22-Apr (Sat) : Arrival in Toronto
Due to the sheer number of bags , we had to book an Innova taxi to the Bangalore Airport. After the check-in , immigration and security check, we decided to utilize the lounge facility.
Some interesting details about lounge in Bangalore Airport : I was able to use 3 different credit cards which qualified for lounge entry for 3 of us. I realized at the counter from another passenger that once swiped, the same card cannot be used for another 24 hours ruling out possibility of using the same card for multiple passengers.
Another interesting thing I found was that there's a completely separate lounge at the Bangalore Airport for the first-class/business pass passengers and this entry is allowed if we have the priority pass card. Since I have that card, something to keep in mind for next time !
We had some good rest in good cushy seats at the lounge as well as some good food and drinks.
Our flight BA 118 getting ready for departure at BLR airport
Heathrow Airport - Usually the British Airways arrives at the Terminal 5 and at C gates . After arrival , we have to go through the security checkpoint which will be at the same terminal but this is at the A gates in the terminal 5. we must place all liquids ( < 100 ml ) in a transparent bag provided before the checkpoint, take out laptops/tablets in separate tray.
All the duty free, good eating places, lounges are near the A gates ( the main area ) . We ate the packed Chapatis, bought some water and something else to eat. Important thing to note is that the shops don't accept USD cash, they only accept cash in pounds or credit card only. The Airport has free wifi , but was choppy at times.
In previous transits, I have utilized the BA lounge at Heathrow since business class qualified for that. The biggest advantage is that this comes with a shower facility and also a nice area for free food and drinks. Though I have the priority pass card, we decided to let it go this time and just used the time to do window shopping.
The departure gates are announced only an hour before departure. Interestingly, google shows the departure gate information before it's shown on the information screens in airport. we had to catch the monorail to again head to the C gates to catch the next flight to Toronto.
We landed at the Toronto Airport terminal 3 and realized that the Arrive CAN that I filled was no longer required. we had to use an automated kiosk at the airport for the customs declaration. This machine scanned our passports , took a photograph and handed us a slip.
After this , we just had an officer check our visa and allowed us in. There was no stamping of the passport or mention of the last date to stay unlike the USA immigration.
After the bag collection, we had to hand over the slip to customs officer and made way to the exit.
Srivatsa/Nivedita had come to the airport to pick us up. Srivatsa drove us in his Toyota Highlander to his home in Waterloo an hour away. At home, we had a hearty delicious south Indian meal and then crashed to bed.
23-Apr (Sun) : Niagara
Srivatsa drove us to Niagara from Waterloo. The drive took almost 2+ hours because we were delayed in leaving and we hit the peak traffic near Toronto. we have to get onto the 401 East first and then eventually join the QEW ( Queen Elizabeth way ) . This goes all the way to Niagara Falls.
On the way we get the majestic Ontario lake towards the left side. we also get a Canal bridge where we can see the ship and the steel plant by Mittal. We parked in the parking lot next to the Skylon tower and then walked our way to Niagara falls.
This is the American Side :
This is the canadian side :
We first took some nice pictures on the walkway and then headed towards the boat tour which takes us very close to the falls. This used to be operated by Maid of the Mist earlier , but now they operate only from the USA side and now from the Canadian side it's operated by the Horn-blower cruises. we have to wear disposable raincoats provided by them and board the boat.
This is an awesome ride ! we get very close to both the American side of the falls as well as the Canadian side and can really feel the majesticity of the falls very close. we also got to see so many birds on the deep walls next to the falls - they appeared to be gulls and several other kinds as well.
This is where I felt I should have bought a hand wrist strap to the mobile phone. I was taking photos from different angles and always the danger that the phone will slip from my hand and fall into the water. Something like this :
https://www.amazon.in/Bowiemall-Multipurpose-Adjustable-Compatible-Cellphone/dp/B0BNX6NBGQ/
On the way back, we paid and collected the photo. This is actually a rip and not really recommended - I relented for just one time at Niagara.
After this, we went walking on the Clifton Hill Road. Here , there are many attractions for kids to enjoy. After a coffee at Tim Hortons, we had Niharika and Niranjan try the Go Cart at the Niagara Speedway. This is a winding elevated track and they had a fun time driving.
