It’s my final day in NYC.
Or is it?
I’ve arranged for a parcel to be delivered to me at Niagara Falls post office which closes tomorrow at 2 pm, so I have until then to get from NYC to Niagara Falls
It’s a 7 hr drive so I have the option of leaving tonight and breaking the drive up into 2 legs, or waking at around 5 am and setting off on the long haul.
I’ve tentatively settled on the latter option, as there is still so much to do here, but as is the world’s want, things don’t exactly go to plan. I wake to teeming, and I mean bucketing down, miserable, soaked in a minute rain.
Everything I want to do is outside or on the water – High Line, Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty, Staten Island Ferry. Given I’m not great with heights, the Empire State and Rockefeller towers are not high on the agenda, and to be honest I’m pretty sure the view would be pure cloud and mist anyway.
I vacillate on whether to risk a day in the cold and rain, parking my decision by checking the hourly forecast (not good before lunch), and eventually going with the decisive “wait and see” option.
I wait.
I see.
It’s still pissing down.
Repeat this for a couple of hours and it’s clear today’s NYC exploration is going to be miserable at best. So I swallow a little bit of disappointment and decide to head off towards Niagara instead.
I’ve spent less time in NYC than I have in at least 20 other places, but I’ve at least had a real sense of the place. With the amount of coverage of the city, the traditional beauty of travelling (seeing things in person for the first time) is probably lessened for buildings and statues.
It strikes me that NYC is a place to live and work in for a few months to get any real sense, and missing out on a few of my intended sights just means I will have to go back again.
I break the drive to Niagara up into 2 – I get about as far as Binghampton leaving me a 3 and half hour leg tomorrow.
I get to Niagara Falls in plenty of time to pick up my package. I believed it was a replacement charger from Lenovo for my laptop, but it isn’t, instead it’s a free trial of some vitamins I must have ordered one night whilst drunk. Oh well.
I’ve the afternoon to check out the falls before I have to finally leave the US as my visa ends. So I make my way to the water.
Now, I’ve always had the impression that the falls are a US attraction. They are – in part. The falls straddle the border, and I quickly learn that the iconic horseshoe falls actually reside in Canada!
The American side is in fact a little disappointing – there are falls and you can see the river, but it’s not as advertised.
I am however looking forward to getting up close and personal to the falls on the famous Maid of the Mist
As I get to the visitor’s centre, I learn that the boat has just been closed for the day as they are having troubles with the water level (too high). Seems all that rain has been falling hereabouts as well.
I wander around for 45 mins, getting wet and cold, standing with the other tourists on the observation desk, but with no boat ride to look forward to, it’s a bit of a letdown.
So much for my last taste of the US.
Finally I go back to Charlotte, drive the couple of hundred metres to the border and wait in line at the Canadian checkpoint.
As is their want, the border guard is humourless, with cold eyes, a flat speaking voice and a preternatural ability to pause silently whilst simultaneously giving an air of disappointment and superiority.
I’m subject to his disapproval and a few perfunctory questions for a few minutes before he waves me through.
And with that simple action it’s farewell to the US.
It’s ridiculous to think 6 months have passed, and I am a little saddened that this part of the adventure is over. But a new one awaits – Canada and the decision of what comes thereafter.
For the statistically minded, the renowned Valdis and Charlotte US tour of craft breweries, small towns and Walmart car parks has taken us across 13,992 Miles (22,387 Kms). We’ve spent $2,098.79 USD on gas (around $2900 AUD), buying 999.19 gallons (3782 litres) at an average price of $2.10 per gallon (77c per litre). Every mile we drove together cost us 15 cents USD, and that’s with Charlotte being a little thirsty (14 mpg or 6 km/litre).
Canada greets me with eager arms – for less than a kilometer (yes we are now back to metric) away lie the proper falls.
And It’s all that it has promised to be. I spend hours watching the hypnotic water, take the behind the falls tour, where you can stand behind the falling water (and get wet of course) and just chilling.
Though the day has started a little dreary, towards the end the sunshine pops out, as if to dawn a new beginning, and a rainbow arrives over the Falls for me.
An auspicious start to this new chapter!
