Another touristy day at the ROM - Royal Ontario Museum.
The boys were very sleepy this morning so I took the opportunity to take a photo of our lovely hostel room with them still in bed! Breakfast in the hostel is free if you eat pancakes and maple syrup but we are getting a bit sick of them now.
After eating we wandered up through the city past some amazing buildings, the best was the College of Design (see the photo by clicking on the title for today). Toronto is growing on me.. it's still one large building site but it has lots of street art and some great buildings.
We stopped to talk to a black squirrel in the park and eventually arrived at the ROM.
After 4 hours and dinosaurs (some from Dorset), Natural History, Egypt, Book of the dead, early civilizations from around the world and a look through the shop we emerged to another boiling hot day. (The air conditioning was really over the top inside (lucky I had taken my jumper).) After wandering back through the streets both boys promptly fell to sleep so I have taken the opportunity to do the washing and catch up writing the blog and loading photos onto the computer.
I think we are going for a chinese later. As you know, Celso is crazy about food and as we walk he peers into the restaurants to see what is being eaten.
1 more full day in Toronto and then we are off in our hire car, first to Niagara and then to who knows where until we go to Algonquin.
Friday, 31 July 2009
To the Zoo - Day 3
Today we took the tourist option and decided to visit the zoo. Not as easy as we thought, it looks so close on the map!
We took the subway system .. very clean and efficient with a flat fare $2.75 for adults (about £1.50) and 70c for kids (40p); regardless of how far you go or if you change from subway train to tram or bus; for about 1 1/2 hours to get there. There were huge queues and it was VERY hot. Huge zoo with different zones for Africa, Australasia etc etc. We were impressed (mostly) with the size of the enclosures (apart from the lions) and we had a great day.
Our most memorable moments were :-
- a wild chipmonk that came to share our ice creams with us. Of course the locals weren't interested at all!
- the echidna that kept on blowing bubbles, but we never caught that on film
- an enormous snapping turtle and several crocs
- butterflies flitting around our heads
- beavers in their holt, asleep. Amazing webbed feet and odd looking flap of a tail.
We walked for miles and were completely exhausted but content with being touristy!
We bought some pasta and cooked our own supper in the hostel kitchen.. oh the good old student / teen days all came flooding back - washing up to be able to use the utensils!
We all slept perfectly after yet another fab shower!
We took the subway system .. very clean and efficient with a flat fare $2.75 for adults (about £1.50) and 70c for kids (40p); regardless of how far you go or if you change from subway train to tram or bus; for about 1 1/2 hours to get there. There were huge queues and it was VERY hot. Huge zoo with different zones for Africa, Australasia etc etc. We were impressed (mostly) with the size of the enclosures (apart from the lions) and we had a great day.
Our most memorable moments were :-
- a wild chipmonk that came to share our ice creams with us. Of course the locals weren't interested at all!
- the echidna that kept on blowing bubbles, but we never caught that on film
- an enormous snapping turtle and several crocs
- butterflies flitting around our heads
- beavers in their holt, asleep. Amazing webbed feet and odd looking flap of a tail.
We walked for miles and were completely exhausted but content with being touristy!
We bought some pasta and cooked our own supper in the hostel kitchen.. oh the good old student / teen days all came flooding back - washing up to be able to use the utensils!
We all slept perfectly after yet another fab shower!
Thursday, 30 July 2009
Toronto discovered - Day 2
Today was shopping day. Hiking boots for Tristan, sandals for me and Celso and a laptop to keep in touch with you lot. We found a fab little HP Notebook, with web cam and speakers and we are trying to learn how to use Windows Live and Skype.
If any one can interpret dreams please tell us about this one.
Celso went driving from Misahualli (where his mum lives in Ecuador) towards the nearest 'big' town called Tena, however he ended up in the town where he went to school - Palora. He wondered why everyone was looking at him, he thought it was because he had such a posh car, but then he realised that he was driving a cooker, an electric one with 4 rings and it was filthy, with oil and bits of food all over it. He was desperately trying to find somewhere to hide it when he woke up in a panic...
Tristan dreamt that our trip was over and that he was now the proud owner of this notebook computer. Is that an omen that our trip will be over too quickly?
Anyway, back to reality. We found out why Toronto seems such a drab, grey place. All the shops are underground in a network (7KM) of tunnels called 'The Path'. You go down there and it is as modern and vibrant as anywhere. It is all down there so that there can still be amazing shopping when it is freezing and snow covered in the middle of winter... Incredible.
At dusk we went up the CN Tower, (the tallest free standing structure in the world - apparently). The sun was setting and it actually made Toronto look quite beautiful. Even though I'm terrified of heights I felt quite comfortable until Tristan went and trod on, jumped on, lay on and rolled on the glass floor. I could only peer over the edge but it made me feel quite sick. It was really windy and cold on the open air viewing platform... you'll see the photo; by pressing the title to link to our photo album; of me looking nearly blown away and Tristan above the huge drop on the glass floor.
A Japanese supper followed, spicy noodles and chicken and prawns followed by sushi, and then those lovely showers again and bed.. more tomorrow.
If any one can interpret dreams please tell us about this one.
Celso went driving from Misahualli (where his mum lives in Ecuador) towards the nearest 'big' town called Tena, however he ended up in the town where he went to school - Palora. He wondered why everyone was looking at him, he thought it was because he had such a posh car, but then he realised that he was driving a cooker, an electric one with 4 rings and it was filthy, with oil and bits of food all over it. He was desperately trying to find somewhere to hide it when he woke up in a panic...
Tristan dreamt that our trip was over and that he was now the proud owner of this notebook computer. Is that an omen that our trip will be over too quickly?
