Our train arrived to a completely deserted Niagara Falls station. The main street was empty of any moving vehicles and there was not a soul around. It was kind of creepy and really reminded me of a scene from the movie Deliverance. Seriously, if I had heard a banjo I would have been out of there.

I knew as much about Niagara Falls as I did about Montreal. I knew there is cascading water but that was about it. Judging from the lack of action at the train station I thought this town would be in its golden years and I was expecting a few boring days of nature watching, but boy was I wrong.

Niagara Falls is composed of two major sections: Horseshoe Falls is the more spectacular of the two, the majority of which lies on the Canadian side of the border. And American Falls, which as the name suggests lies on the American side. It was first discovered by a French guy in 1604 and has been a popular tourist attraction since the 18th century. Nowadays it’s still pretty kick arse except the majority of tourists arrive by road, which is why the train station was so depressingly empty.

Niagara Falls was awesome and far exceeded my expectations. There was so much to see and do. The falls themselves were great but to be fair they were less impressive than Igazu. However, Igazu is in a national park, surrounded by trees and nature. Niagara Falls on the other hand has been popular with tourists for over 200 years. I’m sure there would have been plenty of trees and nature way back then but they have been chopped down and paved over. And in their place stands glitzy casinos, roller coasters, bars and restaurants. It’s so unashamedly commercial. It’s so American! (I know we were in Canada – same same but different). It’s like Igazu crossed with Disney Land, and it’s great.

Everything was so accessible and convenient. Sure some of the attractions were a bit gimmicky and it’s a shame that it’s all surrounded by concrete and glass but have I mentioned the casinos?

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Advertisement