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Visiting Canada and USA 2017

September - October 2017
A 30-day adventure by Family of Four Read more
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  • TravelerVisiting Canada and USA 2017
    Day 8

    Oui, merci beaucoup!

    September 27, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Today, we departed a 4°C Calgary and arrived on a hot day in Montréal--they were having a 31°C heatwave. Our AirBnB accommodation had some trouble with WiFi and aircon but thankfully enough the day cooled down later on and keeping the windows open had been enough to maintain our comfort.

    My family and I had a wonderful catch up with Jimmy's family at Café Myriade but it ended with a sudden downpour. It truly was my father's birthday as it usually does rain on his natal day! Mom and I let the rain pass us through by stopping inside Marché Ferdous, where we had some baklava, a sweet delicacy of filo pastry, honey and pistachios from the Middle East--its origins presumed to date as far back to the Byzantine empire.

    We then bought some umbrella from a nearby pharmacy as we left ours back in Calgary, then walked back to our accommodation to change our clothes that got a bit damp and scoured the internet for a good place to have our celebratory dinner.

    Luckily the rain did not last long and we were able to locate Hakata Ramen just down the road. We had a sake toast for Dad's good health and wished him for more birthdays to come.

    As we were just billeted in Rue Crescent, we enjoyed a little stroll along this popular avenue of restaurants and pubs that were buzzing with life even on a weeknight. It was also interesting to note that some luxury boutiques and art galleries in a Victorian architectural setting can be found on the other side of this same street.

    I was expecting to be predominantly surrounded by French speakers, however it seemed like there were just as much English conversations occurring around us. It was still very fascinating though.    Read more

  • TravelerVisiting Canada and USA 2017
    Day 9

    Church Hopping and visiting Vieux Port

    September 28, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Today we started off with a savoury/sweet breakfast at Paris Crépe, just a couple of minutes' walk away from our accommodation.

    Then we headed off to visit L'Oratoire Saint-Joseph du Mount thru a cab service. We were walking down the street when a taxi passed us by. We had a lovely chat with the driver who originally came from Africa.

    When we got there, our driver kindly drove us up to the entrance section, otherwise we would have had to climb up a couple of flights of stairs. Inside, we had to pass by two floors (by way of escalators) to get to the main hall, one of which led to a museum; the other featured a shop. The Basilica was the highest ceiling I have ever laid my eyes on. There was grandeur in every angle. At the back of the altar we visited the Blessed Sacrament, and its golden walls and domed roof was a peaceful aide to some deep prayer time, which we allowed ourselves to be immersed in and help with our meditation. As we were about to make our way to the exit, we saw a passageway that led to the Crypt Church, a votive chapel (that contained 10000 candles), and the tomb of Frére André, recently canonised into Sainthood, was also housed there, which made our visit even more special.

    Then we made our way to the Basilica de Notré Dame. What a magnificent splendour indeed! The Gothic Revival style carvings and decour were resplendent and detailed, the stained glass art were mystical. It was a beautiful reminder of the talents of that era. Heaps of tourists in this place, and luckily we managed to get in just before closing time. We had to pay a minimal mandatory fee. Later on we saw some scaffolding on the sides that indicate that the fees are truly allocated for the upkeep of this National Heritage.

    Then we made our way towards the Old Port (we got lost but backtracked our way and got there in the end). There was a cruise ship docked in Alexandra Berth, and we saw some tourists enjoying the afternoon. To our delight, we saw another "Canada 150" signage installed just across Montreal Science Centre. Of course we had our obligatory selfies there, and we also got to meet an immigrant Filipina visiting the area.

    My mom's third degree relative, Tess, then met us at a nearby shabby-chic bistro called Le Magasin Général du Vieux-Montréal. After more than three decades, they have finally been reunited once more. They reminisced with utter joy, and tried to update each other of their loved ones and people that they know. Meanwhile the bistro's strawberry chai tea and rustic pizzas were quite scrumptious.

    Mom's cousin then walked us around Old Montréal's cobblestone streets, leading us to the city hall, Marché Bonsecours and then to Notré Dame Chapélle. The walk made us feel like we were in Europe. My sister and I wished it rained prior as it would have made the streets more picturesque. We enjoyed the laid back atmosphere, and there were plenty of tourists enjoying the food and the vibe of the area.

