[gamerguy]

I attended an exchange programme in Canada for the first half of this year. During this period, I had the chance to visit many places in Canada and the USA, so I thought it would be nice to share some of the more memorable photos and experiences. Feel free to post here if you have any questions about travelling in North America

Basically my travelling was made in 4 blocks (at different times) to 4 different regions: Eastern Canada in January, Western Canada in February, Eastern USA in late April and Western USA in late April/early May. I have taken more than 50 GB of photos and movies throughout my trip, but unfortunately, I could only select a few of them for this thread. In any case, enjoy the photos, and do not hesitate to post any queries in this thread!

Eastern Canada
Places visited: Toronto, Niagara Falls, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City.

Toronto
My first stop in Canada was in Toronto. Basically Toronto is a very “American” city, with its bustling city filled with skyscrapers and vibrant nightlife. I spent around 3 days here, exploring the more famous attractions and the huge Chinatown district. Throughout my exchange experience, I also got a chance to come back to Toronto to watch a few NBA games.

Interesting architecture
While the city was filled with skyscrapers, there were quite a few buildings with “classical” architecture, which gave Toronto a distinct flavor that was different from other US cities.



An outdoor ice-skating rink in the city
We were in Toronto during the Winter season, so there were a few outdoor ice-skating rinks. Here’s one of them:


Toronto Raptors NBA game
I had the chance to watch an NBA game. Being an NBA fan, this is like a dream come true. Tickets were(around US$19 per person), because I bought it from ebay, and also because the Raptors ain’t exactly a top-flight team. Nevertheless, it was an exciting experience.



Shopping in the Toronto Eaton Centre
We went shopping in Toronto’s biggest shopping mall, the Eaton centre. It’s a really huge mall with tons of shops, and the prices were pretty low as well. One thing about Canada is that the food is expensive, but the non-consumable goods are cheaper than Singapore. This applies to the US as well.





Niagara Falls
A trip to Eastern Canada wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the breathtaking Niagara Falls. It was indeed a winter wonderland: filled with ice and snow.
I’ll let the photos speak for themselves:

Really really snowy.




Check out the double rainbow!



An impressive sight to see the Falls up close.

+ YouTube Video

Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, NOT Toronto, as most have initially thought. It’s a forgivable misconception though, because Ottawa is simply not as well known as Toronto, nor is it anywhere as big (the population of Ottawa is only about , compared to Toronto’s 4+ million). In fact, ask anyone in Singapore to name the cities in Canada, and they could probably name only 3: Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. So why was Ottawa chosen as the capital of Canada? I learnt the reason from one of the fabulous museums in Ottawa: historically, Montreal and Toronto have always tussled for the position of capital city. So, in order to “appease” both cities, Ottawa, situated midway between them, was chosen by the Queen to be the capital. Quite a funny reason yeah?
Anyway, Ottawa’s a small and peaceful city, filled with numerous museums and of course, theice-skating rink in the world: the Rideau Canal. Honestly, if you’re here for just one reason, the Rideau Canal would be it. Nothing beats cruising down the canal at full speed in your ice-skates, while soaking in the eclectic mix of French and British architecture in the city. Without further ado, here are some shots that I have taken:

Skating on the Rideau Canal



The Beavertail
The Beavertail is a very popular snack in Ottawa. It looks just like a beaver’s tail (hence its name), and tastes really good.


The Parliament building
The Canadian parliament building is one of the most prominent buildings in Ottawa. From a distance, it does look strangely forlorn, yet imposing.


Spider attack!


Canadian War Museum
One of the more impressive museums that I have been to. This museum is just HUGE, and it takes more than a day to fully experience all the exhibits. That’s because the museum covers the war history of Canada, from prehistoric times to modern warfare. It’s an eye-opening experience to say the least.

They even have a “warehouse” style exhibition area, where hundreds of war vehicles are packed into one place. It’s a really impressive sight.




Montreal
We then journeyed North into the province of Quebec: a province with a very large French-speaking population. The first city that we visited was Montreal. Since it was in the dead of winter, the temperature was freezing: -16 deg C in the day and even lower at night. Surprisingly, we were able to get used to the cold rather quickly, even though we had been living in sunny Singapore all our lives.
The thing about Montreal is that most of the people speak French, so if you can’t speak French, it might be a little difficult to communicate with the locals. Fortunately, many of the younger people speak English as well, so it wasn’t too much of a problem. Useful phrases like “Merci” (Thank You) and the famous “Bonjour” will come in handy of course.

