Our huge trip to the USA and Canada
With all the raving one hears about the States as a holiday destination, we too joined
the bandwagon and proceeded with a fairly circular tour, doing the rounds of visiting
relatives and hitting some of the major sightseeing destinations in the vicinity.
New Jersey and New York
Our first stop was New Jersey, landing at Newark airport only to be informed that our
luggage had been left stranded in Gatwick, which we were informed would be with us in 24
hours! What a start we thought. In the meantime we waited at our masi's house in Metuchen, a quite, leafy suburb of New Jersey, about a
half hour drive away. 
Over the next three days, we enjoyed shopping at some of the huge malls, eating at some
of the 'finest Indian restaurants' in the area and managing a day trip to the big Apple.
Here we saw the Twin towers, the Empire State building, Times Square and a river trip
taking us past Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty and the famous Brooklyn Bridge, as well
as visiting a battleship that housed the Stealth fighter plane on its' massive deck. On
the ship we got a feel for the naval life as we weaved through many of a ships quarters
such as the engine room, navigation room, watchtower et al. This was a great day in all
and managed to get a feel and buzz of life in New York.
Toronto and Niagara Falls
Our next port of call was Toronto
in Canada, a city nestling on the rim of lake Ontario and the commercial capital of
Canada. It is only a one-hour flight from New Jersey and we landed in a empty un-crowded
airport - such a relief from the busy ones of Heathrow and Gatwick. My kaka, a resident of
the country for over fifteen years and running a successful and manageable business
manufacturing menus, collected us, as it is with him we would be staying for the next
three days or so. We headed for Scarborough, an hour or so away from the airport. At home
my kaki had already made fresh parota which came at the right time for us as it was almost
in line with a late breakfast. That evening, a number of relatives, some we hadn't seen
for many years came to visit, and we all caught up with the news from the UK and there. 
The following day we headed downtown on the subway to our ultimate destination, the
world famous CN (Canadian National) Tower. The subway was exceptionally clean (both the
trains and the stations) and was not as extensive as the one we have in London.
Essentially it has only two major lines running through it. We alighted at Union street
station and first walked the streets, greeted by yellow cabs and skyscrapers, just to get
a feel for it. Then a walkway, surrounded by glass, took us to the tower. Fortunately the
queues were nominal. The lift at the base of the tower took us to the top at phenomenal
speed. Mind you one couldn't tell, such was the smooth ride. Once you are up there, it is
one hell of an experience.
 There is a part in this area where a glass floor to be walked over is
absolutely scary. Standing in this area makes one think you are going to fall down and it
takes courage and a perception of reality to enjoy this aspect. As you walk round the
circular platform past the glass area, you get to see the whole of Toronto and beyond, be
it the skyscrapers you are looking down on or the railway carriages looking like Hornby
train sets or Lake Ontario disappearing over the horizon.
After spending around four hours there, we then went to the Eaton shopping centre in
the heart of town. This mall is huge (I mean huge) and walking through it feels like one
is trekking, so tired do you get. Unfortunately, at one of the shops I managed to break a
fragile glass piece and it was my good fortune that the shop assistant let me go without
incurring a penalty. We returned home exhausted and just crashed out after a hearty meal.
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On the second day, we boarded a coach for Niagara Falls early in the morning. It is
about an hours drive from Toronto and as you approach the town of Niagara Falls, the first
thing that hits you is the sound of the gushing water. Then it is the water mist spraying
delicately over it creating a 'soft focus' picturesque illusion of this natural wonder. 
So we then set afoot on the sacred ground and proceed to explore every aspect of the
falls. First it's at the top, at the junction where the water shears over the edge where
clear blue water gives an illusion of motionless ice. Here you feel the delicate mist
hitting your skin (most refreshing on a baking hot day). It is almost scary watching the
water hurtling along at almost 80-90 miles per second and one can easily lose perspective
and become dizzy if you are not careful. We then walk down to the bottom of the falls
hitting solid black road and follow a cave walkway carved out of the rock right underneath
the falls. It is a eerie thinking of all that water above your head.
 Then we took the boat that slowly journeys into the falls
and gets as near as possible to the heart of the waterfalls. Here the noise is deafening
and you are thankful to be wearing the ridiculous looking plastic raincoats provided to
everyone at the beginning of the boat ride. Fascinating thing here was how people react as
you get close to the water- falls. Some scream, others laugh with joy, whereas many are
taken on a spiritual path and the boffins amongst the crowds notice it's geological
aspects, whilst others a trying to get the perfect picture to capture this awesome moment.
