We reached Toronto on Friday and rested most of the day. Our night flight from Las Angeles to Toronto left us tired so we decided to take it easy.
In Toronto we are staying with a friend so didn't have to worry about what to see and how to get there. On Friday evening, our friend took us on a tour of Tronto downtown in the car. Toronto downtown is much more lively than LA, Vegus and SF.
All the entertainment, culinary and touristy. places are in the centre of the city. We saw the Toronta University, Financial District and Fashion Street, a popular shopping for Hollywood actors and actresses. Toronto is a popular destination for shooting because of it's scenic beauty and affordability.
We visited St. Lawrence Market, the culinary hub of Toronto, but it was closed by the time we reached there.
We ate at Gerrard St also known as India Bazzar. If I didn't know I was in Toronto, I would have thought I was in an Indian city.
On Saturday it started raining from morning. A welcome sight after the heat of LA and Vegus. We decided to relax and enjoy the rain.
In the evening we went for a walk in the Botanical Garden. It was a small garden but beautifully curated and maintained.
In the evening we went to explore the Kensington Market another culinary mecca of Toronto. We tried Greek food there.
On Sunday the sky cleared we went to see the CN Tower. Built by Canadian National Railway, in 1976, to demonstrate the strength of Canadian industry, it was considered one of the seven engineering wonder in the world.
At 1815 ft, it offers 360 degree view of Toronto. One interesting fact about the tower it gets struck around 75 times per year but the tower is equipped to handle it, with electrons easily flowing through and causing zero damage.
In the evening we went for a walk around the Ontario lake on the Port Union and took a spectacular photo of moonlight glimmering on water.
There many other places to visit in Toronto such as Ripley’s Aquarium, The Royal Ontario Museum and the Art Gallery of Ontario. We decided to leave those for later and are for Niagara Falls.
I am finding Canadians are relaxed and laid back compared to Americans.
Niagara Falls were only 2hrs drive from where we were staying in Toronto. But it took us 4 hrs to get there. There was an accident on the way, and the traffic moved at a snail’s pace.
The Falls were spectacular. Better than my expectations. It was a clear day, we saw the mist rising up and turning into a cloud. We strolled the whole length of the viewing platform, taking photos and making videos of the moving water. An hour and half later we headed for Washington DC.
That was when the second delay happened.
The boarder crossing from Canada to US normally takes 20 to 30 minutes. It took 2 hours. Hundreds of cars were queued and only 3 out of 12 booths were open. We got clearance at 3:30 pm and we had 9 hours journey ahead of us.
Our friend put the GPS on the fastest route and instead of taking us through the highways, it took us through the backroads. All through the drive we were anxious whether we were on the right route.
But in spite of our agitation, it was the most pleasurable drive. Lush hills covered with trees, green meadows and occasional houses. I wanted to see US countryside and I had the visual treat I was waiting for.
We passed the towns of Buffalo, Salamanca, Bradford, Ridgeway, Bellefast and many more (whose names I didn’t get). At half-past midnight we arrived in Washington.
We spent Tuesday and Wednesday in Washington DC when an unexpected thing happened. I fell in love with the city.
I live in a planned city too. Canberra was built around the same time Washington DC was. But Washington is an ultimate planned city. I was really impressed with the grandeur, simplicity and yet elegance of the buildings.
We first went to the Capitol building. If I thought outside of the building was magnificent, inside left me in awe. The entrance hall had a big marble Statue of Freedom which immediately grabs your attention.
We took the guided tour of the building. I don’t think I have seen any dome as high as Capitol dome. I was told the Statue of Liberty can fit there (without the pedestal) with room to spare. The painting at the ceiling, that depicts Washington ascending to heaven, is as big as a basketball court.
From the Capitol building we walked to the George Washington memorial which is an obelisk. A simple but impressive structure. One could go up by lift but you have to come at 7 in the morning on the day and queue up for tickets.
Next we went to the Lincoln Memorial (it became my favourite memorial) and on the way passed the World War II Memorial (my second favourite). Lincoln memorial had his speech written on the wall (symbolic) and World War II Memorial had cascading water and fountains (again symbol of peace).
We walked to the White House and took photos with the fence with the big house in the background.
In the evening we walked the whole length of the Pennsylvania Avenue and listened to Navy Orchestra playing at the Navy Memorial.
The next day we went to the botanical garden, and walked by the various government buildings, art galleries and museum. I didn’t get a chance to see any of them. Before leaving the city I declared to my husband, “I am going to come back here one day.”
From Washington DC we drove to New York.
It was a cultural shock.
From a quiet sophisticated environment, we landed in a loud, dynamic and extravagant place.
Everything in New York is built to make a statement.
The tallest building.
The biggest statue.
The longest bridge.
Of course those records get broken, but often by other structures within the city.
Because of the traffic and time constraints we decided to explore the city by Big Bus.
We bought a two days pass to cover both downtown and uptown circles. The running commentary in the bus gave us the fascinating stats about the city.
We started our tour by paying homage at the Twin Tower Memorial. I like the way they have turned it into a serene place in the middle of a bustling city.
Next, we walked on the Brooklyn Bridge. Although I had read a lot about the bridge but nothing prepared me for the amount of steel used in building this cable-stayed suspension structure.
We drove past all the iconic places I have been hearing about and seeing in movies - Empire State building, World Trade Centre, Wall Street, 5th Avenue, and New York Stock Exchange.
Towards the end of the day we came to Times Square at the and gazed at the mesmerizing electronic billboards.
After dinner we went to see Moulin Rouge. One has to see a Broadway show when one is in New York. When we came out we were greeted by rickshaw pullers singing songs from Moulin Rouge. We ended our first night by seeing the Time Square by night.
The next day we took a ferry to Liberty island to see the Statue of Liberty. There is not enough space here to share what I learned about the statue. I am extremely touched by the idea and sentiments behind its making.
We spent the evening walking the Central Park. I was looking for a place with mosaic on the walls and ceiling that I had seen on a documentary but lost way to it. A park ranger appeared out of nowhere and offered to take us there.
We had dinner at a restaurant in the Times Square overlooking the billboards. I was really impressed by the frequency and timeliness of NY subway and buses. Plenty of people were commuting even at midnight.
No wonder NY is called the city that never sleeps.
I am on holiday in US and Canada. That’s is why, you are reading about my travels rather than about writing. I will be back in the third week of August and resume the normal letters.
You can get my new book here.
That’s all from me this week.
Neera Mahajan
Whenever you are ready, there are three ways I can help you.
I’m in awe of how much you’ve packed into your summer vacation. You may need a vacation from the vacation!
Love having you on this side of the pond and reading your insights on my part of the world.