Canada - Ontario part I

The "Free way" to the falls

The Day Twins crossed the Rainbow Bridge from New York State into Canada around midnight. The rendezvous was the Casino. I had been there for 3 hours already and though I was only a block or so away from the spectacle, I waited for the boys, so we would all see the falls together.

It was dark and misty but my first impression was of the thundering sound. Indeed, the word Niagara is an Ojibwa word meaning: “Thundering Waters”!

The Day twins and me by the falls

When you prepare yourself for a visit to a place which ranks so highly on the tourist scale, you cannot be surprised or even disappointed when they turn a natural wonder into an over commercialized utopia.

Maid of the Mist

The world famous Maid of the Mist is a boat which takes tourists as close into the falls as possible. To save on the 28 dollars, Simon and I snuck past the ticket booth not realizing there would be another ticket check. Somehow we blagged our way through and found ourselves donning our blue raincoats preparing to be soaked by 6 million cubic feet of water.

Me on Maid of the Mist

The night before we had pissed into the river just before the falls, in the hope that we would microscopically spray all the thousands of tourists into their awe-inspired, open mouths.

Seneca falls

The casino proved our source of free luggage storage, free drinks, and once we accidentally made a bet. Fortunately we won 3 dollars fifty which we excitedly changed and converted into bagels and cream. That whole day and night in Niagara cost us a dollar between us.

Bagels and cream cheese and newspapers with a view

Free camping could prove difficult at times, so one night we camped hidden behind a bush and woke up to the roaring sound of a helicopter only a couple meters away. We thought we were caught in a hurricane the tent shook so much.

Camping and helicopters

Trying to hitch to Toronto we find ourselves crossing motorways trying to find a good spot. Suddenly we hear a siren. The cop rolls down his window and more in a tone of empathy than a reprimand says:” What are you guys doing”, to which we reply: “We don’t know”.

He tells us to get in but doesn’t say another word. Riding in the back of this 70’s Cop Car, Simon asks: “Jeremiah, are we going to Jail”.

“Sssh”, I tell him. “Don’t give him ideas”

Consequently I received my second lift in a police car a good few km down the road. These peoples are so incredibly cordial.

Cool Cop

Our next hitchpicker advised us to check out Port Dalhousie before heading to Toronto. So he drops us off on the beach where we spend two days tanning, swimming and lazily eating ice cream and riding the world’s cheapest carrousel (still only 5 cents a ride). Actually, we were so tight we didn’t even pay that. I found some old tickets.

Port Dalhousie (100km away CN tower in backround)

Hitching to Toronto

On our final leg to the city, we were picked up by a half native girl and her two Canadian friends. They invited us to stay with them in there suburb town of Newmarket. Krystale took us rock climbing where her brother works, to her aunts who just had a pool installed, and countless other activities in her area.

Rock Climbing with Krystale

Two Mormon missionaries give us a lift to Sibbauld Point National Park on Lake Simcoe where we spend 3 days sneaking around different campsites (almost getting caught), winning a beach volleyball competition and lazing around eating ice cream again, waiting.

Enjoying a gin and tonic in the Aunt's pool

Both aged 26 and without a drivers license, Simon and I were waiting for Mark to pick us up and start a mammoth 5000 km road trip crossing the second biggest country in the world.

Krystale and Nate and me