Exploring Old Montreal
Old Montreal is perhaps the most interesting part of Montreal. There are many historical buildings here, because the city has decided to preserve most of the medieval buildings here. No doubt, walking through the streets of Old Montreal feels like one has been transported back into medieval times, with its cobbled streets and numerous statues.


Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal
The grandest Cathedral that I have seen so far. The interior is HUGE, and filled with breathtaking figurines and artwork. It was mind-boggling, to say the least.


Mount Royal
It’s actually a hill that overlooks the entire Montreal city. In winter, the entire landscape is covered with snow, and people can engage in winter activities such as snowshoeing and cross-country skiing here. We chose to climb the hill so that we could get a great view of the city. After a couple hours’ of hiking, we were rewarded with this view:

We also managed to get a close-up shot of a really cute squirrel:





Quebec City

We then ventured further north into Quebec City, about 2 hours by train from Montreal. Quebec City has an even stronger French flavor than Montreal. We were captivated by the abundance of great architecture in this city.
Oh, and one thing. Quebec City is REAL cold in winter, even colder than Montreal. If you are afraid of the cold, do not even think of coming here in the dead of winter. Temperatures routinely reach -20 deg C, and up to -30 deg C with windchill. Do pack really thick clothing and equipment if you are planning to visit in winter.

Some shots of the city:



Walking down the cobbled streets of Quebec City:


The Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac
This famous hotel basically dominates Quebec City’s skyline, and is one of the most prominent buildings in the city, thanks to its striking architecture. Rates start at CAD$600 a night for a normal small room.





That sums up the Eastern Canada portion of this travelogue. Next up: Western Canada.

[gamerguy]

Western Canada
Places visited: Vancouver, Victoria, Mount Whistler-Blackcomb, Banff National Park, Calgary

We visited the western part of Canada during the study break in February. This part of Canada is really different from the Eastern part. It’s filled with amazing scenery and less of the hustle and bustle that’s found in the Eastern Canadian cities.

Vancouver
Vancouver has consistently been voted one of the top 3 cities to live in by various publications. And with good reason: nice city, beautiful scenery, friendly people, comfortable climate. What more can you ask for?

Vancouver Coastline




Biking In Vancouver (Stanley Park)
It was a really wonderful experience, biking through Vancouver’s streets and Stanley Park. Vancouver is a very bike-friendly city, so drivers always give way to cyclists. Overall, we had a really safe and exciting biking trip. Visitors to Vancouver should not miss out the chance to bike round the city.



Vancouver Aquarium
The huge Vancouver aquarium housed many marine exhibits. The ones that really caught our interest was the Beluga whale and the dolphins.



The dolphins put on a really acrobatic show!


North Vancouver
Having some extra time, I took the ferry (the Seabus, as they call it) to North Vancouver. North Vancouver is a more “rural” area. But the most striking thing about it is that even though it is just 10 – 15 km away from Vancouver’s downtown, the climate is very different. We saw no traces of snow in downtown Vancouver (in fact, the temps were around 8 deg C). But North Vancouver had pockets of snow almost everywhere, and the temperatures were around 0 deg C. It was a strange and interesting observation.



Lynn Canyon Park
The adventurous spirit in us couldn’t hold back the opportunity to do some trekking. So, we ventured into Lynn Canyon Park, a free-admission city park with great scenery and really fresh air.


Inside Granville Island’s market
Some HUGE bones there.


Chinatown
The largest Chinatown in North America is found in Vancouver. Unfortunately, didn’t take too many photos because honestly speaking, the Chinatown felt quite rough, with ruffians hanging around every corner, so we merely took a quick walk through the area.



Mount Whistler-Blackcomb (Site of the 2010 Winter Olympics)
Of course, while we were in Vancouver, we didn’t miss the chance to go skiing in Whistler, just 2 hours by bus from Vancouver.
The scenery was of course, breathtaking. So was the skiing experience; in fact, it was too “breathtaking” for us, because most of us were newbie skiers, and Whistler’s slopes are really steep. This resulted in me taking no less than 30 falls throughout the skiing trip. Even then, I really had a blast there; if I had the chance, I wouldn’t hesitate to ski there again.
Ok, enough about my experience, have fun with the photos:






At the highest point (after taking 3 cable cars from the base, took like 20+ mins total)




Victoria
We took a day trip to Victoria, the provincial capital of British Columbia. It’s basically a small city located on Vancouver Island, about 30 km off the coast of Vancouver city. (Yes it’s confusing I know; Vancouver city is not located on Vancouver Island, but it’s on the mainland). The British architecture here was pretty nice and we had a great time at the Miniature World, where there were many miniaturized versions of famous landmarks and cities on display. I’ll let the photos loose for now:

The Parliament Building
Unfortunately, we couldn't get inside because they had an event going on. Oh well.




