THE MAGNIFICENT NIAGARA FALLS - PART FOUR

 Niagara Falls seen from different perspectives:

SIDE VIEW OF THE WATERFALL

THE VIEW BEHIND THE WATERFALL

VIEW FROM THE TOP

THE MAGNIFICENT NIAGARA FALLS - PART 3

the entrance

people in yellow ponchos
reminded me of  DiGi mascot

The third pit stop of the package was called "The Journey Behind the Falls". Upon passing through the entrance, you would get to stand to the nearest point of the waterfall. I don't think you would like to get yourself drenched wet and it was quite scary to see the volume of water cascading from the top at such high velocity.

You could already feel the movement of the strong fall from afar. The mist and the splashing water was enough to make you feel as if you were under a drizzling rain but still the poncho-clad people would not miss the opportunity to admire the awesome view as well as to take pictures of the breathtaking scenery.

For one thing, I thanked God for the sunny day which had made our movement from one checkpoint to the other much easier. Other than that, the pictures taken with my compact digital camera had turned out quite well. Throughout my stay in Toronto, the days were mostly cloudy with intermittent rain but on that day, the weather was fine with bright and blue sky throughout the visit.

The main attraction of "the Journey behind the Fall" was of course walking BEHIND the waterfall, hence the name. There were two tunnels built under the river and these tunnels would lead people right behind two openings behind the waterfall. Another unforgettable moment which again reminded me of the adventure stories written by Enid Blyton that I used to read when I was in school. I would describe the feeling of standing there motionless,watching the waterfall as: dark in the inside, bright at the outside. A video of this journey will be posted in the next entry.

People were flocking around the area to get the best place either just to watch the picturesque scenery or to take photographs. And they did not mind getting slightly wet at all, even without the ponchos on.

somewhere over the rainbow

At this spot, we were able to observe the waterfall from another angle - the part where the river was flowing towards the end of its route and started to form the cascade. And this was the moment when I got to see a rainbow forming on top of the water and that would be the nearest spot to see a rainbow ever. And no, I could not see any pot of gold where the rainbow started to form.

 

Another attraction of the visit was the 4-D movie show entitled "Niagara's Fury: The Creation of the Falls" where the viewers were told a 20-minute story of how the falls were formed when the glacier ice melted thousands of years ago and to its present physical state. This was the first time I watched a movie standing up while holding to a hand rail. There were pictures and sounds surrounding the theatre, with water splashing and snow falling from the sky and the ground moving and vibrating underneath.

We spent about six hours there but it was one of the most incredible things that I have ever experienced. I will post more videos of the Niagara Falls after this. Don't forget to check it out later.

THE MAGNIFICENT NIAGARA FALLS - PART 2

THE MAID OF THE MIST

  

You can hear the noises from the cascading waterfalls, the flying birds and the excited people on board of the boat, all blended into one. Recording video at this moment was not an easy task as the boat was not steady and the splashing water might not be good to the camera. To be able not to fall was already an achievement.

WHITEWATER BOARD-WALK

 

This one was a more relaxed thing to do except the haunting thought of what might happen if one fell into the running stream. Too much action movies, perhaps.

THE MAGNIFICENT NIAGARA FALLS - PART ONE

5th June [4th day] ~ If you are visiting Toronto, or the north-east of the USA, your visit will not be complete without seeing the Niagara Falls, up close and personal. At the end of my stay there, when Mr. Solleh asked me, which place had been the most significant one, without hesitation I responded: the Niagara Falls. You can get museums or zoos, or even China Town in other places, but this is one of the most spectacular views of nature, live.

getting excited to no end

 

The first thing that we had to do was to get the pass which would allow us to get access to four places/activities (but the tickets had been bought online in advance). The first one was "the Maid of the Mist". People were ushered on a big boat that would set sail to the nearest point of the waterfall possible. Other than watching the streaming waterfalls REALLY up close, we could feel the water splashing on our faces and poncho-covered bodies. At the same time, we had to balance ourselves on the rocking boat and there was nothing to hold on to as we did not stand near the railing by the boat side. For once, I was feeling like Leornado deCaprio on Titanic.

on land and still dry

getting wet and wild

The Niagara Falls actually comprise of three major waterfalls. The ones I saw were the bigger Horseshoe Fall which belongs to Canada while the smaller one, the American Fall, lies in the American territory. The boat trip was a short one, thank God for that, but it was one of the unforgettable moments of my life so far.

The next activity was the Whitewater Board-walk where people just walked by the fast stream. However, to go downwards to the river bank, we had to be in a long queue. There was only one lift operating and we had to take turns going up and down.

 

Everybody was there to admire the fast current as well as the thunderous sounds made by the water. If someone falls into the stream, I guess the chance of surviving in almost zero unless he or she is really lucky. Scary thought...

posing by the stream

 

 

There will be video recordings of the waterfalls posted later. Don't forget to come back for more.