We then walked down the side of the falls at the rivers edge, where the water flows
over loose rocks embedded in the stream, brought there in the first place by utter force
upstream. Here the water obviously transforms to a tan brown and negates some of the
speed. Nonetheless a slip of your foot and one would be history.
The last part was catching a cable car further downstream high above two of the largest
whirlpools made by the water hitting different rock beds and changing the angle of its
course. From high above they looked innocuous and picturesque, but the guide assured us
that their power was overwhelming. Mind you that didn't stop groups of people riding a
raft as close as possible to them (under supervision of course). To cap a gorgeous day, we
were greeted by a groundhog at the steps of the entry to the cable car, which in Canada is
seen as a lucky sign. Well we certainly were lucky to have experienced the falls from
every possible angle. It is, I have to say very safe; public safety and enjoyment is
totally catered for.
At night the whole area is lit with floodlights and the falls give another aspect of
their beauty, but as we had to return to Toronto, we might see this some other time.
Before leaving we walked around the town of Niagara and it is a very laid back place.
Fascinatingly there was a massive statue of Buddha parked in the centre of the grounds of
what is going to be a Buddhist temple.
We depart Canada and head for Las Vegas, flying via Denver, which must have the one of
the cleanest airports I had ever seen as well being set in the midst of the beautiful
Rockies.
We landed in Vegas around mid-day and flying over it you notice how small it is in the
middle of the arid state of Nevada. Yet apparently it is the fastest expanding city in the
USA. How they intend to meet the water demands of the plethora of hotels as well as the
populace will be interesting.
Two things hit you on landing - the immense heat and the rattling noises of the
gambling machines. Welcome to Las Vegas! Our hotel, the Excalibur, is downtown near to
some the other famous ones like MGM Grand, Caesars Palace, and opposite little New York.
Again what you notice is how clean everything is. Most of the hotels here have some theme
to them and The Excalibur was naturally based on Arthurian legend, dotted with medieval
costumes and artifacts - together with the gambling tables, machines, roulettes one armed
bandits etc of course!
Our suite is huge and if this was India, we would sleep and entire kutumb on the beds
in the room. (I had to send emails to my wife in the other bed!) All this gambling was not
our cup of cha, but we did get round to the odd bet and take in the unique gambling
experience that is Las Vegas. We had bigger plans after all... Next day, bright and
early we caught a small plane to the Grand Canyon. This was my ultimate dream.
The Grand Canyon
We flew over the Hoover dam and some arid terrain to land there an hour later. We
booked in to our hotel and waited in anticipation for the shuttle to take us into the
heart of the canyon. It was hot by now, due to the high altitude were at. Perfect for the
day ahead.
Twenty minutes later we were there, dropped of at the centre of this huge nature's
delight. It is fairly crowded here, as it the central point at which all the tourists are
dropped of. You can then either take the east or west plateau on foot.
The first instinct at this drop point is to naturally head for the edge and see the
expanse of la Grande Canyon, as it is very difficult to curb one's eagerness, such is the
magnetic draw of it, that you cannot wait for the crowded viewing areas to be vacated.
(However, commonsense tells you to utilize a number of the safer vantage points from where
to view the splendor of this sight).
Putting the tourists aside, one is mesmerized by the endless beauty, peace, silence and
the scale of this wonderful carving by nature. The canyon, as everyone knows is the result
of erosion made by the Colorado River over centuries, which continues unabated even today.
Apparently it takes with it something like 80 tons an hour through the trek it makes in
this mountain range. Everywhere you look, there are steps neatly carved out, creating the
impression of someone sculpting it through centuries of patient sculpturing.
The East plateau is the less developed area, more suited to die-hard naturalists and
trekkers, whereas the West side is suited for the likes the average tourist to enjoy. The
canyon can be experienced in many ways - such as a helicopter ride through it, or by
camping way down below, for which you need a special permit. Taking this option means you
would have to adhere to the very strict guidelines imposed so that it does not become a
junkyard of empty bottle cans and discarded plastic packing. The whether can get hostile
very quickly, because the temperatures can vary dramatically and one therefore needs to
have a certain level of fitness before the permit is granted.