Post this we walked on the side of the Dinosaur Adventure Golf and made our way to the Skylon tower again.
Skylon is a MUST visit because here we get a complete Aerial view of the Niagara river, how it separates and creates an island the the complete view across border and both USA/Canadian side of falls. It's VERY CLEAR from Skylon view that Niagara falls must be seen from the Canadian side only !
After this, Srivatsa drove us for a wine tasting experience at the Konzelmann estate winery on the Lakeshore road. This entire area is called "Niagara on the lake" and there are many wineries of repute.
They allow us to taste 4 different types of wines each of small quantity. For each, they come and explain the details of each wine flavor. we tasted 4 different types of wines across red, white and dessert wines. Niharika and Niranjan got complementary soft drinks. After this, we have an option to purchase wines in their shop but didn't buy anything there.
PS : Apart from driving a car, the other option is the GO Train which operates from Toronto to Niagara.
We decided to take the Go Transit train from Kitchener to Toronto. Nivedita thankfully raced the car and dropped us just in time for the train at the Kitchener GO, otherwise we had to wait another hour to catch the next train. Lesson - always check train schedules and plan for more margin before boarding trains.
I had booked a roundtrip ticket online, but I have to click the forward journey ticket before or just after I board the train. The idea is that once clicked the ticket is valid for 4 hours ( implying we can catch any train within that duration , even if i happened to miss the train I intended) . No ticket collector actually checked that we took a ticket !
The Go transit is a double decker train and we enjoyed the views from the top deck. Niranjan had actually not sat in a train ever before ( even in India ! ) , so this was special for him.
After getting out of the Union station we entered the junction of Bay St. and Front St. W. This has the golden yellow colored Royal Bank of Canada Building on the left and the TD Canada Trust tower on the right.
Then we started walking on the Front St. W towards the CN tower. we took a left on the Lower SimCoe St. and then a right on Bremner Blvd. we reach the area which has CN tower and Ripleys Acquarium.
The CN tower was built by Candian National the company that owned the railway and was completed in 1975. At 553 metres (1,815 feet), it would remain the tallest freestanding structure in the world until surpassed by Dubai’s Burj Khalifa in 2009. Today, the CN Tower is the centre of telecommunications for Toronto, serving Canadian television and FM radio stations.
This is the canadian side :
We first took some nice pictures on the walkway and then headed towards the boat tour which takes us very close to the falls. This used to be operated by Maid of the Mist earlier , but now they operate only from the USA side and now from the Canadian side it's operated by the Horn-blower cruises. we have to wear disposable raincoats provided by them and board the boat.
This is an awesome ride ! we get very close to both the American side of the falls as well as the Canadian side and can really feel the majesticity of the falls very close. we also got to see so many birds on the deep walls next to the falls - they appeared to be gulls and several other kinds as well.
This is where I felt I should have bought a hand wrist strap to the mobile phone. I was taking photos from different angles and always the danger that the phone will slip from my hand and fall into the water. Something like this :
https://www.amazon.in/Bowiemall-Multipurpose-Adjustable-Compatible-Cellphone/dp/B0BNX6NBGQ/
On the way back, we paid and collected the photo. This is actually a rip and not really recommended - I relented for just one time at Niagara.
After this, we went walking on the Clifton Hill Road. Here , there are many attractions for kids to enjoy. After a coffee at Tim Hortons, we had Niharika and Niranjan try the Go Cart at the Niagara Speedway. This is a winding elevated track and they had a fun time driving.
Post this we walked on the side of the Dinosaur Adventure Golf and made our way to the Skylon tower again.
Skylon is a MUST visit because here we get a complete Aerial view of the Niagara river, how it separates and creates an island the the complete view across border and both USA/Canadian side of falls. It's VERY CLEAR from Skylon view that Niagara falls must be seen from the Canadian side only !
After this, Srivatsa drove us for a wine tasting experience at the Konzelmann estate winery on the Lakeshore road. This entire area is called "Niagara on the lake" and there are many wineries of repute.
They allow us to taste 4 different types of wines each of small quantity. For each, they come and explain the details of each wine flavor. we tasted 4 different types of wines across red, white and dessert wines. Niharika and Niranjan got complementary soft drinks. After this, we have an option to purchase wines in their shop but didn't buy anything there.
