It was around about midday as we crossed the border in to Canada. There was really only one thing to do next; Go and see the falls!

There were lots of subtle things that were different in Canada, the most obvious of which was the speed limits were all in kilometres per hour instead of miles. It was nice to be back to what we were used to but at the same time it took a bit of effort to make the adjustment, especially when 60 miles an hour is freeway speed while 60 kilometres per hour is much slower. Things seemed to be a bit cheaper, and the exchange rate was much kinder than what we were getting in the US.

The border crossing was very close to the falls and it didn't take us long to find our way there. We found a carpark and before long started to notice the mist that would blow up into the air every now and then. It was the first sign of the power of what we were about to see.

The area was full of tourists, and was probably a little busier than it normally would be due to most of the American side being closed for maintenance. It was lucky that we hadn't tried to visit that side as we had no idea before arriving. I don't think I can possibly describe just how vast and impressive the falls are. The volume of water and the rush of the current is so powerful and dwarfs everything around it. There were a number of tour boats that were ferry groups back and forth right up to the foot of the falls, almost getting lost in the mist. They would struggle against the current for a minute or two before cutting their engines and being rapidly swept downstream.

At this point my trusty camera decided that it had something stuck inside its lens and until the blockage was removed there would be no more photos. The next few posts will be lacking in the photo department for this reason unfortunately. My phone was no help here as the camera was so bad that it was actually worse than nothing.

We decided that this looked like it would be too much fun to pass up and after a quick wait in the line we were onboard. Everyone was given red ponchos to wear to provide some protection against the mist. The ride is fairly gentle at first as the ferry moves up river. We were surrounded on either side by sheer cliffs with the falls right ahead. Even a few hundred metres away the water was still a boiling mess of twisting foam. Once we entered the mist it boat began to shake as it was hit by walls of water. Mist is probably a bit of a understatement, it was more like being caught in a rainstorm. Within seconds everyone on board was drenched, with the ponchos providing only a small resistance.

Once we got back to shore we decided that we needed to find a place to stay for the night. We found an alright looking campground only a few kilometres down the road and headed there to dry off and get set up. The campsite had a pool and we all were keen for a swim as the evening was warm but we arrived just as it was closing. This would be the last night we would spend as a group for a few days as Peggy and Rez were catching the first of the their three buses to Bloomington the next day. I wish I could say we had a nice farewell dinner but it ended up just being leftovers; Kraft Mac and Cheese with a tin of chilli mixed in...

During the summer months there are fireworks over the falls so as it got dark we drove back to the falls to watch. The timing seemed to be a bit off however and we missed most of the fireworks. Fortunately there were also huge spotlights that projected bright colours against the falls and the mist. It was entrancing to watch the as the light seemingly drifted across the sky.

My cold was at it's worst at this point and I had the most awful cough which would not stop for more than a few minutes. I had coughed so much that my back and sides were incredibly sore and no amount of stretching would fix it.

The next morning we packed up and drove back to Niagara Falls to drop Peggy and Rez off at the bus station. They had a huge journey ahead of them with three transfers and long waits in between at various bus stations in the early hours of the morning. After saying our goodbyes Hannah, Todd, and I drove further north into Canada towards Toronto. They would be catching a train in to the city to explore for the day. I had initially planned to join them but I was feeling pretty lousy and decided to instead find myself a nice coffee shop to chill out for the day. I knew I would be coming back to Toronto a few weeks later so it seemed like it would be better to rest a bit.

I eventually found a Starbucks in Burlington and relaxed and tried to catch up on the blog (haha). The time raced past and before long I was back at the train station to pick up Hannah and Todd. They both really enjoyed Toronto which made me excited to come back. I really didn't know much about the city and aside from a view of the skyline off in the distance, I would have to wait a bit longer to see it for myself.

We had three days to make our way down from Toronto to met up with Peggy and Rez in Bloomington Indiana. It turned out to be a nice little journey which I'll cover next time.