Intriguingly some people actually live at the very base for not only ranching purposes
but also for the expected stopovers by the trekkers. Be that as it maybe, we walked along
the laid out paths and noticed some wonderfully shaped trees ad colorful flora and
encountered a number of the landmarks including an area known as Shiva. What amazes you is
how closely it resembles our lord.
We also stopped in at a singular souvenir shop, picking up cd's of Native American
music.
By this time we were into early sunset and immediately the temperature starts dropping,
leaving you eager to get back to the comfort of your hotel room. Mind you getting a
suitable veggie meal that night proved difficult with the exception of some oily uncooked
wedges and a meager salad.
Another dawn beckoned and we headed back to Las Vegas, in a plane that proved to be
trip of a lifetime or nerves, whichever way you look at it. It was one of these small 5
passenger planes, which, jumped and skidded over the turbulences en route - it was like
being on a very potholed road in an old Skoda, with suspension that left a lot to be
desired. My seat was right behind the pilot and the space between the seats meant my legs
were up to my neck. The upside was being able to see first hand the panoramic view of the
canyon, which a normal plane you would have missed because the window would have been too
small.
Two hours later we were back in the searing heat of Las Vegas and almost immediately
made tracks for an Indian restaurant, such was the need for some spicy hot food after
three days of bland cuisine. Mind you we needn't have bothered with, as the fare served up
at Gandhi's was pretty poor, full of colour and not a chilli in sight!
 Late afternoon we strolled around some of the other hotels as they are
interconnected and headed for Caesars Palace. This is surrounded by water and fountains
everywhere. Ironically it also has a murti of Shiva outside and no one blinks an eyelid
when you go and pray and light an agarbati.
Inside the palace are some of the most expensive shops outside places like Rodeo Drive
and the entire place is like one big air-conditioned city. That night we experienced the
surreal lights outside the Stardust casino and the entire street. Almost like being at a
fairground, which after all is what Vegas is. Next stop South Carolina.
Yep. Good old, cotton pickin' South Carolina. We landed in Columbia, a growing city
attracting huge industrial expansion due to location, cheap labour, guaranteed sunshine
and southern hospitality.
This time our stay was with a close cousin at a motel he was a manager at in Piney
Lodge, again another hour or so away from the airport. On the drive what you notice are
the empty roads and not a traffic jam in sight. Perfect, as the aim of this part of the
trip was to relax and have a few quite days before heading back to the UK.
We un-winded and took things easy for one day, though the stifling humidity made it
hard to relax. Any movement resulted in instant perspiration, which we Brits don't like
too much eh? That evening my bhabhi cooked some good old Indian food and boy did it taste
yuumm! Our forays out of the motel tended to be after bhai and bhabhi had finished tending
to the daily running of this motel and we normally departed late afternoon.
First visit was Myrtle Beach, an hour or so away, having an oversized pizza en route.
We hit this Brighton equivalent of Carolina on balmy warm evening, which was unfortunately
ruined because the town was staging its annual Hell's Angels weekend! The promenade was
clustered with them, with noisy bikes tearing and searing all around us. It is a bit nerve
racking, but ultimately if you don't bother them, they leave you alone and avoid prolonged
eye contact. Peckish after walking around, we enjoyed some light snacks and headed for
some midnight miniature golf.
The next day we visited Atlanta, leaving late afternoon and almost a three-hour drive
away, which by the way is where they go shopping for their groceries! Only in America! We
first headed for the supermarket to finish the necessary shopping, followed this with a
meal at Woodlands and then proceeded to some touring. Here I took the wheel as my cousin
guided us and at one point we ended up in a dodgy ghetto and made hasty tracks
immediately. Must admit that here the atmosphere was intimidating.
Again, another balmy, humid night. We rested at some water feature, saw the Coca-Cola
hq and went riding through the streets on a horse and carriage, for about an hour or so.
This was our last night in the USA and made the most of it. Heading back, we managed some
shopping at Wal-mart at 3am in the morning.
Next day it was the inevitable bye bye's to bhai, bhabhi and a little nephew who had
become fond of us over the last days.
On the journey back you reflect on what you saw, and ultimately the more natural sights
left a mark in our minds. The food, although generous in potions, tasted bland, except the
home cooked stuff, but we didn't feel strange in either country, although the Canadians
were noticeably more reserved and distant than their American counterparts. Catching the
planes to our various destinations felt like hopping on buses and proved very efficient
and time saving. Our saving grace was that at each point we were gaining time because the
destinations were going west, so we got more time. However once were in the UK, did jet
lag hit us or what! |
