Ottawa

Hmm, Ottawa. A city in Canada but has a ‘British’ hue… Anyway, in this city, there are several places of interest, namely Notre Dame, Canadian Mint, National Gallery of Canada, Maman Statue, Parliament Hill, and passing site only (or seen from above only), Rideau Canal.

Notre Dame in Ottawa

Canadian Mint

Maman Statue (left) and National Gallery of Canada (right)

Notre Dame, Canadian Mint, National Gallery of Canada, and Maman Statue are on the same street, so it's a walking tour. I did not get too much information about these places, except for that Canadian Mint is where Canadian coins are made and that the Maman Statue means ‘mom’ in French. Oh, and that Notre Dame is a church. I did enter it and took a really quick picture of the interior, in which… I guess I broke the rules? (Not sure. Not sure at all.

Parliament Hill

Parliament Building in Ottawa

Well, going to the bus to go to Parliament Hill, although I think its possible to reach there by walking. Over here, we can see Ottawa’s parliament building, which resembles London’s parliament building. The overall structure is similar, in addition that the statues of the entrance of the parliament building are a lion and a unicorn, the animal symbol for United Kingdom.

View from Wellington Street

Going outside the Parliament Hill would be Wellington Street, which would be perfect to have a view of Rideau Canal. Yup, this place is beautiful alright. There is a hotel just beside the canal called Fairmont Chateau Laurier, in which was said to be expensive as it has the view of the canal and is close to the parliament building. By close, I really mean close.

During my visit, there is a nightly show in the Parliament Hill called MosAika that was held from July to September 2013. It is a light show showing the history of Canada. Too bad that its only up for three months… 

[I'm sorry I can't upload a video of this show - the size is just too big and I only recorded a part of it :/ ]

Anyway, I think that covers the places of interest in Ottawa. Next on the list: Quebec!

Toronto

The situation of Toronto around the area of University of Toronto

Whew, sure is crowded around here, and there’s a lot of traffic in this city. (Not in the picture of the city overview I took though) 

--- Just a random info about Toronto. I was informed that people around here prefer to walk to their workplace because walking and transportation takes about the same time to reach their destination, and sometimes transportation can take longer. ---

Another random information about Toronto is that their buildings are unique. Its like a mixture of old and modern style, though there are more modern ones.

Anyway, about the places of interest… Most of the places of interest in Toronto are passing site as the bus arrived in Toronto at… 4 or 5 p.m. The passing sites are City Hall, Parliament Building, Rogers Center, and University of Toronto, though I manage to get a shot of the currently renovated University of Toronto.

University of Toronto, currently renovated

The places that I really visited would be only the C.N tower and China Town. Nope, nothing to say about China Town, so I won’t blabber about it.

C.N. Tower from below

C.N. Tower is currently the fifth tallest freestanding structure in the world, in which will be the sixth if the Shanghai Tower is finished. It is an observation tower. In the tower, there is a part where the tower is made of glass floor so that people will be able to see what is under our feet. Oh, and if anyone is afraid of heights… It’s up to you. I myself is afraid of heights, but it’s once in a life time chance, especially for a foreigner like me.

View from the glass floor

There is also a part where we are inside the tower but not inside the room anymore, which is just outside the part of the glass floor view. I forgot how tall this is though and brrr! Its cold! Anyone that wants to come to this part and is not resistant to coldness is recommended to bring a jacket.

The net around the outside part

No need to worry, no one will be able to fall from this height since there are nets everywhere. However, that makes it hard to take a picture of the view that is not covered with glass. If the camera’s lens is small enough to focus inside one of the tiny net, the view can be captured.

The view from the 'outside' part of C.N. Tower

Random tips: Is there anyone that likes figures? This is actually a good time to take a picture of the figure with the view (that looks like a city made of legos)~ owo

Danbo in Toronto .w.

[Inner voice: But too bad the spot that I got did not have a significant landmark that shows that I am in Toronto ;-; ]

That’s it really for Toronto, since… Well, not much places are visited. Next: 6 hours trip to Ottawa~

Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls: how beautiful it is. The 10 hours trip totally paid off. The Falls are made up of three different falls – American Falls (American Side), Bridal Veil Falls (American Side), and the Horseshoe Falls (Canadian Side).

Info: The American Side and the Canadian side are separated by Goat Island, and the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls are separated by Luna Island.

Anyone that wants to see the falls from the hotel may stay in Sheraton on the Falls or Marriott Gateway – You can see the falls during breakfast!

The Falls from the hotel (sorry if its blurry)

Recommendation to enjoy the trip: If anyone wants to experience the Niagara Falls up close, ride the Maid of the Mist!

Maid of the Mist

Maid of the Mist Ticket

Any passengers riding the Maid of the Mist will experience the ‘fragments’ of Niagara Fall even though raincoats are provided for everyone. This boat is a good place to take a picture of the Niagara Falls. Up close rainbow(s) are available too! However, beware of wet cameras or hand phones or any gadgets! Even though you are the opposite side of the boat where you can’t see the falls, you can still get wet!

Rainbow sighted :>

The American Falls, slightly seen Bridal Veil Falls, and
the Horseshoe Falls at the far end along with one of
Maid of the Mist boat

Another tip: Its also recommended to take the panoramic view of the falls from high places, such as outside Maid of the Mist souvenir shop, if its available in your gadget.

Panoramic view of Niagara Falls
(At least its a bit wider than normal pictures)

The top of the Falls

Oh, and also... There is a place that is situated right on top of the falls where the edges of the falls can be seen! But, I am not too sure of the name though... Around this area, there is a restaurant that can see the Niagara Falls while eating lunch! It must be reserved though... 

Niagara During Nighttime

Niagara Falls during Nighttime (note: this picture is diagonal and
slightly edited so that its more visible)

Niagara falls is also enjoyable at night! The lights are lit up to make the falls visible and colourful. This view is visible in a park (or so I call it) across a park that is across Hard Rock Cafe. [Sorry, no vivid description...] 

Clifton Street at night

There is also Clifton Street that is like a Mini Vegas as the main highlight are casinos. There are also Guinness World Record Museum, haunted houses, gift shops, etc. Its recommended to visit there during night time!

That’s it for Niagara Falls, I guess. A splendid place to visit, but we need to move on. Next: Toronto, a crowded city in Canada!