Trip To Niagara- Dedicated to You...MAA

All set and geared up for watching the Niagara Falls! I didn't sleep all night in fear of not waking up early. We had to be in 219 Quincy Ave before 6 a.m. We had everything ready- tiffins with variety of snacks, chips and biscuits flicked from office, water, camera. We reached before time. Our journey is something worth mentioning.

Bus 1 picked us and waited somewhere in Boston for about 20-30 mins. Then we were transferred to Bus 2 which broke down in the middle of a highway,2 hrs after starting. Our tour guide told us that another bus was coming from Boston. So you can guess how long we were supposed to wait. I don't remember how many hours passed by, but suddenly I felt the bus moving really really slow-like a tanga. Seemed like we were being towed away, but just a few inches. There was some murmur and excitement in the bus and we saw another bus coming to pick us. We assumed it to be Bus 3, but it was Bus 1 again! This was our temporary conveyance to a Mc D corner till Bus 3 arrived. An hour or two at Mc D, and finally we carried on with our real journey in Bus 3.

Photo sessions here and there-No, this one didn't come right, take another one! Right from 219 Quincy Ave till we reached Niagara and back to Windsor Gardens, the clicking never stopped. When it's time to take a snap, we usually wonder why we should take the pain to pose in front of the cam. But if we don't, we regret later. So it's better to capture these awesome moments as we encounter them. We don't know if we'll ever return.

We were supposed to go to 1000 islands first, but thanks to hopping in and out of buses 1,2 and 3, our plans got reversed. We reached Niagara. Lo and behold! There it was. I was amazed at its first sight. It was a huge mass of never ending water and white sprays with rainbows forming here and there. I looked at it and thought of the person who should have been here-Maa. The only thing I know about this falls is its name and that it is one of the biggest. Maa knows more than just that. I can paint a picture of her expression when she sees anything about Niagara on TV. I wonder what she'd feel if she actually went there. Will I be able to take her ever?

We took the Maid of the Mist ride. We were wearing blue raincoats and looked like cartoons. Yet we didn't miss a chance to click! We went a lot close to the falls till we had water spraying all over us. It was out of the world. Heavenly! I don't think I'm using the proper words to describe it, coz there aren't any. The falls has formed over thousands of years and is one of Nature's marvels.

The Maid of the Mist was followed by a walk up to the nearest point we could get to the falls. We took off our raincoats and allowed the sprays to moisten our faces and clothes. It was so refreshing! And of course, more pictures...

I bought whatever I thought would be the most fitting souvenir for Maa. The night view was enthralling, but in a different way. In the chill of the dark-blue, green,yellow and red lights flashed on the gigantic falls. Somehow reminded me of the rainbows formed during the daytime. All colors in VIBGYOR are fragments of one color- white. White- the color of Niagara.

Tired and cold, we crashed in our cozy hotel room. But we couldn't catch more than 3 hours of sleep. It was an early morning start to 1000 islands. We had an hour long boat ride. I didn't pay attention to the tour guide. I was enjoying the breeze and the view of the islands which didn't contain huge architectural monuments, but houses which were unique in some way of the other. There was a castle inside which I was dying to sent foot but couldn't. It's not because entry was restricted. These are the impositions of a packaged tour. It doesn't give us the freedom to explore on our own. Also, there was a house which was tilted at an angle and half immersed in water but never fell inside. The guide must have mentioned why, I was too busy wondering to listen.

We had a long drive back home. We were dead tired and waiting to get to our warm beds. We managed to catch the last train home. Missed the previous one by inches. If only the bus hadn't stopped to take some 'rest' in between. At least that's what our guide told us!

Niagara is a sight I'll never forget. You have to see it Maa...I'll make sure you will.