Where in the world is "el Bori": From Cataño to Ontario, Canada (Niagra Falls)
Hello Guys and Welcome to my traveling blog. I must apologize for being M.I.A. but here I am again writing about my travels.
Today, I will talk about my shortest travel ever. I went to Canada on June 12, 2010 for 4 hours and 35 minutes. It was one of my high school graduation gifts from my father but the whole crew (The family) went with me.
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| Bridge that connects Canada (left side) with the USA (right side). |
We departed really early from
Cleveland, Ohio to Ontario and it only took us 3 hours and 32 minutes to get there. It felt forever but I was really excited about this trip. I was going to CANADA!!! I was going to see the Niagra Falls something that I always saw in books and on TV. One of the best things about the road trip to Canada was that we were driving by the whole coast of lake Erie and it looked beautiful. Totally recommend going on a road trip to the Niagra Falls if you can.
Cleveland, Ohio to Ontario and it only took us 3 hours and 32 minutes to get there. It felt forever but I was really excited about this trip. I was going to CANADA!!! I was going to see the Niagra Falls something that I always saw in books and on TV. One of the best things about the road trip to Canada was that we were driving by the whole coast of lake Erie and it looked beautiful. Totally recommend going on a road trip to the Niagra Falls if you can.
When we arrived to Canada we had to pass through customs which was the craziest thing ever. My father started to become paranoid because he did not know English and wanted my uncle (the driver) to translate for him but because it was my dad. He confused and irritated the officer that ended up telling us to get out of the car and to give him all 7 passports and then we all had to go to the waiting room. First we thought that we got in trouble because the cop told us to get out of the vehicle but then we found out that it was because we were first timers in Canada and they needed to put our information in but they did not stamp them (which upset me because I wanted my passport to be stamped).
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| Niagra Falls, New York, EEUU. |
After all of that hustle we crossed the bridge that connects the EEUU with Canada. It was beautiful crossing that bridge because you could see the Niagra falls from a distance. I don't know why but you could tell that you were in another country. But it was really interesting seeing the EEUU from another point of view. I always travel by plane to go to the EEUU so my view was always from the air. This travel was just crossing a bridge and being able to see the culture difference in just a short period of time. When I got to see the Niagra Falls from a closer site it was amazing! I know it's just water falling from a cliff but it is just so majestic and natural. It's just amazing to see how beautiful nature is and how things are just created.
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| My sister Valerie and I posing with the falls. |
After taking a million pictures of the Niagra Falls in all the angles that I could, my father bought us tickets to get into a boat and actually see the falls closer and actually get wet from it. That was the best part of the trip. After the boat ride we got something to eat and went back to the EEUU side. Why? Well, my father was paranoid to go and explore the rest of the city and everybody else besides me and my sister were tired so we left because majority ruled. My short time in Canada was really nice. I took a piece of Canada with me; the little bit that I did take back to EEUU has opened a more nostalgic feeling in returning again and to explore more of this beautiful country. I can't wait to visit again.
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| My Father. He was hype to be in Niagra Falls he just never smiled. |
This was a really short trip but it means a lot for me because after this trip I left to go to Costa Rica and LA later to find out that my father was diagnosed with Colon Cancer. Within two months during my first week as a freshman in Millersville University, I lost him because the cancer had spread all over his body. It was too late. He had stage four cancer (Metastasis) and the cancer was estimated to be there since I was 6 years old and I was 18 when he passed away. I will never forget this trip. I feel that he knows that it what was happening within him and that we weren't going to be there soon because this trip was really spontaneous that he decided to do while we were visiting family in Ohio. I forever will miss him but I nourish the time that we have together and the relationship we had before he passed away. This year will be 5 years since he left and it still hurts the same but the only medicine to this is just knowing that I am continuing to make him proud with my success and by being his only son to graduate high school and college. For those who still have a father take advantage of your time with him because God can just take them from you in just a blink of an eye.
I know that this post is not normal for me to do or even talk about but I would like to dedicate this post to my father José Antonio Rivera Ríos (1957-2011). Forever being there for me and for always trying to do everything for his kids... Happy Father's Day Papi (Tony)!!!!!
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| My father and I on my high school graduation. ******************************************************************************************************* Next week, I will be talking to you guys about my week trip to Costa Rica. My parent's second high school graduation gift. Thank you for reading. I know it was not long but I hope you all enjoyed reading about Canada and I am glad to share this part of my life with you guys. When life give you lemons you just have to make lemonade out of it. Like it, leave a comment and/or Share it! :) |