Photography
Niagara Falls » Tue, Aug 8th 2006 11:27 pm
Our first leg of the trip, Niagara Falls, was sort of backwards to the second. That is, I arrived with high-hopes and it just started spiraling downhill from there. Our first stop was the butterfly safari, which was one of the things I was actually looking forward to doing. It didn’t disappoint either, but I was inexplicably frustrated when my camera, near the end of the walk, hiccupped and simply “forgot” about the ~300mb of photos I’d taken. At this point was I too sweaty and tired to bother going back to re-take the shots. I left with only five or six butterfly pictures; most of them mediocre and none of them really “post-worthy”.
That aside, I enjoyed this part of the trip. I could, however, have done without the flock of tourists. I got pretty grumpy when we hit the main street and I found myself surrounded by thousands of sweaty tourists. All of the attractions were designed in such a way that tourists would actually flow through them. There was an entrance with someone taking money, and an unattended exit. I felt a lot like what I’d imagine cattle feels like when it’s being herded somewhere: used, and neglected.
I also felt as though I’d been robbed. Most of the attractions were at least $10, and offered barely more than 10 minutes of anything to do, let alone entertainment. I found myself looking forward to sleep most of the time, though there were a few exceptions. Most notably, I think, was the ride I shared with Alyson on the “Sky Wheel” (at least I think it was the Sky Wheel… Sky Something… A Farris Wheel, anyway.) I enjoyed the rush of being up so high, the view, and the peace and quiet. I was nice to be alone up there above it all…
I don’t mean to make the trip sound like a nightmare, by the way. I was grumpy for some parts of it, but I’d perk up and try to make the best of things when I could. Still, I don’t think I’d ever return to that place. Or if I did, it’d be alone (or with Alyson) where we could just chill out and take things a lot more slowly. If I’d had my way, I’d have done a lot more sight-seeing. Oh well. I enjoyed this experience too (in hindsight) and think I’m better off for it.
This photo, by the way, was taken on our way home. The falls are a few kilometers away from this place I think, but my photos of them were from too great a distance and during the wrong time of day to be very interesting.
1 Chris on Wed, Aug 9th 2006 12:05 am
I hate that cursed city. When I was there last, buying my Camaro, I asked the salesman if there was anything I should "do" while there. He said, "Yes, you should leave."
He went on to explain that the city was a terrible tourist trap, and I should just get out of there. Sounds like it wasn’t terrible advice. My own hatred stems from it’s ridiculous traffic — not due to a terribly high volume of cars, but because they clearly let some kind of primate design the infastructure. I waited in a row of cars at a red light, with no traffic opposing us… and the opposing light got an advanced green, while we continued to wait. Brilliant!
2 Aaron on Sun, Aug 13th 2006 1:38 pm
Yes, a trap. That’s precisely what it felt like. If I return to that place, I don’t expect I’ll step foot on that main street again. Heh. There’s plenty of nature there to keep me occupied for free.