Niagara Falls

After a 12-hour coach journey from New York City to the Canadian Side of Niagara Falls, I was a little worse for wear. I had barely slept and was in desperate need of coffee, nothing I thought could cheer me up until I took my first glimpse and the world famous falls. my first reaction was "WOW". The further I walked along the Niagara Parkway, a stretch of road that runs along the Niagara River, separating the USA and Canada, the more the Falls entranced me. Whilst powerful, there was something incredibly delicate and majestic about the falls before my eyes. I knew by this point it was time to board a vessel and get up close and personal with Mother Nature. Poncho on, I boarded a Hornblower cruise, Canada’s answer to America’s iconic Maid of the Mist. As we set sail the excitement pulsated through every capillary, vein and major artery, I felt vulnerable. It was a grey morning but I didn’t care. The water from the American and Bridal Veil Falls still glistened perplexing me, again into a trance; I barely even noticed the sprays of water gushing in my face. Continuing along the Niagara River, we gradually began to enter the basin of Horseshoe Falls. The sound was deafening. The power we were all greeted with was electrifying. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I could feel the Goosebumps blistering up my arms. At first, you notice the brilliant blues and greens, the emeralds and turquoise shades of the water. Over 2,000,000 liters of water passes over the 50 meter precipice at incredible speeds with sounds that echo a natural water vacuum, difficult to describe and otherworldly. After spending what felt like a joyous eternity in the basin of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls, we returned to port. High on excitement, I returned to street level and continued the walk along the Niagara Parkway towards the Horseshoe Falls. By this point, the sun decided to make an appearance. Shining bright, our star breathed life onto the deep colours of Autumn providing a breathtaking backdrop to the already incredible image of the Falls. Then, without warning a magical rainbow appeared over the Niagara River, shooting out a passing Maid of the Mist. It was an incredible sight; almost indescribable as these incredible Falls melded into a cesspool of colour. This was a golden moment in my own personal exploration of the world.