So, I started the day really early, leaving the hostel at 6:30 am in the morning, walking from the youth hostel to the Megabus Station at Dundas. It was a long walk from the hostel but the walk from the hostel to downtown area was pleasant. I'll pass University of Toronto on the right then some high rise office buildings before getting to the bus station which is right smack in a busy area within 1 km radius of Ryerson University. It was really early and I didn't know if there will be any internet on the bus, so I walked to the nearest Coffee Joint which was still closed and used the internet just to check-in with friends and family before I left.
First time finding out that short distance was 2km. I walk alot everyday in Toronto cos I refused to pay the 3 bucks per trip fare thats regardless of distance!
Walking to the Toronto Coach Terminal
The Toronto Coach Terminal
This terminal is very minimalistic. No lift. Omg. I died coming here on another occasion with a huge luggage packed full with food packs, and glass jars of chicken rice paste, and had to climb the stairs with it. Became a muscle woman after a total of 30 hours flying and being in Transit.
One of my Sweetest memories of the day :)
So, two nights before, I asked the other girls in my room (One German, one French, one Irish, one Japanese, one Brazilian) how to get to the terminal and we were talking about Niagara Falls. Most of them haven't been before because like me, they're new here. Well except one girl who's japanese but grew up in Canada but whose family is back in Japan and she's back in Toronto to meet up with her boyfriend. The other girls had more time to know each other so they were closer. The night before I went to Niagara, I was in my pjs desperately trying to get wifi signals from my bed.
The girls came in excitedly and put a lump on my bed "Hey! We went to Karaoke in Chinatown earlier and got you this for your breakfast tomorrow, since shops won't be open! Enjoy your trip!"
I was so touched :) The first few days in Toronto wasn't a breeze and I repeatedly asked myself why I chose to come on exchange. This was the first sweet thing anyone's ever done for me since I arrived :) And these girls barely knew me but thought about me :)
After my yummy sticky gooey breakkie, I'm off to Niagara Falls! It can be confusing. When the Megabus arrives at Niagara Falls, you get dropped off at the Megabus Bus Terminal but you've to purchase a day transport pass and board another bus to get to the Falls. The bus will then drop you near Sheraton, which is opposite the falls. You can't miss it!
Sheraton facing the Falls. Great View!
If I had the budget I'd have loved to stay here and admire the Falls at night :) A friend who stayed here during the summer told me that at night there'll be a firework display over the Falls. Imagine how pretty that would have been :)
View of the American Falls from the Bus Arrival Station
Wendy's for lunch!
Singapore has Wendy's too but I never had it. Everything tastes nicer overseas. Haha.
So the area around Niagara Falls is very touristy. Its like a small entertainment city that sprung up due to tourism at the Falls. It isn't very big but there are tonnes of stuff to do. There's Hard Rock Cafe, Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum, Casinos, Movie Theatres, A fun golf thing-y, Hershey's Store and Ice Cream Counter, and many more. We didn't have the time to do all those but we did enjoy taking in the sights of a very typical American-Funfair-atmosphere.
Too retro to look real.
Ripley's Believe It or Not
The actual chair of the person who flew with Helium Balloons
The bridge that links Canada to US.
Iced Capp
This was my crazy from summer all through fall!! Yums its supposed to be coffee but it's nicely sweet and sometimes tastes like chocolate. This ice blended beverage was really refreshing to have in summer! Oh. an its affordable too as compared to Starbucks. This huge cup only costs 3 or 4 CAD. This was my fav drink from Timmy's till Winter came and that changed to Hot Choc. haha. Yums!
