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mitchy at 11:04pm on 05/10/2004
mitchy at 11:04pm on 05/10/2004I woke up in plenty of time to shower, dress and grab some breakfast before scampering out to the front of the hotel to await the tour bus. And wait. And wait. I'd been told pick up would be around 9am. By 9.30 I'm worried so I check with the hotel reception. They assure me it's probably just the traffic caused by various road works and not to worry. Sure enough, a couple of minutes after I go back outside, a chap comes up and says "Hi, I'm from Toronto Tours. Are you waiting for the Niagara tour?" I eyed him suspiciously, because the car he led me to wasn't a tour bus, like I was expecting, but a people carrier and it appeared I was the only passenger. If I hadn't heard the tour guide on the radio inside the bus, I wouldn't have gotten in, I assure you!
We drove off and I listened to the list of calls he has to make and now I started to worry. "Umm, you DO have a pick up at the Delta Chelsea, don't you?" I asked, nervously. "Delta Chelsea? No, I don't." My heart sank like a stone. "Why?" I explained that my friend was also booked on the tour but that we'd booked separately. He then told me that the tours were planned round hotel groupings and that unless we'd specified when we booked that we wanted to be on the same bus, there were no guarantees. He couldn't even guarantee I could get on the bus Jenni would be on because it was a question of space. He must have heard the plaintiveness in my queries though, especially when I said if I couldn't do the tour with Jenni, I'd rather cancel or postpone, because otherwise it would be no fun. So he consulted with HQ and very kindly dashed over to the Delta Chelsea, just in time to catch the other tour bus. I was grimly amused to note that the driver of that bus appeared to be having a very similar animated exchange with Jenni :) Anyway, much to our immense relief, and by great good fortune, two of the passengers scheduled to be on Jenni's bus had rearranged for the next day, which meant I was allowed to swap buses after all. Yay!! I must email the company and thank them for that, but ask that they make it clearer on their website, because it really does sound like there's only one bus. Oh well :)
Having got over the early morning panic, we settle down for the drive to the falls. The tour was an all day thing and was pretty comprehensive. As we drove towards the Falls, the driver kept nattering about the towns we were going through and bits of local history. I have to complement him, he didn't stop all day and I never once wished he'd shut up, because he was that interesting. I did, however, manage to doze off on the way out but then I can sleep pretty much anywhere :)
The first stop was a site that offered helicopter tours and anyone who wanted to pay extra for the flight, could go on it . The rest of us would go to the whirlpool to take pics and have a look round while we waited. Several people opted for the flight, but neither Jenni or I fancied it. I may do this flight another time, though, it does sound pretty cool. Anyway, we were whisked off to the whirlpool viewpoint. Basically, this is an area where the river goes around a bend and the converging currents have created a vicious whirlpool and series of rapids which has carved out a large part of the bend into a semi-circle. There was a cable car you could take over the whirlpool but we weren't sure we'd have time, though one or two passengers risked it and managed to get back to the bus in time. Interestingly, the other side of the cable car was across the International boundary and therefore in the USA, so those that went on it could say they'd visited another country :)
The tour guide left us to go and pick up those that had the helicopter ride and when he got back and collected us, we headed on into Niagara. We were being fed first, then there would be the boat trip on Maid of the Mist. We were driven to the hotel where we were to have lunch and I spotted that it was right next door to a Hard Rock Café! Another t-shirt opportunity, I hoped. The restaurant was on the 25th floor and was buffet style. Goodness, I've never seen so much food! The buffet table was enormous!
Gleefully we followed the waitress to our tables but then all thoughts off food were temporarily driven from our minds. What I hadn't realised was the hotel overlooked the falls. And we were on the 25th floor. My god, the view was just out of this world. I stood there, as most of us did, and just drank in the sight of the entire falls. Jenni and I bagged a table by the window so that we could just feast our eyes on the view while we ate. What I'd never realised was that there are 3 falls, and the guide later confirmed that there used to be one huge fall before erosion meant that the river split. The American Falls are in, duh, the USA but the Horseshoe Falls, which is the bit everyone tends to think of when you say "Niagara Falls" is in Canada. The Canadians are quietly smug about this :)
I was a total piggy at the buffet, mostly because the dessert section consisted of every type of chocolate gateaux known to man. *drools* It was all delicious too, and frankly would have cost what we paid for the entire tour if we'd been dining in a London hotel! We couldn't linger though and dutifully met our tour guide on time in the hotel foyer, for now came the really exciting bit: we were going to get on the boat!
