The Falls

My butt hurts from continuous cycling. One disadvantage of Toronto is that the roads slope uphill as you go further uptown. And you know you're on a slope when your thighs start aching. Or maybe I'm just disgustingly unfit. I hate rushing on bikes and we are always late! Like today when we tried to catch the cheaper casino bus to Niagara Falls and couldn't squeeze up. Had to rush to the bus terminal, buy the Coach Canada tickets and run up the bus. Paying more is totally okay so long as I get to go to Niagara Falls which Cui is totally reluctant to go cos she does not appreciate nature and is bored by Niagara (she's been there a few times but still!).

Today is sunny and very cold. About 15 degrees. Slept in the bus and awoke 2 hours later in the town of Niagara Falls. Surprise surprise there was hardly a soul in sight on the streets. The charming little countryside town felt like a ghost town! Cui and I (both penniless) decided to take the 4km track to the waterfalls instead of taking a bus. We strolled along Niagara River, stopping to admire the greenish but clear waters sparkling in the gorge below. The other side of the road is lined with the quaintest and prettiest country cottages, some converted to bed-and-breakfast (vowed to stay in or own one). The weather was good and the scenery absolutely delightful.

The guidebook says that you can hear the "growl of the falls from miles away". Actually I saw the Falls before I heard it but never mind that; it was such a majestic sight that you'll catch your breath and wish that the scene never leaves you. Niagara Falls is chopped up into two smaller falls. American Falls across the American border is half the width of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls which is not the tallest in the world but the greatest (the volume of water gushing down is unbelievable). The grandeur of the Falls can be attributed to the few Great Lakes feeding it. You can imagine the rate of erosion. I'm GLAD to visit it before the Horseshoe formation disappears.

the American Falls crashing on rocky banks

the awe-inducing white arc of Horseshoe Falls shrouded in mist

One excellent way to feel the power of the water is to take the Maid of the Mist boat ride. It is rather commercialised but the best way to see the Falls closed up. Our boat ride was even more interesting cos a couple solemnized their marriage onboard and you can hear people cheering for them. I felt my heart racing as the boat ventured into the centre of the Horseshoe Falls. The wind was intense and the dense spray of the crashing water rises above the Falls itself. Obviously we all looked like drown rats after the ride.

The river water has a greenish tinge like what you see in movies with fake lights. It seems to be glowing from beneath. Very beautiful. To top it all, rainbows kept popping up in the water and across American Falls. The rainbows seem to last indefinitely. One great spot to view Horseshoe Falls is from Table Rock. Most of the tourists camp there to take pics and we wasted alot of time there as usual. Had to half run all the way back (4km!) to the bus terminal to catch the 545 bus!

Wish I had more time to explore the other attractions around the area or travel further to Niagara-on-the-Lake which is voted as one of the most charming towns in N. America. Niagara is unforgettable and reminds you of Nature's infinite capacity to create beauty. As Charles Dickens wrote "Niagara was at once stamped on my heart, an Image of Beauty."