Canada Trip – economy class

Flight Stop

Trip details:

United Airlines: 19 July to 22 July, Louisville – Chicago – Toronto

Hotels: 19-20-21  Isabella Suites; 21-22 Global BackPackers

The journey was more than a fun, it started as a race to get the VISA stamping done from canada, I had earlier made a mistake and this was the second time I was making it to the Visa stamping scheduled for 20 July 10:30 am Monday morning. Only Three days before that I realized and on checking from Immigration/Lawyer firm got the information that I will have to leave India if Visa is denied. It was a shock. I dumped everything important in my 2 bags and started my journey on late night 18July. My roommate Rajan also wished me good luck, I thanked him for the dinner and the taxi arrived (driver: african american with good idea about indians) at 11 pm. I reached 5 hrs before my flight scheduled for 6 am next morning i.e on 19July. I spend 5 hrs over the couch on the small airport of Lousiville with 2 elderly people sitting on the only other available couch at the louisville airport.

Morning was quite, weather was normal with clear sky and our flight went very smoothly, we touched Chicago in 45 minutes. From Chicago to Toronto the flight took 1hr20min and we landed in Toronto at 11:15 am. I had almost full day for myself. Taxi with Sardarji driver dropped me at Isabella, my room was small but neat and cosy . I liked it. I prepared all my papers for next day, took a hot bath, and got ready for Toronto sightseeing. I had Toronto map, address of my hotel and US consulate, 150 canadian dollars in my pocket. Sherbourne station was just 2 minutes walk from Hotel, and Toronto Metro was as good as Chicago or Manhattan. I took a subway and got down on Queen station, Eton Center was just on the station. Woah! the delicious hot fried rice (at thai outlet in the food court) was one of the best fried rice i had in last 2-3 years. He prepared just like the way dhaba guys prepare, playing with the dishes and hot vessels. I also took 1 water bottle and a juice drink from the open market area (pick and move area), took some snapshots of the gease flying inside this eton mall, and rested on the top floor of it. Later the same evening I made myself familiar with the US consulate builing and the surrounding locality and market. It was between Osgodon and Patrick station. Then i returned back home and picked a sandwich from the restaturant facing my hotel (serving woman was from middle east), the sandwich was good. I took a quite sleep, got up at 6:45am, prepared the file, took breakfast and left via taxi at exactly 8:45am.

Last day trip at US consulate provided me an added advantage, I was all set on 20Morinng for my interview. It went well. Thanks to the immigration officer, he did not ask anything, it was too quick.

Toronto Map : http://transit.toronto.on.ca/archives/maps/downtown.gif  Points of interest : Sherborune station (close to my Isabella hotel, patrick station – cloes to simcoe street where us consulate exists, queen statn – eton center/mall, st. andrew statin – close to CN tower)

Once out of Consulate I straight went to hotel, talked with the caretaker, she was punjabi indian women (tall and handsome). Told me not to worry, she herself leaves and takes metro late night at 12 -1 sometimes. (remarkable – though being one of the most costly city of the world, its streets are considered quite safe). I prepared myself for Niagra trip and took the bus from Toronto Bus terminus at Bay Street (close to Patrick station), Coach Canada – $38 total trip, I was on the second seat, sitting next to a korean/japanese lady. She got down before Niagra, At Niagra , as advised by the driver I took the trail – in 20 minutes I reached the Niagra fall sight. It was beautiful, a preserved biosphere, very nice , natural , and cool place. So many people from all over world, so many Indias, chinese , europeans – all strolling around, a big market place, fun rides, big gardens, and indeed it was a bird habitat (palinquins).

I took lot of snapshots, went for Maid of the Mist, took some rest in the garden, had a burger from Burger King and then took 8:30 Green Line bus to the terminus. At 10:15 coach canada came, this time the driver was a punjabi girl. At 11:45 I reached Patrick Station and by 12:20 I was inside my hotel.

Global Village Backpackers

)On 21st, I got up late by 8:30, took breakfast, fixed all my luggage, took bath and then check-out of the hotel to another hotel – Global BagPackers Village at 12:45 (taxi driver an indian gujju). My room 104D, quad bed, $28 , there was 1 person luggage but nobody around, I put my two big ones in the lockers (the lockers – coins story – and i informed them), rest of the day I spend roaming around the downtown, went to CN tower, the market around, had rice with tofu at thai restaurant – they served very nicely. I returned hostel at around 7pm, was in bed in 15 minutes and then woke up at around 10pm, after getting fresh, I watcched Die HArd , talked to mummiji, papaji and then went to bed at 2 – 2:30 midnight, my roomate entered around that time. I was half asleep and he just dived on his bed and was asleep. There were lot of guys and girls doing brush, using bathroom. My sleep was ok , I got up at 7 and after spending sometime, took breakfast, the check -out time was 12 noon, I decided to check-out by then but kept my lockers running , roamed outside had lunch at India Palace and at 4:oo , I left with all my luggage to the airport ( taxi driver – bangladeshi).

At Toronto airport, first boarding pass, then immigration officer -2 rounds, then baggage claim, then security check and then finally at 6:50 boarded the plane, it departed at 7:27pm, we reached chicago on time at around 8:30, it was an hour behind there, there was more than an hour at my disposal, I took a sandwich, newspaper and then my next flight started at 9:05 to lousiville, we reached before 10 and I was at home by 11:15pm.

Called home and went to bed.

** few people who gave me right advise     a. the old lady at the toronto airport at the currency exchange counter    b. the korean driver of the bus i took for niagra, his suggestion of taking the walk trail        c.  the fedex attendent suggestion to collect a pre-paid envelope from staples for the us consulate, re-enforcing what the old lady had adviced earlier.