Niagara Falls

Lady of the Mist
Originally uploaded by slightly-less-random.

While in Toronto I went with Monica, Jason and Noriko to see Niagara falls. I had been warned to watch out for cheese - and the tourist town just before the falls sure was cheesy! We drove straight through. What I was unprepared for was how many people are actually at the falls. This is a serious pilgrimage! There is a Tim Horton's at the falls, and we ate there. The other options are $7 for a slice of pizza or $15 for a BLT sandwich. Note for next time; pack a big lunch.

The falls are massive alright. We ended up paying $11 to go to the tunnels behind the falls (there are portals behind the waterfall where you can see the falls from behind) and also to the viewing deck at the base of the falls. I'm happy we did that because the view from below really humbles you.

It's a paradox, really; viewing the falls. On the one hand they are massive; and we are so tiny. It made me feel small and a little alone. On the other hand, our technology has slowed the falls erosion and harnessed the power of the falls to make electricity; we've built parking lots and a city and hotels and vineyards around the falls. We've reduced the falls from a natural wonder to a cultural curiosity. The falls generate power and dollars for our government; they are in our service.

After driving back to Toronto we said goodbye and thank you to Monica, and wrapped up the evening with a bite to eat at Bowl and a walk down Yonge St. It was a great day!

Anousheh Ansari

APPLEDOESNOTFALL.jpg
Originally uploaded by Space Explorer.

Anousheh Ansari is part of the "Ansari Family", the people who funded the Ansari X-Prize. She's also the first space tourist to blog and post photos to flickr from orbit!

Personally I think this is fantastic, space tourism should be encouraged by everyone. This is because being up there might give more people an overpowering realization that yes, for all practical purposes, there really is only one earth; we better not screw it up too badly. People that can afford to be space tourists are people with a lot of influence. Bring on the space tourists!

Kathy 'n Monica

Kathy 'n Monica
Originally uploaded by slightly-less-random.

First day in Toronto! I'm torn between saying very little and saying a lot about my trip; so I'll start out saying a lot and see where that goes.

When I arrived in Toronto Kathy and Monica (Rachael's sister and mom) met me at the airport and we went straight out for coffee. It was fun to finally meet Monica and see Kathy again! We sipped exotic coffee drinks and I gave out letters and chocolate that Rachael asked me to take to them. From one Ashe to another, hugs by proxy, etc. :) Transportation provided by Kathy's new lighting-proof car.

We went back to Monica's home for a short stay before we went out to meet Jamie for dinner. Kathy has been working on a couple of knitting projects (socks, a poncho and a sweater if I remember correctly) each of which are remarkable for the type of wool chosen, especially the poncho and the socks.

We went downtown and met Jamie at Cafe 668 on Dundas; fabulous vegetarian food! Of course we talked about Rachael, cameras, and hot peppers! Jamie happened to be in Toronto for a couple of days so we could meet up and say hello. Jamie and I were able to meet up again on Tuesday for lunch.

After dinner we ran into a crazy lady who wanted a lighter, I'm not too sure what that was about but if you ever see me and Jamie or Kathy mumble something about "got a liiiighterrr??" and snicker then you know what we're going on about...

After checking into my hostel I did a little late-night exploring of the local area. Can't possibly be that bad right?

Back!

Hi folks! I'm back from my trip to Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and PEI. There are many good stories and photos to share, and it will take me a few days to get started with organizing them. It was a great trip but it's good to be back home!

Toronto!

Hi!

Yesterday I arrived in Ottawa after wrapping up the first leg of my tour de Canada. Toronto was great to visit! For me visiting Toronto was more about seeing specific people, and getting a feel for the city. Also this was my first hostelling experience and it was AWESOME!