    We took a cab back to our accommodation, fully satisfied with our spiritual and cultural experiences for the day.    Read more

  • TravelerVisiting Canada and USA 2017
    Day 10

    Train to Toronto and City Walk

    September 29, 2017 in Canada ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    Using the train service of VIA Rail, we finish off the Europeanesque experience we were blessed with in Montréal and proceeded with our travels to Toronto. We Ubered from our accommodation at Rue Crescent to Central Station. It was a smooth check-in process and we arrived plenty of time before departure time. We just observed people coming and going at the station as we waited for our boarding call.

    The five hour trip was accompanied by boisterous laughter and conversations from a bunch of French speaking teenage girls seated close to us. We all believe they were a tour group. We just shook our heads at the disbelief that their own mothers who were travelling with them were nonchalant at their antisocial behaviour. My family and I were physically and mentally challenged throughout the whole journey as we were sleep deprived and hoping to catch some forty winks which we never got to have.

    We arrived in Toronto's Union Station, unfortunately most of it were covered for restoration projects and we were unable to fully appreciate this Heritage Railway Station. There was a slight drizzle as we got out into the streets. We took a cab towards our AirBnB accommodation, and it was amusing to note that the cab driver missed the house as it looked like someone's garage looking at it from the front.) But when we got in, we were thoroughly pleased! Sean's place (which he called the Coach House) featured shabby chic design, wooden floorboards, dressers with distressed finish, and Audrey Hepburn picture frame, to a Smart TV replete with Netflix and YouTube content with which we all enjoyed 'Samurai Gourmet,' a TV show my sister introduced to us all, about a retired corporate man struggling to fill his days and during moments of struggle conjures up his childhood hero--a warring era samurai that emboldens him to be more assertive and to grab life by the balls.

    Tita Tere, my mom and dad's close friend from long ago, came to see us. It was very nice to see them all enjoy each other's company and talk about the past.

    We all took to the subway, and experienced what it was like to navigate the city with the recipient of the 2017 American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) award for Transit System of the Year. Tita Tere led us to St Patrick's Cathedral, a Redemptorist Brothers Church with a devotion to the Mother of Perpetual Help. It was reminiscent of my board exam days when me and my nursing batch mates spent a good deal of time praying for God's mercy, guidance and hopefully in the end, granting of success which He had very graciously provided.

    Then we had late lunch/early dinner in Hua Sang restaurant at Baldwin Street. The sweet chilli lobster (which dad thought it was crab) was delicious, and the garlic broccoli was cooked to perfection; we also enjoyed the fried rice with dried fish, and some Crispy noodle stir fry, both well balanced and not too salty/greasy.

    Then she toured us around the city mostly by foot: to the old and new City Hall, then to Dundas square (Canada's version of New York Times Square), Eaton Centre and finally to CN tower.

    We then took the train back to the Coach House, and before parting from us, Tita Tere gave us a quick run down of her recommended places for us to visit the next day and how to get there.    Read more

  • TravelerVisiting Canada and USA 2017
    Day 11

    Touring Toronto and St Rose of Lima

    September 30, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Today we woke up late. We had an amazing sleep at Sean's place. His mattresses were extremely comfortable and perhaps more so with the cosy feel of his place.

    We had a languid move to get ready to leave the house. We utilised Sean's coffee maker that required a modified approach to brew. Then we started our tour heading off to the nearby Bata Shoe Museum, Tita Tere said that Imelda Marcos's shoes were displayed there. But there was a fee required for entry. So we headed off to Casa Loma instead. It was a beautiful old structure, and because of its romantic nature there was a nuptial photoshoot going on. It would have been lovely to get in, but they also required paid entry.

    We then went off to St Lawrence Market to locate Churrasco Portuguese Chicken. On the way we saw a park with interesting features: some dog statues surrounding the fountain and they were all spouting water towards the middle, and also, not far from the park was a building with a design of cloth curtains painted on its wall.

    The Portuguese Chicken was zesty and tangy with just the right spiciness. My sister also bought some tarts. It was a bit sweet to my liking. We could not finish our orders so we had to have some left overs and we thought about the warning my mom and dad got from their friends who will take us to a feast later for dinner.

    We rushed towards Allan's Gardens as recommended by Tita Tere. We walked about seven blocks to ensure that we digest our lunch properly. It was a nice greenhouse filled with specimens of plants from different climates. Then we took a cab to St Rose of Lima Catholic Church, about half an hour away via the highway to attend an anticipated mass, where my mom's friends will meet us.

    Mom's friends' daughter, Christa, sang the responsorial psalm beautifully. Louie read some Bible passages.

    After the mass we got to meet Portia's kids and the rest of the family. We visited tita Diosy's house and met their amazing cats. Then they took us to Sushi Legend where mom and tita Diosy indiscriminately ordered a dozen of items. Their excuse? The restaurant was 'eat all you can.'