Miniature World
Miniature World's a place where they placed miniaturized versions of famous landmarks and cities on display. The intricacy of these models was just astounding. I wonder how long they took to make all these models..





Banff National Park
Ah, the highlight of our trip to Western Canada. It can be said that some of the world’s most breathtaking scenery can be found here. Indeed, the towering peaks of the Rocky Mountains make for a truly awe-inspiring sight, and visiting it in winter meant that we had stepped right into a winter wonderland with the majestic snow-capped peaks all around us. It’s a truly unforgettable experience.
Since pictures speak a thousand words, I shall let the photos present the grandeur of the Canadian Rockies. If there’s one place that you must go before you pass on from this world, the Canadian Rockies would be it. A pure, unadulterated gift of nature, nestled in the province of Alberta.

Banff (The Town)
Banff is basically a town nestled among the Rockies. It's also a town built specially to cater to the tourists. In fact, no one is allowed to reside here, unless you are working for the tourism industry. And that's understandable: who wouldn't want to retire in such a fabulous and peaceful place? If they open the floodgates, you can be sure that the Rockies will be full of people who want to live or retire here.

So yeah, Banff is filled with touristy souvenir shops, restaurants etc. We basically used it as our "base camp" for our journey out to the Rockies.


Canadian Rockies
And here's the highlight of the day: the Rockies. It's a paradise on Earth. Perhaps words can't even begin to describe the astounding beauty of the scenery here. It's a place that no one should miss in their lifetime.

And I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking:

A ski resort near Lake Louise








A frozen lake louise. The two mountain peaks to the left and right of the lake made us feel really tiny in comparison, particularly as we began to walk on the frozen lake towards the mountain.


Cross-country Skiing
We took the opportunity to try out cross-country skiing. It was fun, but totally exhausting, because we were basically skiing on level ground.



And finally, some of the best shots of the Rockies:

[gamerguy]

Eastern USA
Places visited: New York City, Chicago

Due to time constraints, I only managed to visit 2 cities in Eastern USA: New York City and Chicago. Both cities left deep impressions on me, especially New York City.


New York City
NYC is a bustling metropolis, containing myriad cultures and races. It’s even more multicultural than Singapore, and perhaps twice as busy. Subways run 24 hours a day, and yellow cabs litter the streets. You’ll see no less than 10 yellow cabs at any one time on the road. Of course, besides being a really busy city, NYC boasts heaps of landmarks, the most famous being the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building. Don’t forget to get the 3-day New York Pass: even though it costs a little over US$100, it’s well worth the money, as NYC’s attractions are horrendously expensive (e.g. US$27 to get to the top of the Empire State Building). So without further ado, here are the photos:


Times Square
Filled with the iconic giant LED screens, Times Square has become an icon of NYC. There’s tons of shopping that can be done here, and lots of interesting shops (M&M, NBA, Toy’R’Us etc). And of course, the many Broadway theatres can be found in the vicinity. It’s a really bustling place where you wouldn’t want to miss (and you can’t, too, since you will have to pass by Times Square while getting from place to place).




Statue of Liberty
Took a ferry ride to the island that houses the Statue of Liberty. Along the way, had to go through some pesky security checks and an insanely long queue. But it was all worth it in the end. The Statue of Liberty is indeed a majestic sight, and well worth the visit.


Museum of Sex
Well obviously, the photos below are just the tip of the iceberg. But due to the explicit nature of the other photos that I had taken, I shall only post the "tamer" ones




I'm sure you know what these are for.


Walking the Brooklyn Bridge in the evening


Wall Street
Not much to see here, but one thing is for sure: the tall buildings on either side of the road really form a "wall" around you.




Night view of NYC from the top of the Empire State Building
An incredible sight eh? Looks like masses of fireflies swarming in the city.


Bodies.. The Exhibition
Visited the Bodies exhibition for the first time. Other than the regular human exhibits, they also had foetuses in glass jars. Pretty interesting.




Broadway
I grabbed the opportunity to watch a Broadway show while I was in NYC. I chose Phantom of the Opera, because the ticket prices were more affordable, and also because it's a really long-running show that has garnered numerous accolades. It was an enjoyable show, though I didn't really get much of the storyline



Photos of downtown NYC (Manhattan), & misc photos






Chicago
Chicago: A city famous for its blues and jazz, rich history and celebrated sports heritage. It also happens to be one of the first cities in the world to have towering skyscrapers, and even though NYC has far more skyscrapers than modern Chicago, many impressive buildings still dominate the Chicago skyline.
In addition, Chicago felt like a much more peaceful city compared to NYC. You could hear blues and jazz musicians playing their tunes at almost every turn of the street, and there are many city parks in the city where one can just lie flat on the grass and enjoy the greenery, right in the heart of the city.


