There And Back Again - a border tale
The trip itself was nice, even though it was very cold out (I think the high only got to 24*F) and snowing on and off. We made a pit stop at Tim Horton's, where Trev got a maple donut for himself and a raspberry muffin for me, and it was hard for me to eat my muffin because of how very stressed and nervous I was. My hands were shaking the entire time, but I just tried my hardest not to think about it until the moment of truth came when I would try to return to Canada.
Jeff had forgotten his passport at home, so we'd decided to skip Buffalo and park in Canada and just walk over to the American side of the falls and back. This seemed like it could have less complication for me, so I started to feel a little better. Jeff had a membership card to the big casino on the Canadian side, so we were able to park freely in there and then start walking.
My first time seeing the falls was, indeed, an amazing experience. The low roar and sheer power of the silver-blue falls, the thick white steam rising up into the snowy sky, and everything around the falls being frozen perfectly stiff and white with ice. It was incredibly cold, but it was sooooo worth it.
~Niagara album part 1: mostly my pics~
~Niagara album part 2: a mix of mine and Elisa's pics~
We walked over the Rainbow Bridge to USA customs, where a guard asked me concise questions in a really bored voice and then let me through. I was very relieved that the journey was partway over, but my worries increased by far. I could barely enjoy the American side of the falls at all, even when we were way out on the observation deck looking at the mighty rush of water.
We walked into what must have once been a thriving, colourful American tourist trap. But it wasn't any longer; the big mall and many plazas had been shut down, and the one place we got to go into with food and shopping looked like some eerie location out of some creepy, cheap horror film or something. There was barely anyone there and the food court looked as though it hadn't been touched since the 80's; the rounded edge square tables were shiny and had blue and black giraffe print and other very 80's patterns on them, and their obnoxiously green booths were all empty. As we passed the "kitchen" part of the food court, a small flock of sparrows fluttered up from the floor onto the menu sign.
I did, however, buy a few things so I'd have in my possession a receipt showing that I had been in the USA on that day to re-set my visitor status. I bought some really nice postcards and a couple pieces of jewelry, and then we decided to leave this desolate, awful, ghetto dump and return to Canada.
I lost all feeling in my legs, and they had gone noodly. My throat was dry and my heart was racing, and I was absolutely terrified, but of course I couldn't just let that show on the outside. Walking back over the Rainbow Bridge, I looked ahead of me at the Canadian landscape and wondered if I would be denied access, if Canada would slip right out of my grasp and out of reach.
Luckily, I was received by a very nice and understanding border guard. She and I talked a bit and delved into the whole situation, and she was just really wonderful and in a good mood. Once she handed me back my passport and said "There you are" with a smile, and with my heart bursting, I calmly thanked her and headed out the door right back into Canada.
All feeling suddenly returned to my legs, flooding me with tingling heat. I felt like a crushing pressure had been lifted from me, and I felt so light that it a sensation of anti-gravity. I felt like soaring straight up into the sunlit, snow-laden clouds.
Trevor came out moments after me, and he greeted me with a huge hug. I felt like jumping up and down and screaming my joy to the world.
Now we were all joyous and in very high spirits as we re-entered Niagara's carnival-like streets and bright colours and crowds. We looked around for a bit and then went to Kelsey's to eat: what a nice restaurant! Our waiter was a really great guy and we tipped him well xD I was celebrating inside and out.
After we had eaten, we walked around even more as the cloudy sky began to throw Niagara into early dusk. We stopped by the fudge store where I bought a Nanaima bar and Elisa bought a whole bag of sponge toffee, then we stopped by massive gift stores and admired all the neat stuff. Everything was brightness and vivid colour and sound, playing into my overjoyed and energetic mood.
Next, we went to the casino to look around. I'd never been in a casino before and had never cared to be, but this was a really beautiful, elegant sort of place, though everyone was casually dressed. Chings, dings, bells, rings, clacks and clicks, and music filled the entire multistory building like a flash flood, even when we were in the lobby and were heading up the escalator, a man-made little pond and cascading waterfalls flowing down from either side of it. Everything was so bright and shiny, though my favourite things were these two floor-to-ceiling grids of mesmerizing, moving colours.
Trevor and I tried our hands at the nickel machines, and I won $7.25 and decided to cash out, LOL *is lame*.
After exploring the casino and watching people win up to thousands of dollars, we continued to explore the vicinity. We went to the Hershey store and tried wonderful fudge samples and took funny pics, then into the 50's diner-esque Coca Cola store, then into a nice gift store. There was a store with classic movie themed items, and I posed for a suggestive picture with lifesize standouts of Jack Sparrow and Indiana Jones; there were these Oscars inspired statues with plaques for different "awards", such as Best Mom, Best Husband, et cetera. One of them said "Best Canadian Eh!" and Elisa took a picture of it xD
Outside near the green-lit falls was a walkway with trees donned in sparkling Christmas lights of all colours, and a horse-drawn carriage led by a big white Percheron mare and a string of pale blue lights gracing the front edge of the white carriage roof. Overhead, two long spotlights swung back and forth through the black sky, illuminating falling snow and giving the illusion that the light beams were sparkling.
The drive home was quiet and happy, and Trevor and I were both very tired but I couldn't help gazing out the window at the glittering lights and snow and sleet. Suddenly a lit-up white cross and the words "God Loves You" appeared on the side of the road facing Lake Ontario, and I felt an immense joy within me.
In the distance as we drove past Hamilton, the lights of Toronto could be faintly seen on the horizon. The CN Tower was standing tall in the night, a blue and red spire of welcoming that made my heart lilt yet again.
I was home.
Also, my latest four eggs FINALLY frigging hatched overnight :D
I hope the water one is a female so I can name her Maiden-of-the-Mist :P