    We were so full after the dinner, that we were extremely grateful that we got a free ride direct to the Coach House, otherwise we would have struggled commuting and walking back to it.    Read more

  • TravelerVisiting Canada and USA 2017
    Day 12

    Niagara Falls

    October 1, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 6 °C

    Today my mom and dad's friends took us to Niagara Falls.

    We were sad to depart from Sean's Coach House so early, we all felt like it was such a premature end, but we had to in order to make full use of the day and so, Tito Paler and Tita Diosy had been up early to to pick us up. The ride was comfortable and the trip was quick as there were not many motorists on the road yet.

    We arrived at Clifton Hill, one of the major tourist promenades in Niagara Falls and parked close to the Dinosaur Adventure Golf. We started off our time there by riding the Skywheel Ferris Wheel. As we were being lifted up for the first time and our vantage point allowed us to see the falls for the very first time, my sister, dad and I released some oohs and ahhs. The power and strength of water flowing down the falls is an evocative sight. How can such a life giving, usually gentle primal force become a display of unrestrained energy?

    We then had some snack at Tim Horton's just across the Ferris Wheel, where we waited for Portia and her family. The kids were a bit aloof to us at first, but it did not take long for them to warm up.

    We then made our way close to the Falls and walked along the Niagara Parkway. It was a pleasant, sunny day, and it did not take long that we felt warm while strolling and we had to lose some layers. It was pretty special being able to see and hear the falls roaring from the distance. As we came nearer Horseshoe falls, there was a thick mist being blown by the wind towards us that it felt like it was raining. Along this parkway we saw a Zipline, multiple ferry operators that bring tourists close to the whitewater flow, and tourists upon tourists from all corners of the world.

    By midday, Portia's daughter, Mavis, clung to my sister and they were thick as thieves while we had lunch at Hard Rock Café. We also passed through Hershey's store, and later on Portia and my sister got some hot chocolate and chocolate chips. Meanwhile, whilst all these transpired, Tita Diosy and mom held each other and tried to reminisce as much as they could.

    When afternoon came, Mavis was not very happy when my sister had to say goodbye, while we also did the same to Portia and Christa with the inanimate Dinosaurs in the distance as our witnesses. And thus ended our visit to the iconic Niagara Falls.    Read more

  • TravelerVisiting Canada and USA 2017
    Day 12

    First time in the USA and Buffalo Wings

    October 1, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 11 °C

    Prior to leaving Canada, we made a brief stop at the Niagara Duty Free shops and purchased some Iced Wine before crossing the border to the USA. There in the border, we were asked to alight from the vehicle and enter the immigration building where we spent about half an hour queueing and then paid $6 for our passports to be stamped. It was a confronting experience, as all the officers seem poised for any trouble that might happen anytime, as they should.

    Then Tito Paler very graciously drove us out to Sleep Inn Suites near Buffalo Niagara International airport where we will be spending the night. It was a 45 minute drive, and the stark contrast between the touristy Niagara and the sleepy Buffalo was unmistakable. It felt surreal to be amongst the classic American country town houses as we drove past them when before I only saw them in movies and TV shows. Also, all sorts of Halloween related decorations were displayed in their verandahs. Some of them even had the American flag flapping in the wind.

    After checking in and leaving our baggages at our accommodation, Tita Diosy and Tito Paler did something even more generous. They offered to take us to a local restaurant to have some Buffalo Chicken Wings. Truly it was a real treat and Tito Paler and Tita Diosy have been very kind to spend extra time with us, considering they are so far away from home and the full day they already allotted with us.

    We only had the mild medium but we still found it a bit hot. We bonded over the experience and laughed when we replied 'no' when our waitress asked if we were alright.

    Finally, when the time came, Mom and Tita Diosy exchanged warm tight hugs as once more they had to part. Hopefully their next reunion won't be too far away.    Read more

  • TravelerVisiting Canada and USA 2017
    Day 13

    Brooklyn Bridge and Ice Cream

    October 2, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    New York City. The Big Apple. The City of Dreams. The City that Never Sleeps. Just a few monikers coined to address this gigantic urban jungle. And today we get a chance to step into its grounds and attempt to be demystified from what we know that is largely based from the silver screen.

    On the way there, we were thoroughly delighted with the JetBlue Airlines service and were pleased that it was actually the flagship airline of the state of New York. They even served tasty snacks on the one hour trip to the Empire City.

    When we arrived there, we were expecting heavily armed security personnel, but was pleasantly surprised that it was just like a normal airport. We were picked up by Tita Agot and David, her Jamaican friend and trusted driver for so many years.