Our guide leads us down the hill from the hotel to the landing stage, where we are each given a ticket and herded towards the dock. The boat has just returned back, which was nice timing, and so after only a shortish wait, we're scampering on board. Beforehand, we've each been given huge blue slickers, which we all don while we wait. I'm not too bad, the slicker comes down to mid-shin, but Jenni was initially worried she'd end up tripping over hers :)
Once everyone's got off the boat, we surge on and make a beeline for the top deck, where we get a spot by the port rail. It doesn't take long to get everyone on board and the boat soon pulls off. We head out past the American and Bride's Veil falls before we're steered in as close as possible to the massive Horseshoe Falls. There are no words. Really. I will post pics when I get the film developed but I have no idea how you can do something so awe inspiring justice. The sheer scale and the force of the water really do defy description. Let me put it this way: if you ever get the chance to go, even if you think "Huh, what's so great about water falling over a cliff?" just GO. You honestly won't be disappointed.
We got mildly soggy but the slickers did their work and so we stayed mostly dry in all the important places :) Back at the dock, we trooped off, trying to wrestle the slickers off without tripping and breaking our necks. You were allowed to keep the slickers if you wanted and so I did. I figure it's got to be useful for the UK sometime *g*
There was enough time for us to scamper up the hill back to the hotel and sidle down to the Hard Rock Café where I was able to get a beautiful t-shirt. Jenni nearly bought her brother some boxer shorts but they only had them in small and as Jenni said, that's not something you buy a guy, they might be offended :)
Back on the bus, we were taken for a tour up to the top of the falls and beyond so we could see the rapids and the massive gates that control the flow of the water. It's even more inspiring when you realise that all that water thundering over the falls isn't 100 per cent of the volume the river is capable of delivering. We stopped at a rest area where there was a souvenir shop and we walked to the observation area that is directly above the Horseshoe Falls. Many pictures were taken, in a futile bid to preserve the sight, but mostly we just stood and tried to absorb it all.
Back on the bus we head on out and off towards Niagara on the Falls. This is a little town not far from the falls that, in a bid to preserve its picturesque status, bans all buses from entering. We had to park outside the town and catch a little hopper bus into the town centre. There we were left to our own devices for an hour, which gave us time for browsing. Which was dangerous because I found the Funny T-shirt shop :) Lots of T-shirts with great slogans on. I bought three *sighs* I kept telling myself how much cheaper it was than in the UK :) I got one that said "I'm up, I'm dressed, what more do you want?" which I feel is rather apt and very me. I got another that said "I used up all my sick days so I called in dead". This one made me giggle helplessly for a least two minutes, which meant it was a must buy. The t-shirt that actually got me into the store though, I can't reveal yet, as it's a present for someone who reads this journal and thus must remain a secret until I get off my lazy arse and post it to him/her. :)
We decided tea was a good idea and found an excellent little shop that sold us tea to go. It really hit the spot too, and it was nice to sit in the late afternoon sun and relaxing. Soon we headed back on the bus to our own little tour bus and thus the trip home. During which I snoozed. Again. Well, that was predictable, wasn't it?
Although the driver offers to drop me off at my hotel, I got off at the Delta Chelsea with Jenni and we headed to her room. I suspected we'd have a message from Rik and Carol and I was right. Rik leaves his mobile number but not, alas, his room number. We try the mobile and it fails to work several times, so eventually I just ring the desk and have them put me through to "Mr Shepherd's" room. I have to spell Rik's surname each time I asked at the hotel because they kept coming up with novel spellings and telling me there was no such registration :P Rik and Carol are still in their room, huzzah, and we make plans. As we're all shattered - us from the day out, Carol from working and Rik from blistering his own feet walking far too much - we agree to leave it for a little while then meet at Rik and Carol's and plot where to go for dinner. So I nap, again, because I'm really good at that, and then we headed down to R and C's room. This was in and of itself an adventure, as the lifts at the Delta Chelsea made no sense whatsoever. They were colour coded - red, blue, green - and only went to certain floors for no good reason that we can see. We had to go to the lobby to get on another colour elevator to get to the fifth floor in the end. Most odd.
It was clear after a brief discussion that none of us felt like trekking far that night so I suggested the Greek restaurant that Jenni and I had found the previous evening. This meets with approval so off we headed. This time the restaurant was a bit busier, which was reassuring :) I convinced Rik that the flaming cheese was worth seeing so he ordered it too, Two flambés for the price of one. I had the stuffed chicken for the main meal this time, which was very nice and once again I had absolutely no room for dessert. We had a very leisurely dinner to the point we were the last customers to leave and the waiter locked the door behind us as we left, though not impolitely. As Rik observed, in the UK, we'd have been asked if we'd like chairs on the table with our coffee and Jenni reckoned in the US, the waiter would have pointedly brought the bill about half an hour before we even got around to asking for coffee :)
Plans were made for the next day, as Jenni and I both had to move into the Intercontinental Hotel, where we'd be sharing a room for the duration of the Bouchercon convention. We also wanted to go on a Hippo tour (like a Duck tour, which I've mentioned before) with Rik and Carol, so arrangements were made to meet at the Intercontinental. I left them all in the foyer and scampered off back to my hotel, taking a taxi this time as it was late and I was rather tired.
