The Amazing Niagara

Here comes the most awaited blog..."My Niagara Tour"..Uploaded the pics on facebook and for the two most special friends of mine,who do not have an fb account...ufff!! kaise ho aap log sacchi..wait till I reach India....Here it goes....
Back in 1996 when I was in the 8th standard, i remember Sister Margarita giving us assignments of "map marking" in geography. "Niagara" had been one of her favorites. Never in the wildest of my dreams had I thought that I will be visiting the Niagara falls..To be true,I had dreamed of Venice and then later about the Golden gate bridge..but Niagara..no...never!!!Well,after watching it, I have been dreaming about it ;)
So, on January 30th 2011,at 9:00 am.."Aankhon mein sapne liye,ghar se hum chal to diye.." But, I knew "ye raahein humko kahan le k jaengi..". I walked upto the Coach Canada bus terminal, 2-3 minute walk towards the south from my house(here people talk more in terms of north-south rather than left-right).I took a $36.80 return ticket and boarded the 9:30 am bus.a nice comfortable bus..I had forgotten to have Avomine..I had it in my wallet, but water? Here you get milk for $1 and water for $1.25...strange!!! Well, the bus had already left, so no water..no medicine and the giddiness...but i was too enthusiastic to close my eyes..I constantly kept clicking..click..click..click went my camera throughout the way..the bus sped down along the lake Ontario..through snow laden paths..We took a 10 minutes hault at St. Catherine's. Most of the public got down there.There were merely 6-7 people in the bus now(thoda sa darr to laga tha frankly speaking..). At 11:21 the bus haulted at the Niagara Bus terminal...which was very very far from the Niagara..When the bus driver told me that its 15 minutes down the road, tabhi main samajh gayi...it is similar to when people say "Bandra Andheri k baaju mein hai" I was prepared for a good 15-20 minutes walk. There was a spanish gentleman, a chinese boy (Zi-Pi) that was his name and myself..and we walked..they were obviously faster than me..I moved on slowly.. i can't walk fast after that stupid accident...It seemed to me that I had come to a no-man's land...snow and snow everywhere..."koi-or-chhor nahi tha". Beautiful cottages along the way..similar to the ones I had seen in Snow White and Cindrella story books...really wished to go inside one of them...After long distances, Zi-Pi would wait for me..naah not for me that way..he wanted someone to click snaps for him...Spanish uncle ko english samajh aati nahi thi..so he walked on..I and Zi-Pi clicked snaps for each other..We walked on...already tired..did around 45 minutes of walking.Then I could see the Rainbow Bridge to USA..and the falls just behind that...wow!!!!!!
A couple was coming down the "hollywood planet" hand in hand, I asked them that I wanted to see the Canadian view of the falls, which way shall I go?I feared landing up to the USA side without visa and then into the jail in a filmy style ;)
They showed me the way..another 15-20 minutes walk...and there it was...the furious Niagara..thawed!!!!!! The Niagara was frozen, and I got frozen too..I actually can't describe the beauty in words...water fell, and it turned into ice...The "Maid of the mist" cruise boats were fixed at the harbour frozen..Ice, Mist,wind..ooooo...beautiful..I clicked from every angle...I could see the US Bridge clear from there..slowly as the sun shone, I literally saw the rainbow develop in front of my eyes..it was worth the painful journey actually!!
I gazed at the Niagara and thought in my heart.."Where am I? so far from my near and dear ones..standing all alone in front of the Niagara..was it that God had bestowed an opportunity on me to see this beautiful creation of his? Was it some kind of a reward for the sorrows that I had faced recently or was it a reward for having ever done some good deed in life? Could I ever bring mom-dad to this place?Could I ever come hand-in-hand with someone I love to this place? am I going to spend the rest of my life alone watching such creations of God? Do I have anyone to share these with?" I felt damn lonely, actually I again carried a mixed bag of emotions..lonely,happy,proud at my bravery,excited...I wish I could freeze there itself like the frozen Niagara..captured Niagara in my eyes and in the camera from every possible angle and then walked down...
Had lunch at a food-court.Had a combination of pizza and KFC..nice lunch...From there itself went to the Niagara Casino..My God!!! the rich people have so many ways and means to spend their money..Believe me..70-80 year old ladies were there at the casino playing games and cards and gambling..Didn't spend much time there. Went to the fun-park.The bird museum was closed.It opens during springs.I went inside the GUiness Book Of World Records museum..saw a lil bit of the Ripley's believe it or not museum..gave a pose with Mr. Ripley's statue..there were many horror houses..mann to bahut tha, but did not dare to go alone there..Mumbai mein bittu da, shipra, riketa k sath to waat lagi thi..yahan ka standard of course high hoga...so no ways!!!!
Walked down towards the bus now...and and and...as expected lost my way...It had beagn to grow dark..Zi-Pi and the spanish uncle were nowhere to be seen.I could get no clue of the road..I literally sat down on a bench and thought.. "beta ab to gaye.."..Cars were sppeding along..all with closed windows..could ask no one..
I closed my eyes and with the innermost voice of my heart I remembered my Saviour..ekdum dil se yaad kia...I had tears in my eyes..just then i could see a church at a distance, and I could make the way out..I had seen that church while coming..I smiled to myself and started walking again...I had wasted almost 20-25 minutes..i was thirsty..legs were refusing to bear more torture...but...I missed my friends a lot..if they had seen me in such a situation naa..sacchi godi hi utha lete shayad se..
Well, i reached the bus terminal..inserted $1.25 into the refrigerator and pressed the 7 UP button..got the can..relished it..and thought "I have grown up..I have really grown up..I am no more a kid now"...flashed back the pics on my camera, the geography classes at school,my friends pampering me,mumma caressing me..Boarded the bus at 5:45 and reached home at 8..
The Niagara had frozen in my eyes..my joints had frozen..they still are.. :) people generally leave the child inside them behind and move ahead, but I have left that grown up Sanchaita somewhere in that no-man's land and I will go to papa as his betu, to ajju as his babu,to ankur as his sanchi and to pankaj as his baccha. I won't kill the kid within my conscience.. I realy really missed these people when I had lost my way..I don't wanna grow up..I want to hold your hand still while crossing the road..I want to explore the beauty of nature with you...
Niagara akele nipta lia..and wow..sach mein akele nipta lia...I deserve a pat on the back....don't I?