Niagara Falls

The 14-hour journey to Niagara Falls from Philadelphia first stopped off at New York City. We were able to stretch our legs and get our first glimpse of the city that would eventually mark the conclusion of the trip.

The long journey across New York state gave me and appreciation of the sheer size of American states, practically countries in their own right it is an impressive tribute to the founding fathers, whose initial spirit of co-operation and trust first bound these huge states together to form one nation.

The passenger rail network in the US is very minimal. Commercial freight trains take priority over passenger services, so at many points along the journey we found ourselves either waiting or reversing our direction of travel in order to allow other trains to pass.

Eventually at about 10pm we arrived at Niagara Falls station. The station was very basic; a concrete area formed the platform with a telephone in the corner, again another illustration of the minimal rail passenger network.

The hostel we stayed at was on the American side and it was basically the owner’s own home. The owner was a polite Chinese lady who was out for every cent she could get. After we had checked-in we informed her that we were going to go out and grab a bite to eat.
“No, No. Give me dollar fifty and I will cook for you” she said.
We thought for one dollar fifty it was a bargain and agreed. She made us a noodle soup with broccoli and bread and she made sure that we ate every last bit.
Later on she asked us what we would be doing. When telling her that we planned to see the falls in the morning and then get a taxi back to the train station, she saw this as a further opportunity to offer her services as taxi driver.
“Give me eight dollar, I take you to station”
Again we agreed, as it was cheaper than a regular taxi. It later transpired that she had also charged eight dollars to an Australian guy named Andrew. He ended up sharing the taxi with us and she ended up with a significant sum of cash for the relatively short journey.

The next morning we headed towards the falls themselves, crossing to the Canadian side we caught our first glimpse. Trapped amongst the high-rise hotels and casinos the magnificence of the falls was lost, that initial feeling of awe as experienced at the Grand Canyon was replaced with one of disappointment. Standing above the falls the height and majesty of them is minimised. It is not until you get down onto the water, with the Maid of the Mist boat tour, away from the razzmatazz and corporate decoration that now adjoin the banks of the canyon, that you really start to experience Niagara Falls. As the boat pulls near to the base the full power and force of the falls becomes apparent. Arching upwards and straining through the mist you can just make out the top of the falls, its at this point you start to appreciate just how grand and how magnificent the falls really are. Attacking your every sense the falls draw you into a mystical world. The spray and mist engulf you. The thunderous sound of the water cascading over the top and crashing 80ft to the ground seems somehow hypnotic and enchanting. And the smell and taste of fresh water fill your lungs invigorating every part of you. As the boat pulls away you are thrust back into reality.
Once back up top you feel sickened by the theme park style graffiti that litters Niagara Falls. The falls have become too much like fast food, convenient and commercial. As Ben commented, there is no sense of achievement in viewing the falls, no 3-mile trek through the forest before gazing across a magnificent vista, with the falls in centre shot, and he’s right! There is no adventure to be had and no arduous trail to conquer. Experiencing the falls is no longer possible you are merely a visitor, an observer. Unlike Grand Canyon there is no real magic about Niagara Falls, like undoubtedly there once was. It is still a truly beautiful and wonderful spectacle, despite everything said. Niagara Falls is just missing that je ne sais quoi.

Heading away from the falls and back into the US we collected our bags and took our eight-dollar taxi to the station with the hostel owner. On route she tried to persuade us to stay longer and explore some of the shops. Frankly Niagara Falls the city, from what we had seen, was a dive so we kindly declined her offer. Getting back on the train we crossed the boarder back into Canada again. With a new friend in Andrew, the guy who shared the same Niagara hostel experience, we laughed and joked all the way to Toronto.

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