Chicago Skyscrapers




Flowers, parks and the like
I was in Chicago in early Spring, so there were lots of flowers blooming in the city. It seems that the city has also taken lots of effort in planting all those flowers.



Abraham Lincoln starring down right at you!





Inside the Museum of Science and Technology: The only German U-Boat captured during WWII




The El – Chicago’s unique elevated metro system


Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Olympics


The view of Chicago from the top of the Sears Tower

Day View:



Night View (tip: ascend the tower in the evening, so you can catch both the day and night scenes with just one visit

[gamerguy]

Western USA
Places visited: Seattle, San Francisco, Yosemite National Park, Monterey Bay, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Death Valley

We left for Western USA for a road trip immediately after my final exam paper. Of course, Western USA was a lot different from the other places that we had been to: from the undulating streets of San Francisco to the searing deserts in Nevada; and from the granite peaks of Yosemite National Park to the bustling nightlife of Sin City (Las Vegas), there’s no lack of fun and variety. Indeed, this road trip was a fitting end to my wonderful 5 month exchange experience in North America.


Seattle
We took a 4+ hour flight from Toronto to Seattle, with a stopover in Vancouver. Managed to see the Canadian Rockies very clearly on our way there (I suspect the Captain lowered the plane on purpose, to allow us to see the Rockies really clearly. Nice gesture on his part). Anyway, it was a really impressive sight to see the never-ending chain of mountains, and it did bring back wonderful memories of my trip to Banff National Park back in February.



Seattle is a really peaceful city, much like most Canadian cities. Honestly speaking, there’s not much to do in Seattle, and perhaps 2 days is all you need to explore much of the city. Because of this, we took a short day trip out to Mount Rainier National Park, because we really missed the snow back in Canada ().
But first off, lets start with the city of Seattle:



The Space Needle, a landmark of Seattle


Mount Rainer National Park
On the 2nd day, we ventured out to Mount Rainier for a change of scenery:





I don’t know what this animal is, but it did seemed to be pretty pissed with us (for taking its photos perhaps?)





San Francisco

Centuries of earthquakes have transformed San Francisco into a city of undulating streets. Don’t attempt to cycle up any of the slopes; you’ll just be wasting precious energy. Instead, make full use of the city’s excellent public transport. There are numerous buses and trolleys that serve the city, so that those without cars do not have to climb the 45 deg incline streets.
These streets are, however, just part of the charm that San Francisco possesses. The famous Fisherman’s Wharf, Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island all give San Francisco its distinct character. In addition, San Francisco seems to have none of the hustle and bustle that’s present in other busy US cities such as NYC. Indeed, San Francisco does seem to be an ideal place to retire, because of its wonderful climate and friendly people. But enough about my musings, here are the photos:

San Francisco Cityscape




Insane streets
I saw a few jokers trying to cycle up one of these streets. It was a funny sight as they were weaving to the left and to the right, trying to defy the force of gravity, until they finally gave up and had to push their bikes.



Seals at Pier 39



Biking on the Golden Gate Bridge
If you’re planning to bike in San Francisco, just avoid biking in the city and you’ll be fine. Stick to the coastal area (from Fisherman’s Wharf onwards) and you’ll get a chance to enjoy the gentle sea breeze while taking the sights and sounds in the busy pier area. Of course, biking across the Golden Gate Bridge is also an experience that shouldn’t be missed.
Notice the signboard that tries to persuade would-be suiciders to call the helpline before deciding to end their lives. Not sure how effective this would be, but its indeed a sign that the Golden Gate Bridge is a highly popular place for the depressed to take afall into the deceptively calm waters below.




Beautiful Sausalito
Just across the Golden Gate Bridge lies Sausalito, a quaint little town with houses dotting the green hills.




Alcatraz Island
This mystical prison island has now been converted into a harmless tourist attractions. Yet, just a couple of decades ago, America’s most notorious criminals such as Al Capone used to be residents in Alcatraz Prison. It was an interesting experience to wander around the jail compound and to read about the dark past of this facility.






Yosemite National Park
We took a day trip to Yosemite National Park, one of the more well-known national parks in the USA. Having seen such gorgeous scenery in the Canadian Rockies, we weren’t totally wowed by the scenery in Yosemite, but there’s no doubt that the scenery here is still amazing.