Anyway, back to reality. We found out why Toronto seems such a drab, grey place. All the shops are underground in a network (7KM) of tunnels called 'The Path'. You go down there and it is as modern and vibrant as anywhere. It is all down there so that there can still be amazing shopping when it is freezing and snow covered in the middle of winter... Incredible.
At dusk we went up the CN Tower, (the tallest free standing structure in the world - apparently). The sun was setting and it actually made Toronto look quite beautiful. Even though I'm terrified of heights I felt quite comfortable until Tristan went and trod on, jumped on, lay on and rolled on the glass floor. I could only peer over the edge but it made me feel quite sick. It was really windy and cold on the open air viewing platform... you'll see the photo; by pressing the title to link to our photo album; of me looking nearly blown away and Tristan above the huge drop on the glass floor.
A Japanese supper followed, spicy noodles and chicken and prawns followed by sushi, and then those lovely showers again and bed.. more tomorrow.
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
Toronto - Day 1
Heathrow, Terminal 5, efficient, pretty empty, but with an hours delay before we took off, all hot and sweaty trapped in that tin can on the runway!
Personal TVs and headsets for each passenger. Some complimentary champagne from one of the stewards who had a note to look after us - so thanks whoever organised that!!
Tristan was sitting by the window and spotted a plane, NO, a boat, NO an iceburg!! (my first sighting.)
Toronto airport had a giant golfball on a tee for a radar tower, our passports were checked as we left the plane and then later we got our first stamp of the trip.
Toronto is a huge great, grey, building site. It looks really drab and it has huge roads (5 lanes each way plus a 2 lane smaller road running parallel on each side), exits from both sides of the road, crazy drivers and it seems you have to always have your lights on when you are in the car.
Our hostel is good, we have a bunkbed with a double below and a single above. It is in the 'big' room, just enough to have our packs on the floor and us standing next to them. I wonder how small the small rooms are! The showers are great though!
We went for a long walk past the CN Tower and down to the edge of Lake Ontario. Getting rather tired as it was 1am in the UK; we went to have dinner, Tristan had a 'side' of Fries and a lobster tail. The fries were the biggest portion I have ever seen, at least enough for 6 people!
I slept like a log, but Celso couldn't sleep with the fan on. It is very humid but not too hot; around 27 degrees. We will try to load some of our first photos.
You may be able to see our photos by clicking on the title (Toronto - Day 1)these photos are in picasa (not Flickr as I said to some of you before, though we do have photos there aswell!)
Thanks, see you all soon, no, that's not right, see you next year, but I'll blog again soon
Bec / Reb
Personal TVs and headsets for each passenger. Some complimentary champagne from one of the stewards who had a note to look after us - so thanks whoever organised that!!
Tristan was sitting by the window and spotted a plane, NO, a boat, NO an iceburg!! (my first sighting.)
Toronto airport had a giant golfball on a tee for a radar tower, our passports were checked as we left the plane and then later we got our first stamp of the trip.
Toronto is a huge great, grey, building site. It looks really drab and it has huge roads (5 lanes each way plus a 2 lane smaller road running parallel on each side), exits from both sides of the road, crazy drivers and it seems you have to always have your lights on when you are in the car.
Our hostel is good, we have a bunkbed with a double below and a single above. It is in the 'big' room, just enough to have our packs on the floor and us standing next to them. I wonder how small the small rooms are! The showers are great though!
We went for a long walk past the CN Tower and down to the edge of Lake Ontario. Getting rather tired as it was 1am in the UK; we went to have dinner, Tristan had a 'side' of Fries and a lobster tail. The fries were the biggest portion I have ever seen, at least enough for 6 people!
I slept like a log, but Celso couldn't sleep with the fan on. It is very humid but not too hot; around 27 degrees. We will try to load some of our first photos.
You may be able to see our photos by clicking on the title (Toronto - Day 1)these photos are in picasa (not Flickr as I said to some of you before, though we do have photos there aswell!)
Thanks, see you all soon, no, that's not right, see you next year, but I'll blog again soon
Bec / Reb
Tuesday, 21 July 2009
Friday, 17 July 2009
Itinerary - as far as we know
28th July - fly to Toronto
10th March - fly into Easter Island - to be met with Flower garlands!
14th March - on to Aukland in North Island NZ
4th June to Windhoek (Namibia) via Johannesburg)
- a few days there then on to Niagara,
- then round and about until 9th August when we will be staying in a hostel on the edge of Algonquin Provincial Park.
- then to cousin Gillie for a couple of days
- then exploring until ..
31st August when we fly to NYC
- Staying with Marios (teacher who has also left Court Moor School and will now be working in an international school in NYC)
- pick up our camper van.
- No fixed route or plans for 3 months
- where we will stay until mid January.
- 8th Dec, mum joins us for 3 weeks.
10th March - fly into Easter Island - to be met with Flower garlands!
14th March - on to Aukland in North Island NZ
- after 3 days we pick up a tiny camper van and then we are free to roam for 1 month, finsihing in Christchurch South Island
- we hope to visit Uncle Rob and Alice during this time
- stop off with John and Jane Mckie
- then , by camper again, we will go a-wandering.
- there we will meet with an aboriginal guide who will take us to Uluru via aboriginal sites and we shall sleep under the stars in a swag!
- again we will hire a camper and we have 12 days to explore the West Coast (pinnacles, Monkey Mia etc)
4th June to Windhoek (Namibia) via Johannesburg)
- from here we go on a 17 day safari taking in : -
- the tallest sand dunes in the world,
- the Okavango delta in Botswana and
- finish at Victoria Falls in Zambia on the 21st
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