - just for a dare- and survived.- Clearly not recommended. In very cold weather the water freezes completely and until 1912 when the ice cracked and about 50 people died - shops would be set up and people would congregate on the ice which was once water.
After our excursion we shopped a little more in the numerous gift shops as it was pouring with rain, then we went over the butterfly bridge and thus back to the US. Yes- this requires a passport and visa. We discovered there was very little open on the US side of the falls unlike the canadian side which was full of museums, shops and attractions. So we photographed the falls from yet another angle and then headed back through immigration and over the bridge again.
Now is the time to note - in Canada one can buy malteasers. This is ground breaking info that should be put in the next tourist guide on the area. Also -being french speaking- Canadians can spell words like 'centre' and 'cheque' correctly. This was very comforting.
After the bridge expedition we got pizza and headed back tot he terrifying motel to chill and watch REAL programmes on TV. - this too makes Canada an amazing place. :)
We intended to go out that eveing - but after the walking to and from the US and early morning and train journeys we fell asleep. nm.
Monday we packed up and went for breakfast before walking back over the bridge to catch the train home. The train was long. A man fell asleep on me - v. annoying- but I did finished a book I was reading so there was an up side! Jen talked to an Irish-Australian woman for 10 hrs - I think she may have wanted to kill her- before we arrived back in NY. I recieved around 20 New Years texts about 6pm courtesy of the english folk which was also strange.
We got back to NJ around 11.30pm - just in time to watch the ball drop in times square on the TV and then stare out the window in my apt to watch the fireworks. - Who needs to crush into Times square hrs beforehand to enjoy these? pfft.
Then I went to bed.
New Yrs day - I slept- shopped, went to see 'i am legend' with Rich D and Pete, ate dinner and slept again. productive day I feel.
Saturday I woke up very early and caught a train with Jen to Ontario, Canada to visit Niagara.
This was a v. long trip - 10hrs in total I think. Once at the train station we took a cab over the famous butterfly bridge to the Motel.
When we did finally arrive we checked into our Motel - The room was oddly like a room I had seen in a horror movie where the couple watch their deaths on the TV before it happens to them.. needless to say a little freaked out.... We did eventually put the TV on. It was playing 'so you think you can dance'.. lol... which was reassuring.
The Motel was 10mins walk from the falls - so we headed down to have a look. The falls are illuminated at night with multi-coloured spotlights- wich made a very nice effect and the 'festival of lights' which is held every december at the falls seemed to be adding to this quite well. By the time we had photographed this effect from every possible angle we were starting to feel the cold so headed into the casino - conveniently located mins from the falls. Here we drank, shopped and were generally tourists. This is when I first noticed the nice people in canada. Very friendly. very unlike New Yorkers. We took in the views a little more and planned the next days events then went to bed.
Sunday Jen and I went for brunch in this nice little diner we had passed on the way back the night before- Jen ate a HUGE pile of pancakes (and later regretted this choice), I had oatmeal, it was good. Then we decided to take a tour on the 'skyride' - a huge wheel simliar to the London Eye giving views over the falls- was v. good, once again exhausted the photographs - and as it was early, sunday AND we were english (and the only ones on the wheel at that hour) the guy kept the wheel going for about 20 mins... Jen and her pancakes were not too pleased about this. lol.
Having settled Jen on a stationary object fro several minutes we then headed to the 'skylon' - yes they really do have hundreds of these 'sky' things. This was a huge observation tower which you go up the outisde in a lift. (although we all accept now that its an 'elevator') At the top you can view the falls indoors and out, and we took hundreds more photo's - this was probably the best view as you could see the Buffalo, Ontario and US skylines from this point. Jen bought a HUGE pencil with canada written on it in the shop on the top floor then we headed back down past the revolving restaurant to the ground floor where we viewed our awful superimposed 'falls picture' we had taken on the way up. Needless to say we didnt actually part with money for it.
There was a brief Starbucks stop- before we went into the 4D cinema which was interesting. I now know I will not do that again. I was shot with water from the seat in front, snow fell from the sky and the seats shook like a rollercoaster at intervals. The film itself was ok- some story about a woman who was of native american decent and had to save the falls.. all rather twee - but entertaining for its naff-ness.
After this we walked down the hill to Horeshoe falls where we went underground and through a series mining tunnels behind the falls. This was really rather interesting-the guide told us about the history of the falls and the making of the tunnels. Apparently a woman once went over the falls in a barrel - just for a dare- and survived.- Clearly not recommended. In very cold weather the water freezes completely and until 1912 when the ice cracked and about 50 people died - shops would be set up and people would congregate on the ice which was once water.
After our excursion we shopped a little more in the numerous gift shops as it was pouring with rain, then we went over the butterfly bridge and thus back to the US. Yes- this requires a passport and visa. We discovered there was very little open on the US side of the falls unlike the canadian side which was full of museums, shops and attractions. So we photographed the falls from yet another angle and then headed back through immigration and over the bridge again.
Now is the time to note - in Canada one can buy malteasers. This is ground breaking info that should be put in the next tourist guide on the area. Also -being french speaking- Canadians can spell words like 'centre' and 'cheque' correctly. This was very comforting.
After the bridge expedition we got pizza and headed back tot he terrifying motel to chill and watch REAL programmes on TV. - this too makes Canada an amazing place. :)
We intended to go out that eveing - but after the walking to and from the US and early morning and train journeys we fell asleep. nm.
Monday we packed up and went for breakfast before walking back over the bridge to catch the train home. The train was long. A man fell asleep on me - v. annoying- but I did finished a book I was reading so there was an up side! Jen talked to an Irish-Australian woman for 10 hrs - I think she may have wanted to kill her- before we arrived back in NY. I recieved around 20 New Years texts about 6pm courtesy of the english folk which was also strange.
We got back to NJ around 11.30pm - just in time to watch the ball drop in times square on the TV and then stare out the window in my apt to watch the fireworks. - Who needs to crush into Times square hrs beforehand to enjoy these? pfft.
Then I went to bed.
New Yrs day - I slept- shopped, went to see 'i am legend' with Rich D and Pete, ate dinner and slept again. productive day I feel.
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