Niagara Falls – A Photo Essay

Niagara Falls from Canada.
I headed to Toronto last September to see the famous Niagara Falls. We took a tour with our hostel and got to see Niagara on the Lake on our way and then a winery on the way back. A great day out which was only possible because we were YHA members.

Upon arriving my first thoughts were; why does the spray off the falls connect with the sky and its noisy! The view was incredible form the Canadian side, you could see the two falls beautifully and just how different they both look.

After arranging what time to meet our coach we headed straight for the Maid of the Mist as we had pre booked tickets for that with our tour. Receiving our ponchos and waiting in line for the boat, already the noise had gotten louder and the falls seemed bigger from our lower vantage point.

With the size of the poncho I was not going to be getting wet. We boarded the boat and grabbed a spot at one end by the railing, first we headed past the American falls then on to the Canadian ones, we had on board commentary, about the history of the falls, the area and accidents that have happened with freak survivals.

As we got closer to the Canadian falls, the noise got so loud you had to shout to each other and it was at this point we started to feel the spray, gently at first then it got harder and before long my poncho was soaked and so was my camera. Visibility got less as we hoovered by the Canadian falls, just taking in the roaring noise of the water and the amount of spray which is was causing. It was nothing like I could have imagined, the sheer volume of water that drops over the edge really did surprise me.

You could feel the current under the boat and you could feel that if they put the boat in the wrong place at the wrong time the current would pull it in to the falls. Soon we spun around and headed back along the river to dock the boat. Going back past the American falls, its strange how when I thought of Niagara falls I always thought of the American side rather than the epic Canadian side.

I would love to have spent the evening here, and seen the amazing lights being projected on to the falls, but that didn’t happen this time. Still the view of the spray from the Canadian falls ascending all the way in to the sky, was incredible. You literally could not tell where the sky began and where the falls stopped.

Walking along the top path to the far end where the falls are, you get a lovely view of the falls from a high vantage point. We debated about the walk under the falls, but decided it wasn’t worth the money so we just headed along to the lookout spot. The noise here was at the maximum,  you could see and hear just how much water was going over the edge.

I find it very hard to put in to words how vast and incredible these falls are, we didn’t take a trip over to the American side due to times and visa’s but I know had I of been that side I would have been gutted that we had missed out on the best bit. Everything you read about the Canadian side being better was true for me.

All photos have been photo-shopped by me, this is one some are very dull in colour and others more saturated.