I'm going through my album of pictures and I remember this one in Athens, Greece - Nikki and I wearing our version of a grecian dress.
This is my white lady dress, I figured it would be good to wear with the Parthenon in the background.
We pranced around the city both of us in this attire, thinking this to be an interpretation of their national costume. There were some stares but given that this was the last leg of our adventure, we were pretty much anesthetized by any form of embarassment or self-consciousness. We were in Greece after all, we have hundreds of century-old ruins behind us, the least we could do is wear the part!
The above picture is one of my favorites. It's the Porch of Caryatids (part of the Erechtheion temple at Acropolis) - these are women statues carrying the roof with their heads. Those are fake ones actually - the government decided to preserve the real ones and placed them at the Athens museum to protect it from falling apart. It's so magnificent and grand. I was more impressed with this temple than the Parthenon, it merited a Princess Diana pose reminscent of the hilariously same pose I almost did with the Taj Mahal behind me.
I remember how hot the weather was, and how we hiked to the top of Acropolis at a very scorching heat and came back down, passing by different ruins - quite amazed actually with the Temple of Hephaestus --, amazed to be so close and immersed in one of the oldest cities in the world, here with these ruins that gave birth to democracy, philosophy and some of the greatest literature of our time. I remember us getting dis-oriented on the way down and almost getting lost, getting shouted in Greek for sitting at marble stones (we really didn't know the stones were part of the preserved ruins), and getting a shade darker after the hike.
I remember our friend Marios (our customer in IT, love my job) who called his dad early in the morning for an emergency fix at his house and having to explain why he has two girls sleeping at his bachelor pad. I remember us teaching these new found friends some Tagalog and forcing them to speak it and have some mini-movie about it.
I remember our conversations in the car, how we teased Marios to marry Elena, his girlfriend, him telling us we're invited at his wedding and at that moment we believed we will still see each other again. One of my favorite pictures below - it was sunset, we're waiting for one of Marios' friend and also our customer, Francisco to meet us, we're at the Athens Olympic Complex (birthplace of the Olympics!), dancing around the sexiest arches I've ever seen. It was like walking under the curved shell of a turtle.
Good times. I probably will post the Santorini pictures by...year 2014.
Our meeting point was in Lima, Peru. I'm coming from Atlanta via Miami and Nikki from Manila via Los Angeles with stop over in Honduras (I think). Few days before the trip, we had some adrenalin-rush panic over VISAs and flights - typical of us who always breeze through every trip planning adventures after adventures, cherry picking best places over a huge continent but forgetting the essential stuff like double checking passports.
While in Miami waiting for my flight, I got a text from Nikki that her flight is delayed for an hour and I almost panicked (again) because her connecting flight has just about that window. I started calling TACA (our airline) - I actually don't know why I did that, I thought with my call I could stop the plane from flying and wait for my friend.
Usually when I'm worrying over something, my mental abilities are way over the clouds. When I heard my flight, I rushed to the plane still texting, and while looking for my seat, the stewardess called me and announced (it felt like that, with the volume of her voice) that I'm in the wrong plane.
Um, what airline does that? Schedule 2 flights to the same location with 15 minute difference ? My flight was actually in neighboring terminal. How embarassingly novice of me.
Nikki is planned to arrive 30 minutes earlier in Lima, if she makes it. Upon touchdown, I got a text that she's waiting for me (she literally ran to make it on time) at the Lima airport, oh my god worries gone. And then followed by a text: "by the way, they lost my luggage.." And that my friends is how we roll.
<< Here's Nikki on the left with the only luggage in the coming days: green bag. But let me tread on already on our first day in Lima. We saw each other at the airport, hugged as do long lost friends, laughed over the lost luggage and muttered we will just get it the following morning and she can borrow my clothes. We had our currencies exchanged and as usual ill-prepared about the vital stats about the country we fumbled and said, "Sorry, are these Reals...what do you call these bills?"
We hurried towards a man who will bring us to our hostel. I feel bad saying hostel because we always prefer staying at local's houses - we're couchsurfers and in this age of global connected-ness, I think that nobody is a stranger.
In a speeding taxi, I look over the city and I thought, it's not as different as Manila. Rounding off a corner, we exclaimed, looks like Cubao!
We met up with David and Cesar at Cafe La Maquina, a cute and cozy bohemian coffee place. Nikki warned me she read that it's famous for pick-pocketing. Oh well, what's new, it's not like we did not come from Manila har har har. I'm kidding!
We've never met David and Cesar and they also don't know each other. And no we're not scared of meeting up with locals we don't know. I truly believe that's what's traveling is about - to let go of fears and comfort zones and when you're in a foreign place, you have every excuse to make a fool of yourself. Good thing Nikki has the same mindset, I think she is the one who influenced me to have that mindset.