Check out that waterfall in the distance.







Monterey Bay
After San Francisco and Yosemite, we journeyed south towards Monterey Bay, which was on the way to LA. The miles upon miles of coastline provided some incredible views, and it was a refreshing experience to drive along the coast, with the windows wound down and music blaring. Road trippers should definitely take the chance to soak in the views of Monterey Bay on the way from S.F. to LA.






The Lone Cypress


Wonder how spicy this really is...




Los Angeles
After a looong drive, we finally got to LA. Our main purpose of being here: to watch the LA Lakers at the Staples Centre. And yeah, we got our wish, and also got to engage in some really exciting activities, such as flying a plane!


Staples Center – LA Lakers vs Utah Jazz Game 5 (1st round NBA playoffs)

The first highlight of our trip: A live NBA game at the Staples Center. I finally got to see Kobe Bryant in action. The fans were really passionate, and we really got into the mood of cheering for the Lakers. Of course, they beat the Jazz, and even went on to win the championship.




Kobe Bryant taking a free throw:


Universal Studios



Oscar Statuettes!



Flying a plane – the highlight of the LA visit
At about US$95 for a 30 min flight, we felt that it was quite a bargain. No flight experience necessary, though the instructor will take control during takeoff and landing. It wasn’t hard to fly because we flew a small plane, but it was a really unique experience for us Singaporeans.



Santa Monica



Las Vegas
After LA, its east towards Las Vegas, smack in the middle of the desert in Nevada. We took a really long 5+ hours drive before reaching Las Vegas in the evening, just in time to dive straight into the nightlife of Sin City. We stayed in the Golden Gate Casino hotel, which offered ridiculouslyroomof about US$20 per room per night (and that goes for many of the other hotels during weekdays as well). All I can say is, Sin City is really out of this world. Gambling, booze, women (if you are so inclined towards that), all the vices that you could ever indulge in, can be found right in the heart of the Nevada desert, away from the “civilized world” so to speak.






The "Volcano" show outside the Mirage: Simply explosive


The Bellagio:






At the indoor firing range
Gun control is really liberal in Nevada. Just pay up, and they'll hand you a gun and the ammo. Then off you go into the range to shoot at targets (notice who's the target board). We tried a range of weapons, ranging from shotguns, AKs to MP5s. It was really expensive, but really fun as well






During the day, Las Vegas is searing hot, and it lacks the vibrancy that comes on only after nightfall. So, we took the chance to explore the famous national parks near Las Vegas. First stop: the Grand Canyon. But before that, we passed by the Hoover Dam:


And it was onward to the Grand Canyon.


Grand Canyon National Park
After an arduous 6 hour drive from Las Vegas (with numerous rest breaks), we finally arrived in the Grand Canyon National Park, located in Arizona (which they proudly proclaim the “Grand Canyon state”). There’s one thing that was really amazing. You drive on the road, and you KNOW that you have entered the Grand Canyon national park because you have just paid the entrance fee at the toll gate. And you continue driving, wondering where’s the “canyon” or the gorgeous sight that you have been waiting for so long. Then, one of us shouts out and yells at us to look to the right. And there it is, hidden behind the thick trees lining the road. The majestic orange and brown canyon rocks peeking from behind the tree. We quickly stopped at one of the parking locations and rushed out. And this is what we saw:







To be honest, my photos do not do the actual view justice (not enough colour contrast on my camera ). You have to be there to experience it, in order to understand the true grandeur of the Grand Canyon. The view at sunset is probably the best, because the rocks literally turn orange.


Death Valley National Park
And then, for the last stop, we drove to Death Valley National Park, which was on the way from Las Vegas back to LA. Once we were there, we finally understood where it was given that name. In the deepest part of Death Valley, pretty much nothing lives there. Its just an entire landscape of barren rocks, with perhaps one or two hardy shrubs struggling to stay alive in the searing desert heat. We were there in spring and this was the temperature at that time:

It’s almost scary to be there, because you just lose moisture at an incredible rate. We just kept guzzling water like camels, and the heat was just unbearable. But that’s what we came for, isn’t it? To indulge in the blistering heat and feel the lifelessness of Death Valley.








Well, I think that’s all I have for now. Overall, it was a really great exchange experience because I got to explore so many places with like-minded friends.

To sum up, if you want to enjoy the best
scenery - Canadian Rockies (Banff or Jasper National Park)
road trip - California
skiing - Whistler-Blackcomb
city life - New York City
nightlife - Las Vegas

I hope you have enjoyed the photos, as much as I have enjoyed posting about them