Canada Trip 3
It was the middle of the first week and Shirley had planned a trip to Niagara. I suppose they have taken every visitor from England to Niagara at least once and were probably not as enthusiastic as we were about it. However, we planned a two day trip and a stop overnight with a meal out at least, see what Niagara has to offer. Shirley wanted to take her two dogs along. She has two West Highland Whites, cute little doggies, loads of personality, not quite as much energy. We found an Hotel that takes dogs, packed a bag and set off in glorious sunshine. The air conditioning was a god send. So was the DVD player, Owen and I watched two films back to back while Nick slept and Bev and Shirley gossiped. That's the way to travel! A pit stop ever hour or so for coffee and doughnuts, a comfort break.
The Hotel was quite good. We had adjoining rooms and super sized beds with a balcony view of a high wire walk from the Falls to a point just by our Hotel. We unpacked and watched the show from the balcony drinking wine. Show over and down to the Falls.
I don't know what I was expecting exactly. The walk from the Hotel was pleasant, we passed more hotels, restaurants, bars. The whole town seems geared up to entertainment, no signs of any business premises, residential premises, just entertainment for the visitors. The roads opened up to the river, we were facing straight at the American Falls and we followed the direction of the huge clouds of spray towards the Horseshoe Falls. The warm sunshine disappeared and we were drenched with a fine rain. The wind was carrying the spray right towards us. It took a few minutes to walk through it and we walked past the Falls and took pictures galore. The small boats, all named Maid of the Mist carried raincoated visitors in relays up to the foot of the Falls. I imagined my friends there just a few short weeks ago. Something I noticed about having two West Highland Whites, un-energetic as they are ... They are a WOMAN magnet! The number of ladies, young and old that stopped to pet them and talk was amazing. I pointed this out to Owen. It wasn't long before he had the leades and was chatting happily with girls from Japan, Australia, England, America! What a happy lad!
I have to say that the Canadians seem to have the better view of the Falls. I'm looking forward to the day I see them from the other side! We took the obligatory ride on Maid of The Mist. That feeling of the power of the Falls is so awesome from that boat. We also took the tour behind the Falls, taking an elevator down to the tunnels that poke ot right behind that massive curtain of water. The vibrations are something to experience! You can walk out onto observation decks and FEEL the power as the waters surge past almost within touching distance.
With the evening approaching we went back to change and take a meal. There was a restaurant and pavement bar that looked paricularly good. There was a guy on his guitar who was singing so well, and singing all of our favourites! Owen was uncomfortably embarrassed as we sang along and called out for some more of our favourites. He was even more embarrassed when we sang louder and better than the man himself! ( well, the beer seemed to make it that way! ) The drink flowed and later in the evening we were treated to a huge firworks display. What a wonderful night we had....apart from Owen I guess.
We spent the next morning back at the Falls and then travelled with the River to Devils Hole where Owen and I took the cable car over that seething vortex. It's a loop in the side of the river where the waters just swirl in and BOIL. They say that you'd sink even with a life jacket on. Yet, a hunderd and twenty feet below we saw people fishing and passing the time of day. As we were half way across, I looked down and saw this neat little boat filled with people scream into "the Hole" and perform the most amazing turns, banks and manouvers I have ever seen a boat do before! Gotta have a go on that! I told Nick about it and he said that although he hadn't seen it, or heard of it... we would go and look for it!
We passed a few toursist centres and found brocheures that described two possibilities ... Shooting the Rapids ... and Wet and Wild. Both trips were available from Niagara on the Lake. Here we come! The first place we saw, was Wet and Wild. Just what we wanted. Not cheap, but we were going to get an hour travelling up the river at 120 KMPH shooting the rapids, sailing into devils Hole and being treated to the stunts that only these Jet boats can do.
We had to take a quick safety course, sign a disclaimer, get dressed in life jackets, remove shoes, borrow sweaters and oilskins, then get aboard! I tell you! It was the MOST EXCITING AND WETTEST trip I ever had. The bow of that boat is designed to scoop up the water and throw it into the boat when the brakes are put on .... and the brakes went on quite often! We ploughed over rapids that ordinary boats would founder on. We performed what I can only describe as a handbrake turn. The boat stopped dead in the water and changed direction within it's own length, in the process sending hundreds of gallons of water onto the seating area. The louder we yelled, the more exciting the ride became. Imagine, twenty something year old kids with the fastest flat bottomed jet boats and being told to enjoy themselves! What a blast.
We drove home to Orillia in the worst storm that Ontario has had for about fifty years. Thats another story.
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