The New York transit had us arrive at Penn Station over an hour early for our 7.15 departure for Niagara Falls which allowed us to find where we needed to be and buy our tickets. Well that's where everything was running smoothly ... Let's just say customer service in the US leaves a little to be desired. After buying our tickets we were ushered in the direction of a lounge which we assumed was the waiting bay for our train. Nat dozed as Junior sat awake listening to the poorly spoken and crackly announcements of train boardings and scheduled stops. We were waiting for train number 63 which by 7.15 still had not been called (only 69 and 71). Strange, maybe 7.15 was the boarding time ... as Junior stood up to check what was going on, we both heard the lady announce that the last and final call for the train stopping in Niagara before Toronto, etc. Crap that must be our train, so we grab our stuff and leg it to the gate only to have the door closed in our face as the train has left. I won't swear but how do you have a final call when the train has already left (and we weren't the only ones standing wondering what was going on).
So we head for the ticket counter to find out what is happening. The new dude we see at ticketing tries to explain that the train we missed is the only one going to Canada today (not just Niagara but all of Canada, so we can't skip NF and go to Joel's either). He does suggest that we can get on another train to NF on the New York side and then taxi or bus it across the border, but that will cost another $20 (more money to go less distance as we can't get the 3 day advance purchase discount we had on the previous ticket). At this stage we're both fuming, Nat's asking for a manager who can't do anything, some chick behind the counter is looking Junior over after hearing the accent but even he wasn't in the mood for this attention. We buy the tickets and the guy explains that 15 minutes before departure our gate will be displayed on the monitor (of which there were none in the waiting bay). Why couldn't the first dude tell us that when we were an hour early??
So we finally get on the train which leaves for Niagara Falls, NY at 9.30 (2 hours later) and is scheduled to arrive at 6.30pm that day. Not so bad at least we are on our way. The train arrives in BF nowhere, Niagara, on the NY side at 7.45pm and the only thing besides railway lines and a bit of cement is 3 taxis waiting for those dumb enough to stay on the train til the last stop. After being told that it would be $35 to get across the border and to our hostel or $12 to get to the border only we decided to get dropped at the border and walk across. A great decision as we legged it across the bridge overlooking the bottom of the Falls and walked right into Canada and were only a 5 minute walk from our hostel.
The Lyon's House hostel in NF was awesome, run by an elderly couple, who allowed us our own room. Our free breakfast was ruined by the American's down the hall who came in late and stole all of the bananas - pricks! After a good nights sleep in "Mini Vegas" (Niagara is dotted with kids attractions and casinos), we headed off to organise our travel to Ottawa to see Joel, Rupe and Bella.
When you're travelling sometimes you can forget what day it is! Being a Sunday the only answers we got from car rental companies were "sorry we're closed today" or "we don't have any cars that we want driven from Niagara and dropped off in Ottawa." After half an hour of frustration we thought we'd try the railways despite our previous days experience. Nat contacted Canada Rail and we had tickets to Ottawa for $36 each, what a bargain (we had a car quoted for the following day at $200). So we took in the sights of Niagara, checked out of the hostel and prepard ourselves for the 6 hour trip to Ottawa leaving at 2pm.
As we arrived to buy our tickets Junior's suspicion had arisen after Nat told him that after stopping in Toronto at 6 we would arrive in Ottawa at 7.13 (yes they were that precise). Hold the phone, as Nat gave the chick her credit card to pay for the tickets Junior asked where the train was stopping "Does this go to O Ta Wa?" The response was priceless "No, no these are tickets to Oshawa!!"
I remember a saying - "if it weren't for bad luck I'd have none!" As we left the hostel that morning the owner, an elderly Scot, had wished us both luck telling us that sometimes you need a little when you're travelling - No S#!T, he was spot on. So more phone calls to car rental companies trying to pull a rabbit, while Nat ventured to the Greyhound across the road to enquire what could happen there. We were able to get on a bus leaving at 2 and arriving in Ottawa at 9.15 ... thank God.
So the bus stops in Toronto and we have to board another bus to get to Ottawa. On the way to Toronto the major highway was having some rework done so we had a slight detour that put us about 20 minutes behind schedule. We get to Toronto and rush to the boarding platform to see a line and a bus that is already pretty full, please let us on. We're about 10 back with about 20 behind us, when the bus driver closes the door and drives off 15 mins before schedule - you wouldn't bloody read about it!
The next bus is scheduled to leave in just over 2 hours and arrive after midnight in Ottawa (where Joel has a 6 month old and was going to meet us at the station). As we've said in a previous entry if you don't get on the Greyhound because there isn't enough seasts then too bad!! Well that's in the USA, in Canada they grab another bus and pick up the 27 people standing in line and give them an express ride to Ottawa. We leave about 10 minutes after schedule and arrive to Joel's open arms about 9.30pm, finally something falls our way!!
So when we arrived in Ottawa we had travelled for a total of 20 hours over 2 days and were pretty much butchered. Nat made a pact that for the time we were in Ottawa she would eat healthy/nutritous food, well that went out the window on the ride from the bus station to Joel's as we were hungry, it was late, we were tired (more vulnerable) and gave in to the dreaded Maccas! Not a good start...
