Trip to Niagara Falls...
What an eye-opening trip! I was truly amazed by the wonder of the actual scene before my eyes. The trip was decided hastily when mom decided that she wants to take a break from work so there we headed towards :)
This packaged trip includes two places, the Niagara Falls and the Corning Museum of Glass. After travelling on the bus for more than 10 hours upstate, we finally arrived at the Niagara Falls State Park. The Niagara River was just by the road that we took to get there. It looked just like any other peaceful river flowing down, but hah, when we saw it from above an observation deck/elevator tower, where the river poured its contents 90 degrees downwards, it was a totally different sight to behold. The power, the impact, as the waters tumbled over to the rocks at the bottom and the thunderous sound made was really a magnificent picture altogether.
A brief introduction of the Niagara Falls. It is made up of three waterfalls actually, the American Falls, The Canadian Falls and The Bride's Veil Falls. The falls are shared between the US and Canada, thus the names. The Canadian Falls is also known as the Horseshoe Falls due to its horseshoe shape, which I find intriguing. Personally, I like the Horseshoe best :) Bride's Veil was named thus because of the heavy mist created that hung around in front of the waterfall, it made it looked like a shy maiden wearing her veil on her wedding day. Well, that was what our tour guide told us anyway :p A past tradition of the Native Americans that lived near the Niagara: Every year, (I think) they send their wisest and most beautiful maiden in their village to be sacrificed to their God at the Niagara Falls. The girl had to row down ( I think) the Niagara River and go over the waterfall to be shattered to death by the rocks, if not drowned. I shudder just by thinking about it. Well, that was the past, and now the boat tours that they provide for tourists are named Maid of the Mist after this tradition.
I must mention, though I'm at the American side of the Niagara Falls, I prefer the Canadian side from what I observed. The people had a better waterfall after all :p No, actually they get a better view from their side, they can go underneath the waterfall where observation places were built. It would seem like pouring a sea of water in front of their eyes! How much more beautiful is that la! Someday I'm going to get over the other side and get a fair share of the view :)
At night, though we couldn't see the waterfalls very clearly, but the sound and the mist were ever present, indicating the never-ending flow of the waterfalls. We went up a place called the Cave of the Winds, where we were just standing next to the American Falls. Looking up the waterfall from below, it was another breathtaking angle. It was brightly lit with rainbow lights, creating a different atmosphere with every colour that shone on it. And haha! I dipped my hands into the waters of the American Falls! Of course, it was just normal freshwater but it felt good to know that I've touched the waters that once flowed the Niagara River and went over the great Niagara Falls :p We managed to catch fireworks displayed by the Canadian side. It was beautiful, to look at the fireworks while standing at the Hurricane Deck and getting sprayed occasionally when the wind grew strong suddenly at the deck. We went on to the Terrapin Point, where we were overlooking the Horseshoe Falls. And the song that suddenly came to me was 真命天女's OST sung by 龚诗嘉 - 再一次拥有。It struck me dumb when that song came to my mind. Among the thunderous noise, the song played on clearly in my ears. I am even more convinced that I'm weird.
The next day, we went to the Corning Museum of Glass (CMOG). A very famous glass museum that I've never heard of. Proven again is my ignorance of the world. It's a place where beautiful glassware of the world and of the ancient civilization were housed and displayed to the public. And the exhibits were truly exquisite. Glassblowing demostrations were available at the museum too. It felt weird looking at the honey-like texture of glass at 4000 fahrenheit and to see it being blown up like a small balloon and subsequently molded into a solid vase. Another eye-opening session. I gathered that to be a glassmaker, you had to have 4 years of university education plus two years of experience after you graduate. I never thought that being a glassmaker would need such credentials. Impressive.
Now, after my long grandmother story of the trip, it's time for pictures! Can be found at the bottom of the blog.
and the song that got stuck in my head at Terrapin Point.
This packaged trip includes two places, the Niagara Falls and the Corning Museum of Glass. After travelling on the bus for more than 10 hours upstate, we finally arrived at the Niagara Falls State Park. The Niagara River was just by the road that we took to get there. It looked just like any other peaceful river flowing down, but hah, when we saw it from above an observation deck/elevator tower, where the river poured its contents 90 degrees downwards, it was a totally different sight to behold. The power, the impact, as the waters tumbled over to the rocks at the bottom and the thunderous sound made was really a magnificent picture altogether.
A brief introduction of the Niagara Falls. It is made up of three waterfalls actually, the American Falls, The Canadian Falls and The Bride's Veil Falls. The falls are shared between the US and Canada, thus the names. The Canadian Falls is also known as the Horseshoe Falls due to its horseshoe shape, which I find intriguing. Personally, I like the Horseshoe best :) Bride's Veil was named thus because of the heavy mist created that hung around in front of the waterfall, it made it looked like a shy maiden wearing her veil on her wedding day. Well, that was what our tour guide told us anyway :p A past tradition of the Native Americans that lived near the Niagara: Every year, (I think) they send their wisest and most beautiful maiden in their village to be sacrificed to their God at the Niagara Falls. The girl had to row down ( I think) the Niagara River and go over the waterfall to be shattered to death by the rocks, if not drowned. I shudder just by thinking about it. Well, that was the past, and now the boat tours that they provide for tourists are named Maid of the Mist after this tradition.
I must mention, though I'm at the American side of the Niagara Falls, I prefer the Canadian side from what I observed. The people had a better waterfall after all :p No, actually they get a better view from their side, they can go underneath the waterfall where observation places were built. It would seem like pouring a sea of water in front of their eyes! How much more beautiful is that la! Someday I'm going to get over the other side and get a fair share of the view :)
At night, though we couldn't see the waterfalls very clearly, but the sound and the mist were ever present, indicating the never-ending flow of the waterfalls. We went up a place called the Cave of the Winds, where we were just standing next to the American Falls. Looking up the waterfall from below, it was another breathtaking angle. It was brightly lit with rainbow lights, creating a different atmosphere with every colour that shone on it. And haha! I dipped my hands into the waters of the American Falls! Of course, it was just normal freshwater but it felt good to know that I've touched the waters that once flowed the Niagara River and went over the great Niagara Falls :p We managed to catch fireworks displayed by the Canadian side. It was beautiful, to look at the fireworks while standing at the Hurricane Deck and getting sprayed occasionally when the wind grew strong suddenly at the deck. We went on to the Terrapin Point, where we were overlooking the Horseshoe Falls. And the song that suddenly came to me was 真命天女's OST sung by 龚诗嘉 - 再一次拥有。It struck me dumb when that song came to my mind. Among the thunderous noise, the song played on clearly in my ears. I am even more convinced that I'm weird.
The next day, we went to the Corning Museum of Glass (CMOG). A very famous glass museum that I've never heard of. Proven again is my ignorance of the world. It's a place where beautiful glassware of the world and of the ancient civilization were housed and displayed to the public. And the exhibits were truly exquisite. Glassblowing demostrations were available at the museum too. It felt weird looking at the honey-like texture of glass at 4000 fahrenheit and to see it being blown up like a small balloon and subsequently molded into a solid vase. Another eye-opening session. I gathered that to be a glassmaker, you had to have 4 years of university education plus two years of experience after you graduate. I never thought that being a glassmaker would need such credentials. Impressive.
Now, after my long grandmother story of the trip, it's time for pictures! Can be found at the bottom of the blog.
and the song that got stuck in my head at Terrapin Point.
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