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Published: October 18th 2014
This is my first visit to Toronto...yes, I guess it was never that high on my wish list...and coming here at the beginning on Autumn is still not 100% what I could call on my wish list. But this is the first stop of a dream trip, or at least what I hope will be!
So what do I know about Toronto...prior to come here! Well, I have a friend living here, and I haven't seen him for the last 13 years...so we spent 3 hours in the afternoon around few drinks...3 hours chatting is pretty short when you haven't seen a friend for 13 years. Next, there should be a lot of Asians living in Toronto. I know the result of Asian immigration on Vancouver real estate...well, Downtown Toronto is full of new luxury condos, guess what's valid is Vancouver, may as well be valid here.
Than there is the souvenir of the SRAS, 12 years ago...I was living in Hong Kong at the time, and the two cities were sharing the same fame for being the epicenters of the disease...today it's Ebola...big difference, incubation period of Ebola is way longer...which should provide an
edge for the medical world, but is not! Second big difference...HK and Toronto did have proper medical facilities...not really any comparison possible with what is available today on West Africa. Third, HK and Toronto moved fast...the world is only starting to wake up to the reality of Ebola.
I have 24 hours for Toronto...it's not that cold yet, but Autumn is there, in full blow. I'm pretty lucky, the two days prior to my arrival have seen a lot of rain, and I may have had only 20 minutes of rain during my day visiting...rain started at the end of my stay...and didn't stop!
I did my homework to find out what to visit in Toronto. There is for sure the CN Tower...as you can see the pictures, I managed to visit it at the end of the day...as the clouds had cleared a little...just before rain decided to come back. I only paid to visit the first level...which was already a pretty nice ride at something like 350 meters high.
There doesn't seem to have any world class Museum in Toronto...well, at least not that I found out. And I
was not very motivated to visit another expensive aquarium...knowing that my next dive is only short of four weeks from today. So I did do what I love...I walk, and I walk...a lot.
First it was Downtown, than Chinatown, the legislative Building, the beautiful University of Toronto and than the climb up to Casa Loma. Yes, I walk all this....if you know Toronto, it's quite a walk. From Casa Loma, I took the Subway to King to go across the Old Town, and specially to discover the St Lawrence Market. The Market was not too crowded, and as expected, it was a beautiful experience. It was soon time to join my friend at the Loose Moose Pub for a long afternoon of chatting.
I than took a little over an hour to enjoy the views of Toronto from the CN Tower...before returning to my hotel for a last check at my emails....before a long (unconnected) trip...a truly long trip, but one I can say...from the comfort of my room in the city of my next stop...a long journey I'm glad I did...
Next entry, from a colder place...in the Northwest...
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
A great City
I've been to Toronto a few times and always had a grand time. Can't believe it wasn't on your list. A great town.