We drove off and I listened to the list of calls he has to make and now I started to worry. "Umm, you DO have a pick up at the Delta Chelsea, don't you?" I asked, nervously. "Delta Chelsea? No, I don't." My heart sank like a stone. "Why?" I explained that my friend was also booked on the tour but that we'd booked separately. He then told me that the tours were planned round hotel groupings and that unless we'd specified when we booked that we wanted to be on the same bus, there were no guarantees. He couldn't even guarantee I could get on the bus Jenni would be on because it was a question of space. He must have heard the plaintiveness in my queries though, especially when I said if I couldn't do the tour with Jenni, I'd rather cancel or postpone, because otherwise it would be no fun. So he consulted with HQ and very kindly dashed over to the Delta Chelsea, just in time to catch the other tour bus. I was grimly amused to note that the driver of that bus appeared to be having a very similar animated exchange with Jenni :) Anyway, much to our immense relief, and by great good fortune, two of the passengers scheduled to be on Jenni's bus had rearranged for the next day, which meant I was allowed to swap buses after all. Yay!! I must email the company and thank them for that, but ask that they make it clearer on their website, because it really does sound like there's only one bus. Oh well :)
Having got over the early morning panic, we settle down for the drive to the falls. The tour was an all day thing and was pretty comprehensive. As we drove towards the Falls, the driver kept nattering about the towns we were going through and bits of local history. I have to complement him, he didn't stop all day and I never once wished he'd shut up, because he was that interesting. I did, however, manage to doze off on the way out but then I can sleep pretty much anywhere :)
The first stop was a site that offered helicopter tours and anyone who wanted to pay extra for the flight, could go on it . The rest of us would go to the whirlpool to take pics and have a look round while we waited. Several people opted for the flight, but neither Jenni or I fancied it. I may do this flight another time, though, it does sound pretty cool. Anyway, we were whisked off to the whirlpool viewpoint. Basically, this is an area where the river goes around a bend and the converging currents have created a vicious whirlpool and series of rapids which has carved out a large part of the bend into a semi-circle. There was a cable car you could take over the whirlpool but we weren't sure we'd have time, though one or two passengers risked it and managed to get back to the bus in time. Interestingly, the other side of the cable car was across the International boundary and therefore in the USA, so those that went on it could say they'd visited another country :)
The tour guide left us to go and pick up those that had the helicopter ride and when he got back and collected us, we headed on into Niagara. We were being fed first, then there would be the boat trip on Maid of the Mist. We were driven to the hotel where we were to have lunch and I spotted that it was right next door to a Hard Rock Café! Another t-shirt opportunity, I hoped. The restaurant was on the 25th floor and was buffet style. Goodness, I've never seen so much food! The buffet table was enormous!
Gleefully we followed the waitress to our tables but then all thoughts off food were temporarily driven from our minds. What I hadn't realised was the hotel overlooked the falls. And we were on the 25th floor. My god, the view was just out of this world. I stood there, as most of us did, and just drank in the sight of the entire falls. Jenni and I bagged a table by the window so that we could just feast our eyes on the view while we ate. What I'd never realised was that there are 3 falls, and the guide later confirmed that there used to be one huge fall before erosion meant that the river split. The American Falls are in, duh, the USA but the Horseshoe Falls, which is the bit everyone tends to think of when you say "Niagara Falls" is in Canada. The Canadians are quietly smug about this :)
I was a total piggy at the buffet, mostly because the dessert section consisted of every type of chocolate gateaux known to man. *drools* It was all delicious too, and frankly would have cost what we paid for the entire tour if we'd been dining in a London hotel! We couldn't linger though and dutifully met our tour guide on time in the hotel foyer, for now came the really exciting bit: we were going to get on the boat!
Our guide leads us down the hill from the hotel to the landing stage, where we are each given a ticket and herded towards the dock. The boat has just returned back, which was nice timing, and so after only a shortish wait, we're scampering on board. Beforehand, we've each been given huge blue slickers, which we all don while we wait. I'm not too bad, the slicker comes down to mid-shin, but Jenni was initially worried she'd end up tripping over hers :)
Once everyone's got off the boat, we surge on and make a beeline for the top deck, where we get a spot by the port rail. It doesn't take long to get everyone on board and the boat soon pulls off. We head out past the American and Bride's Veil falls before we're steered in as close as possible to the massive Horseshoe Falls. There are no words. Really. I will post pics when I get the film developed but I have no idea how you can do something so awe inspiring justice. The sheer scale and the force of the water really do defy description. Let me put it this way: if you ever get the chance to go, even if you think "Huh, what's so great about water falling over a cliff?" just GO. You honestly won't be disappointed.