On the back of the winery we can see the Ontario lake at a distance. After this, we headed back to Waterloo.
PS : Apart from driving a car, the other option is the GO Train which operates from Toronto to Niagara.
24-Apr (Mon) : Toronto
We decided to take the Go Transit train from Kitchener to Toronto. Nivedita thankfully raced the car and dropped us just in time for the train at the Kitchener GO, otherwise we had to wait another hour to catch the next train. Lesson - always check train schedules and plan for more margin before boarding trains.
I had booked a roundtrip ticket online, but I have to click the forward journey ticket before or just after I board the train. The idea is that once clicked the ticket is valid for 4 hours ( implying we can catch any train within that duration , even if i happened to miss the train I intended) . No ticket collector actually checked that we took a ticket !
The Go transit is a double decker train and we enjoyed the views from the top deck. Niranjan had actually not sat in a train ever before ( even in India ! ) , so this was special for him.
After getting out of the Union station we entered the junction of Bay St. and Front St. W. This has the golden yellow colored Royal Bank of Canada Building on the left and the TD Canada Trust tower on the right.
Then we started walking on the Front St. W towards the CN tower. we took a left on the Lower SimCoe St. and then a right on Bremner Blvd. we reach the area which has CN tower and Ripleys Acquarium.
The CN tower was built by Candian National the company that owned the railway and was completed in 1975. At 553 metres (1,815 feet), it would remain the tallest freestanding structure in the world until surpassed by Dubai’s Burj Khalifa in 2009. Today, the CN Tower is the centre of telecommunications for Toronto, serving Canadian television and FM radio stations.
The views from the CN tower are breathtaking. we get to see 360 degree view of the entire Toronto city right from the harbourfront which also has a small airport nearby ( we watched a plane landing there ! ) , and then the busy financial district and also the other parts of the city. This really is a must watch attraction in Toronto.
The CN tower also has an outside skywalk which was closed at the time. Also , there's a provision to go to the uppermost level through another elevator which we didn't take due to lack of time.
Next, we went to the nearby Ripley aquarium, which houses one of the best collection of marine and freshwater animals. We realized that this is way different than watching this on the Discovery channel because we get up close to all the sea creatures and actually get to realize their size.
After a huge variety of fishes, octopuses, we go into the area called The Dangerous Lagoon which is an underwater tunnel with a moving conveyor belt - the aquarium's largest tank. This has a wide variety of fishes, sharks, stingrays and big turtles. These hover over your head and also to the sides and this is a mind boggling experience. After this , we also get to see rare creatures such as the coral, sea dragon, jelly fish. The jelly fish with changing colors was a delight. Kids also get to go inside a small tunnel where they can be pictured to be part of the tank and Niranjan enjoyed this.
Since Nachiket had exam, Niharika volunteered to walk us through the Uwaterloo campus and later the waterloo uptown.
At the ION rail station, I took 3 tickets at the fare vending machine. A ticket is good for unlimited rides on the train and buses within 90 minutes from the time it was issued. Scan it on the fare vending machine or the platform card reader before boarding.
we boarded here and then the first stop was at the waterloo lake and then the next stop at waterloo uptown. we got down at uptown and walked on the main street having very good shops.
Niharika took us to a Korean ice-cream shop where they had Matcha Bingsu and we had bubble tea. After this, we again made our way to the station and returned to the waterloo campus.
In the night, we picked up Nachiket from his apt and he joined us at home in preparation for the trip next morning.
The CN tower also has an outside skywalk which was closed at the time. Also , there's a provision to go to the uppermost level through another elevator which we didn't take due to lack of time.
Next, we went to the nearby Ripley aquarium, which houses one of the best collection of marine and freshwater animals. We realized that this is way different than watching this on the Discovery channel because we get up close to all the sea creatures and actually get to realize their size.
After a huge variety of fishes, octopuses, we go into the area called The Dangerous Lagoon which is an underwater tunnel with a moving conveyor belt - the aquarium's largest tank. This has a wide variety of fishes, sharks, stingrays and big turtles. These hover over your head and also to the sides and this is a mind boggling experience. After this , we also get to see rare creatures such as the coral, sea dragon, jelly fish. The jelly fish with changing colors was a delight. Kids also get to go inside a small tunnel where they can be pictured to be part of the tank and Niranjan enjoyed this.