David is a musician and as he say, "a drummer but the African kind". He loves the Beatles because of course we have to have some common thing. We noticed that Peruvians are very nationalistic, when they tell us about their culture, it is with a hint of pride and lots of passion. They're proud of their Incan heritage. He's very well read on spirituality and so I asked him what does he think about end of the world in 2012 - does he believe....he laughed and said, are you guys taking it literally? And he told us what they think of it and you have to invite me for a cup of coffee before I'll squeal it to you, dear reader. His answer is interesting and affirming.
Cesar arrived late and he's the total opposite of David. He came in a suit and he's a lawyer and brought in lots of tips for us. He comes prepared to say the least. At some point, I wonder now how we were able to maneuver those conversations because we were with people of two different worlds: an artist and a corporate lawyer.
Afterwards, they brought us to watch live music - it was so awesome. The club is very intimate, has the acoustic coffeehouse feel. Favorite moment: Performer singing an allegedly famous song and everyone in the bar sang along! And it has a nice ditty so we sang along too! Woohoo! It was in Spanish (albeit the only Spanish words we know are those that are common with Tagalog).
We ordered pisco sour for a drink, their tatak drink, like lambanog to ours.
We wanted to dance so David brought us to a disco place (disco talaga, with those disco lights, and there's a huge LCD showing music videos!) with the music of...hold your breath, maroon 5 and nicki minaj, super bass! Old guy (a.k.a. drunk DOM) wanted to dance with us and so we did, stealing kisses (harassment na yun) and off we go!
We were at the plaza and it's almost 2AM. The weather is perfect. I have never experienced such perfect nighttime weather, chilly but not cold and the stars! Not one cloud hides them! There's a guy kissing his girl at the plaza, and the bohemian David started humming the Beatles' 'all you need is love..'
This is the kind of city Lima is, making its best impression on our first day and rightfully so. We bade goodbye and we made promises to see each other again soon, although everyone knows it's a slim chance that it will happen.
It's strange, I could remember and feel all of it distinctly as I write this. My heart swells.
To read more about the Oh Lala Latin America Backpacking Adventure:
Looking forward to 2011! Latin America backpacking, New Orleans, living abroad, already on my planning list!
Here's a little something we were asked to prepare for our family reunion especially that we are miles away...but I decided to share it as it could also be my thank you to some of the people who made it a deliciously great year for me, for making all that I wished for last year happened and to thank the void, Universe, God...the blessings are immensely appreciated, I thank with open arms, humbled and jumping for joy.
Forgive the elementary video editing....so pressed for time. Okay, even if not pressed for time, it would still turn out that way - amateurish hehe! :)
Our last day before we start our marathon of flights back to our home base. This is possibly the coolest experience of snorkeling ever. We were suited with wetsuits and because our guide does not speak English, we conversed in gestures and whatever Spanish words we know that we already use in Filipino (Yep, not even Portugese).
We just lie face down and we don't even swim, the current of the river at Rio Sucuri, Bonito, in Brazil, carried us downstream. The water is so clear, you could see right through the bottom. The video and the pictures don't do it justice. We were trying to gauge who wants to lead because it's scaring the shit out of us. Seriously, the river looks like a habitat for Cayman alligators. We ate one previous night and the revenge of the Cayman is a stomach-wrenching diarrhea attacking us in the middle of the night right up to early morning. Who knows it will come back and bite us in this river.
While there are no corals (this is a river), I enjoyed trying to behave like an alligator using Nikki's video cam. With my eyes darted on the surface of the river, I go down underwater like an alligator. So cool! We zipped through the river for 3Kms, nary a stop, and with no panting like a dog like what we did during our Inca Trail to Machu Pichu. This one's peanuts.
You know what's our highlight? Here goes. We were advised never to pee in the crystalline waters so when we got off the river, our tour guide went to dock the boat somewhere and we were there standing at the other dock badly needing to pee. I'm embarassed with this conversation but I'd like to post it for posterity as I remember it:
Me: Pee na tayo! I really, really need to pee! Let's pee now!! I'll pee anywhere!
Nikki: Ako rin! But sige, sa gilid?
Me: Okay! [jumping at the left side of the dock under the trees, I squatted. Nikki did the same on the other side, facing each other.]
Me: Shit, bakit ganun, it's stuck in our wetsuit! [Laughing, could not hold it back, still peeing! So this neoprene is porous, crap!]
Nikki: Oh my gosh, di sya nahuhulog! [Laughing, peeing, looking at my pee] Ayan, kita ko na yung pee mo!
Me: [Laughing] I can't see yours!
Nikki: Oh my god! [Laughing]
Me: Ayan na sa yo, Niks! [Jumping while squatting] Do this, it goes down if you do this! [Laughing while speaking]
Nikki! [Laughing] Oh my god...
Me: I'm done na! Quick, Manong is coming na! [Me standing up, trying to compose myself]
Nikki: [Still laughing and squatting]
Me: Nikki, please stand up na, mahuhuli tayo! [Laughing while begging at Nikki!]
Nikki: [Still laughing and still squatting!]
Me: Nikki, what are you doing, stand up na!
Nikki: I'm not yet done, hahaha! It does not seem to end!