We got mildly soggy but the slickers did their work and so we stayed mostly dry in all the important places :) Back at the dock, we trooped off, trying to wrestle the slickers off without tripping and breaking our necks. You were allowed to keep the slickers if you wanted and so I did. I figure it's got to be useful for the UK sometime *g*
There was enough time for us to scamper up the hill back to the hotel and sidle down to the Hard Rock Café where I was able to get a beautiful t-shirt. Jenni nearly bought her brother some boxer shorts but they only had them in small and as Jenni said, that's not something you buy a guy, they might be offended :)
Back on the bus, we were taken for a tour up to the top of the falls and beyond so we could see the rapids and the massive gates that control the flow of the water. It's even more inspiring when you realise that all that water thundering over the falls isn't 100 per cent of the volume the river is capable of delivering. We stopped at a rest area where there was a souvenir shop and we walked to the observation area that is directly above the Horseshoe Falls. Many pictures were taken, in a futile bid to preserve the sight, but mostly we just stood and tried to absorb it all.
Back on the bus we head on out and off towards Niagara on the Falls. This is a little town not far from the falls that, in a bid to preserve its picturesque status, bans all buses from entering. We had to park outside the town and catch a little hopper bus into the town centre. There we were left to our own devices for an hour, which gave us time for browsing. Which was dangerous because I found the Funny T-shirt shop :) Lots of T-shirts with great slogans on. I bought three *sighs* I kept telling myself how much cheaper it was than in the UK :) I got one that said "I'm up, I'm dressed, what more do you want?" which I feel is rather apt and very me. I got another that said "I used up all my sick days so I called in dead". This one made me giggle helplessly for a least two minutes, which meant it was a must buy. The t-shirt that actually got me into the store though, I can't reveal yet, as it's a present for someone who reads this journal and thus must remain a secret until I get off my lazy arse and post it to him/her. :)
We decided tea was a good idea and found an excellent little shop that sold us tea to go. It really hit the spot too, and it was nice to sit in the late afternoon sun and relaxing. Soon we headed back on the bus to our own little tour bus and thus the trip home. During which I snoozed. Again. Well, that was predictable, wasn't it?
Although the driver offers to drop me off at my hotel, I got off at the Delta Chelsea with Jenni and we headed to her room. I suspected we'd have a message from Rik and Carol and I was right. Rik leaves his mobile number but not, alas, his room number. We try the mobile and it fails to work several times, so eventually I just ring the desk and have them put me through to "Mr Shepherd's" room. I have to spell Rik's surname each time I asked at the hotel because they kept coming up with novel spellings and telling me there was no such registration :P Rik and Carol are still in their room, huzzah, and we make plans. As we're all shattered - us from the day out, Carol from working and Rik from blistering his own feet walking far too much - we agree to leave it for a little while then meet at Rik and Carol's and plot where to go for dinner. So I nap, again, because I'm really good at that, and then we headed down to R and C's room. This was in and of itself an adventure, as the lifts at the Delta Chelsea made no sense whatsoever. They were colour coded - red, blue, green - and only went to certain floors for no good reason that we can see. We had to go to the lobby to get on another colour elevator to get to the fifth floor in the end. Most odd.
It was clear after a brief discussion that none of us felt like trekking far that night so I suggested the Greek restaurant that Jenni and I had found the previous evening. This meets with approval so off we headed. This time the restaurant was a bit busier, which was reassuring :) I convinced Rik that the flaming cheese was worth seeing so he ordered it too, Two flambés for the price of one. I had the stuffed chicken for the main meal this time, which was very nice and once again I had absolutely no room for dessert. We had a very leisurely dinner to the point we were the last customers to leave and the waiter locked the door behind us as we left, though not impolitely. As Rik observed, in the UK, we'd have been asked if we'd like chairs on the table with our coffee and Jenni reckoned in the US, the waiter would have pointedly brought the bill about half an hour before we even got around to asking for coffee :)
Plans were made for the next day, as Jenni and I both had to move into the Intercontinental Hotel, where we'd be sharing a room for the duration of the Bouchercon convention. We also wanted to go on a Hippo tour (like a Duck tour, which I've mentioned before) with Rik and Carol, so arrangements were made to meet at the Intercontinental. I left them all in the foyer and scampered off back to my hotel, taking a taxi this time as it was late and I was rather tired.