After this it started raining heavily and we just waited for some time in the lobby.
we also took some pictures of the train engines opposite to the aquarium ( area maintained by the canadian pacific ). we then reverted on the same path back and had lunch at Chipotle on Front St. W.
After lunch we decided to take a taxi to the ROM - Royal Ontario Museum. Unfortunately I couldn't get the Uber app working with Indian cards, so we just hailed a normal taxi. After arriving at ROM, we realized that the museum was closed on Mondays.
we didn't find any taxi near the ROM , so we decided to walk our way back. On the way back , we passed by the Univ of Toronto and the Queen's park. Niranjan spotted a Lamborghini Aventador on the street.
We then reached the Yonge-Dundas square - this is a smaller version of the New York Times square. we entered the huge Eaton Shopping Mall and did window shopping for a bit. After this, we also entered the Best Buy next to the mall on Dundas Street W.
After this, we went back to the Union station to catch the train at 4:08 back to Kitchener. This train goes all the way to London in Ontario, so we have be careful to get down at Kitchener GO only. Srivatsa came to pick us up at the station and we headed back home.
we had a good board game of Chameleon after dinner - a game which we had not played before and thoroughly enjoyed it before calling it a day.
we also took some pictures of the train engines opposite to the aquarium ( area maintained by the canadian pacific ). we then reverted on the same path back and had lunch at Chipotle on Front St. W.
After lunch we decided to take a taxi to the ROM - Royal Ontario Museum. Unfortunately I couldn't get the Uber app working with Indian cards, so we just hailed a normal taxi. After arriving at ROM, we realized that the museum was closed on Mondays.
we didn't find any taxi near the ROM , so we decided to walk our way back. On the way back , we passed by the Univ of Toronto and the Queen's park. Niranjan spotted a Lamborghini Aventador on the street.
We then reached the Yonge-Dundas square - this is a smaller version of the New York Times square. we entered the huge Eaton Shopping Mall and did window shopping for a bit. After this, we also entered the Best Buy next to the mall on Dundas Street W.
After this, we went back to the Union station to catch the train at 4:08 back to Kitchener. This train goes all the way to London in Ontario, so we have be careful to get down at Kitchener GO only. Srivatsa came to pick us up at the station and we headed back home.
we had a good board game of Chameleon after dinner - a game which we had not played before and thoroughly enjoyed it before calling it a day.
25-Apr (Tue) : Visit University of Waterloo and uptown
Since Nachiket had exam, Niharika volunteered to walk us through the Uwaterloo campus and later the waterloo uptown.
From their home, it's one straight road through the Columbia St W. On the right we enter the waterloo university campus. Below is a good map of the Campus.
Before walking around, Niharika just drove the car circling around the campus so that we get an idea of the entire area. After this she parked the car in designated parking area and we started walking.
First, we went to the waterloo engineering building E5 after crossing the ION rail track. We saw the inside of the building having the robotic section, the workshops, the student project areas.
The Plaza is behind the Engineering buildings ( E6 ) and student apartment residences are behind that on Philip street.
Then we crossed the ION rail track again and headed to the DC building. This is David Cheriton Computer center which has a library to study.
After this, we headed to the MC through the DC bytes and the bridge. MC is the Mathematics and Computing building.
Through the other end we enter the SLC - Student Learning center. We ate a small slice of Pizza here.
From here, we went inside the Nano tech building.
we also entered a teaching room where Niranjan became a Prof for 2 minutes.
Towards the back of Nano tech dept is the V1 Campus where 1'st year students stay. we didn't go all the way to that.
we then entered the rock garden housing various geological rock specimens and then made our way to the big Signboard. After this, we made our way back to the ION rail station.
we boarded here and then the first stop was at the waterloo lake and then the next stop at waterloo uptown. we got down at uptown and walked on the main street having very good shops.
Niharika took us to a Korean ice-cream shop where they had Matcha Bingsu and we had bubble tea. After this, we again made our way to the station and returned to the waterloo campus.
In the night, we picked up Nachiket from his apt and he joined us at home in preparation for the trip next morning.
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