    We drove past the suburbs on the way to Brooklyn from John F Kennedy Airport.

    We had a most welcome arrival at my auntie's place. She spoilt us with an extremely hearty lunch, and her spread included a KBL (kadyos-beans baboy-pork and langka-jack fruit all in a flavourful stew), some stir fried shrimp, some eggplant omelette and heaps of rice, with some cold young coconut juice as the accompanying beverage.

    With such a hefty meal, we were all left clamouring for sleep just a few minutes after the last spoonful. Luckily that had been Tita Agot's plan all along.

    After an afternoon nap, she then took us to Brooklyn Bridge via subway. It was clear that the dwellers of that area are more hardy. There seemed to be an aura of seriousness and brooding hanging low. On the way to the water side, we passed by Grimaldi's pizzeria, one of the oldest in New York, and the queue line runs through the block. We hoped we could try it soon.

    When we got to the bridge, there were plenty of tourists again, and once more we are mostly surrounded by people on their holidays. It was very beautiful as we saw Manhattan's skyline silhouette with the fading dusk behind it. We even saw what seemed to be an Indian couple having their pre-nuptial photoshoot.

    Tita then took us to the nearby Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory. There was a bit of a queue, and when we had our turn, we ordered some peach, strawberry and pecan butter banana split.

    At this stage, mom was experiencing the start of a sore throat, and so unfortunately she had to refrain from partaking the delicious treats.

    Not long after a Korean girl asks us to take a photo of her. Mom then interviews her briefly and we found out that she had once visited Cebu.

    We then returned to Tita's home and then enjoyed the remainder of the amazing lunch she served earlier. Afterwards we watched a bit of TV and then retired for the night for an early start the next day.    Read more

  • TravelerVisiting Canada and USA 2017
    Day 14

    Musker Orchards and Hessian Lake

    October 3, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    My auntie organised a trip to the Bear Mountain National Park. We got a ride from Tito Sito, my father's brother's batch mate in high school. They had a good deal of hearty chats along the way to and from our destination.

    We got to Musker Orchards nice and early and we were the first customers there. It was an expansive and welcoming place, a red barn is situated close to the parking lot and then one can see lanes after lanes of apple trees in the distance as far as the eyes can see. We sampled almost all of their Apple varieties and enjoyed Ida, Red Delicious and Contemporary. My mom was very excited, it has been a long-time dream of hers to experience apple picking. Also it had been very special to reminisce that that was the same place Lola Rosal, thoroughly enjoyed apple picking at the last and only time she was there. Apparently she climbed up an apple tree. And boasted to all members of her local community when she got back home to Ioilo City.

    When we finished, there were yellow school buses around and cute children were all lined up accompanied by their teachers and were about to take a trip to the orchard. Meanwhile, we loaded one big bag of apples unto Tito Sito's vehicle. It was amazing how much could fit in a bag, it was very heavy. And even more impressive was that the Orchard visitors only have to pay by number of bags and not by weight.

    After heaps of pictures, we then headed off to the Bear Mountain State park. It took us a while but we found a table and bench beside Hessian Lake. My auntie prepared heaps of food, from soy and vinegar pork, boiled rice, to braised tomato and potatoes and beef and also her generous neighbour made some stir-fried noodles and vegetables. It was wonderful weather to boot. There were the beginnings of autumn foliage in the surrounding trees and also on the hill next to the lake. Apparently the lake turns to an ice skating rink during winter time!

    Then we headed back to Tita Agot's place early so we could prepare for the interstate trip tomorrow.

    For dinner, she phone ordered some fried chicken from a nearby shop that she enjoys from time to time whenever she would like a quick meal. It was quite tasty batter and moist chicken on the inside.    Read more

  • TravelerVisiting Canada and USA 2017
    Day 15

    Philadelphia and Washington DC

    October 4, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    My auntie has organised a two day Capitol tour with EWorld Tours. We were picked up by auntie's Jamaican friend, David, and was brought to NYC's Chinatown. When we got there, Tita Agot grabbed some delicious baked siopao and we enjoyed it on the four hour bus trip.

    Our tour guide's name was John, and the driver was George. They gave us a valuable insight on what was in store for us for the rest of the day.

    We made a restroom stop around the two hour mark. My sister saw some Cinnabon treats so she quickly grabbed the chance. Then off we went and we made our lunch stop in Pennsylvania, right outside the Independence Hall in the city of Philadelphia. We saw Liberty bell too but it was a closed spaced and paid entry was required.

