Toronto

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On the journey to Toronto we learnt more about Andrew an Australian traveller who was going to be staying in England for a year or so whilst interspersing trips to Europe. He was currently visiting friends in New York and Toronto for a few weeks and, as what was becoming somewhat of a habit, we discussed travelling, the world and our mutual bewilderment and all things American.

Upon arrival in Toronto we all checked into a HI hostel and shared a bottle of Cointreau. The hostel, part of a chain across the US called HI or Hostel International, was very expensive and they had affectively slept us in a converted corridor. Also, as appears to be the policy of HI, they seem to attract strange & crazy people, young cheap-ass familys and the elderly. Ben and I, both very dissatisfied with our HI experince thus far, vowed never to return to one.

The following day we saw the CN tower and explored downtown Toronto. We possibly did not really optimise our time in Toronto, we spent most of it in an internet cafe catching up with the world.

That evening I went with Andrew to see his friend, who was a keyboard player for a covers band, play in a hotel uptown. It was a really good evening, despite being a little pricey, and I was able to meet some really interesting people.

The following day Ben and I decided to leave Toronto a day ahead of schedule, we thought we could save some money by getting the night bus but we still had a day to kill first. We approached the hostel staff for inspiration of what to do. "Visit Niagara Falls" they said, to which we replied "we have already been there and done that, anything else?" Unfortunatley they were out of ideas so we ended spending the day in a shopping centre and the trusted internet cafe, again!

Toronto was a nice city and despite being renowed for its live music there was little else to do during the day. However, I dont begrudge Toronto for trainting my Canadian experience, afterall I really only have myself to blame by failing to give it the opportunity it deserved. Maybe next time, if there is a next time, Canada may get a better chance to shine.

After saying farewell to Andrew we boarded the night bus and started what would be a 13-hour journey to Boston. 30 minutes out of Toronto and the bus broke down. We had to wait a further 40 minutes for a replacement bus to arrive. Once we got going again and about an hour later we had to face the ordeal that is the US customs control. A fellow passenger, who was an American, remarked as we approached boarder control "You can tell we have reached America as the atmosphere has suddenly become much more tense." It was true the atmosphere had changed for the worse.
After we were all probed about destinations, and origins, after we had taken off our belts, jewellery and shoes and after our luggage (and even the bus) was scanned we were all 'free' to proceed with our journey. I emphasise the word free as it is thrown around a lot in America, but I think its meaning has become a little lost. As the trip progresses Ben and I become more sceptical about Americas supposed freedoms & rights. The security systems now in place are hostile, there is a guilty till proven innocent culture, to do anything requires identification and security checks and the only free Americans are those with money. A scarily large portion of Americans live in poverty and the devide between the rich and the poor is considerable and is clearly evident in any city. If anything the trip to Canada reminded me what real freedom tastes like. The American propaganda machine has been working overtime to promote, around the globe, the ideals such as freedom, prosperity, liberty and the famous 'American dream'. Unfortunately, for most thats all it will ever be, a dream. As for freedom, it has become somewhat diluted.

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Photos

The CN Tower
The only thing we did worth a photo.

The CN Tower in Black and White
The only thing we did worth a photo. This time minus the colour.

A brief moment of excitement.
Realising that we had no pictures of Toronto we decided to try and make some. This tram provided a brief moment of excitement in an otherwise boring city.

Bens best metalica pose
Yeah, still board!