    We ate some Tita Agot spaghetti and left over fried chicken wings in the lunch place. Tita also bought some salads, a mix of mushrooms, broccoli, crab meat, bell peppers, carrots and onions.

    Then we finally arrived in Washington, District of Columbia.

    The first place we visited was the Christmas Tree and the Whitehouse. Mom was quite disappointed at the state their Christmas tree was in as she is used to the humongous Christmas trees ubiquitous during the festive season back home. But live trees are never perfectly shaped.

    The Whitehouse ended up to be small in our photos, probably just a little bigger compared to the house markers in the game Monopoly. This was because we couldn't come any closer, understandably so, due to security reasons.

    Then John and George took us to Newseum, a centre that exhibited journalism highlights and underlined the first amendment of the constitution. Also they had exhibits on terrorism, some replicas of what the culprits utilised, what dangers FBI face, and a small memorial on the September 11 tragedy.

    Next, we were led to the Washington DC Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum that featured the 44 presidents of the USA. The gallery was completed with some famous celebrities. I got a photo with Uncle Sam.

    After that, we had a cruise aboard a small boat called Nightingale II around the Potomac River. It was perfect timing for a wonderful sunset. We saw very briefly the Pentagon, the heart of the US Security.

    Finally, we were led to Abraham Lincoln's memorial. The moon was full and was at the perfect angle to the Washington monument. The gargantuan Lincoln sitting in that temple looked austere. His speech was engraved on one of the walls. Atop the roof, the names of the United States of America were enumerated.

    I expected our accommodation to be some small time Inn, but we were actually billeted in Hampton Inn and Suites by Hilton in Falls Church. Too bad I wasn't able to bring my swimmers as they had a pool there. But then again I wouldn't have had enough time as I had a lovely catch up with Miss Tetet, my Maths and Physics teacher way back in high school. We reminisced on our STEC STHS days, and chatted about the climate and some cultural differences between USA and Australia. When I got back to the room, my sister and tita Agot were just wrapping up their massage session.    Read more

  • TravelerVisiting Canada and USA 2017
    Day 16

    Capitol, BEP and Chinatown

    October 5, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    We started our day with a buffet breakfast at our accommodation at Hampton Inn. It was a sumptuous selection.

    We then headed straight off to Capitol. We were given a thirteen minute video orientation called "Out of Many, One." I particularly enjoyed how they summarised the process involved in selecting the site for building the nation's capital back when it was newly founded.

    We were then guided into "the compass," inside the Capitol's Crypt. It is the very centre of Washington DC. From there, it is the basis for the design of Washington DC's layout and road configuration.

    Then we were led into the temple of Liberty. It was such a high ceiling wonder. The painting in the ceiling featured George Washington sitting amongst thirteen angels and beside him was Lady Liberty and Freedom. The tour guide also mentioned that certain extra special dignitaries get a viewing there before being laid to their final rest, and Presidents get sworn into power there too. Then there were statues of icons and personalities surrounding the temple that the states selected to represent themselves. And several significant paintings depicting important parts of American history, for example, Pocahontas and her marriage.

    John, our tour guide, spared us a few more minutes to get more snapshots outside the USA's Capitol. Then he took us to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

    There we were toured in the facility that produced around 800000 USD worth of $1, $2, 5$ notes every week. First the notes get printed with green ink then with black, then allowed to dry for about a day, and then the engraving and attachment of seals will take place. Then the notes will pass through imaging tests to ensure accuracy and that security features are in place, and afterwards will be processed through sharp guillotines to be cut into notes. Continuing on, we also got to see an exhibition of $1000000 in $10 notes, and the photos of how the notes were manually produced and meticulously double checked one by one by people employed to do exactly just that back in the good old days.

    Our tour in Washington DC was finalised with another lunch buffet in an Asian Fusion restaurant. It had a water feature entrance. My sister and I rushed through it so we could buy some items in Best Buy as the tour operated on it usual timetable. Marn Chowns bought her headphone, and I got some extra SD storage for my photos and videos.

    We slept a lot during the four hour drive back to New York. Then, after being dropped off at Chinatown, Tita Agot brought us to this ice creamery that we thoroughly enjoyed. The flavours I chose were almond cookie and Thai tea and they tasted very genuine, fresh, and the cream texture was luxurious. My sister and I agreed it was very reminiscent of Dooley's ice cream in Australia's Great Ocean Road! What a great way to end our day out.

    When we got back to Tita Agot's home, she made us a sumptuous dinner-- a salmon soup that just had the right amount of piquancy.    Read more

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