Manong came over, Nikki still squatting and we're both laughing. Given the language barrier, he laughed too but there are things better left unsaid. Maybe these are the things that should be filed under, What Happens in Brazil, stays in Brazil.
But I realize in my deathbed, what would I really want to remember? The clear waters of Rio Sucuri or glorious (not gory) details like this? The experience is just simply worth telling.
I'm nesting. I just came from the best physical adventure I had in years. It's always been a dream to travel to South America, I pined for this dream to come true. Last 2007, I named my first car Machu Picchu and I've started to buy stuff on learning Spanish -- I have no means of funding for the trip back then, even a year ago I have no idea how I could make it happen, I was significantly short on cash then as I was paying for mortgages on my house (still do!). The classic I know where I need to be, I just don't know how to get there.
But thoughts really become things. What I consistently envisioned, happened. It got cemented last August when I booked the Machu Picchu trek for me and Nikki (my very good friend and travel buddy for life!) - this is the first purchase related to that trip, and then I knew, even before I bought plane tickets to South Am, it's going to happen. For realz. How I got the funds to do it, it's a good conversation to tell over a cup of coffee or tea :).
I just came back last late Thursday night. And now it feels so long ago but the memories are so sharp. I still laugh to myself whenever I recall our bloopers.
I met a teenager on my flight back home from Rio to Miami, I was connecting via Lima. Her name is Hannah and she was traveling to Peru with her good friend Manu. It's their first time to travel without their parents, and internationally too. They're literally jumping out of their seats when they told me about it. They have an exciting itinerary, they will be going to Machu Picchu and also to the Lost City of the Incas and I think to Lake Titicaca. Hannah was so giddy and asked me about tips. I hesitated, but I give anyway. I always will feel like a beginner at traveling.
I asked her about the hippie bands/bracelets on her hand. She told me that it was from Bahia (a beautiful place in Brazil and short background: they live in Rio but they're German; their parents moved to Brazil some years ago), and that you make three wishes as you tie it three times in a Bahian way, and it can never be untied in your wrist. Each knot will untie only when your wishes come true. She told me two tied knots are left, one has came true already.
I think I know what it is. I smiled and we bade goodbye, my wish that they will make memories no matter what happens. And then I realized, it's not so much whether those knots will get untied, it's how many knots we make in our lives. I want to continue to dream big dreams, because I know for sure they will come true.
Swimming Holes! I found out about this online while we were figuring out what to do on a weekend that does not involve walking and burning in the sun (all together) at the same time beat the heat that has now veered towards 100 degree F (so american! okay, that's almost 38 Celsius)! And we really do not want to swim in a pool and we are in an inland city with no beach in short-driving distance.
Inspired by Stand by Me, we thought, hey, can we just go somewhere, find a river and jump, and find dead bodies and then be emotionally damaged forever? I want to swim in a river with no entrance fees, one that is super untouched, where we just go there to take a dip, soak Mother Nature in, no buildings in sight, we should not care if there is a lifeguard, ideally there should not be a life guard, just a swimming hole out of wilderness.
With only the latitude and longitude in hand and some description from some kind stranger who posted it on the internet, and despite the "Off Road" signal bleeping on the GPS (could no longer detect the road we are in) ...
...we found it. It was what I have imagined - unguarded with sunlight streaming through the trees. We found it!
There were few adventurous locals with us, jumping on the river - gliding with tubes with the river current, some just lazing around. some diving with their head first - (I will totally not forgive that guy if he brought in an ambulance in that very virginal spot), all just chilling. It was a good day. It was a great discovery. We were heroes!
Isn't that a ridiculously funny name for a trip? I proudly was the one who named our trip that. I went to Savannah, Georgia (Think: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, or Gone with the Wind) with good friends here in Atlanta. Album pictures and stories here.
I think I need someone to whip me into editing pictures and compiling them. I could even go as far as being threatened of deadlines, whatever. I feel that's the only time I get picture-editing of my trips done.
And so carrots on a stick still works, take that, Daniel Pink.
I never knew recalling moments and poring and picking pictures can be time consuming :). But it's extremely gratifying to see through a year of fantabulous experiences and recognizing that it is indeed a time to be grateful. It has been an epic year. I own 2010! So let me indulge and let you in my memories for the year that was/is.
Watching Avatar in 3D with Dad (who loves technology more than I do).
This is my favorite scene - the floating Hallelujah Mountains, if I can freeze it in one picture. Definitely mouth-gaping, especially on 3D.
It's spell-binding. Hunan Province, in China is now in my travel list to explore next!
Penpal on overdrive.
I actively sent out postcards to strangers through Postcrossing - the best part was checking my mailbox at home and finding out I got international mails from strangers - thank goodness, not just credit card bills! I got Nikki to join in and she, as always, amps any idea to wonderful craziness by making it a family event for her husband and their kids. She writes on the postcards, Diego (10 year old, her eldest) mails the postcards and when they do get to receive one, they read it as a family. Pretty cool. Opens up her kids to new worlds. Feel free to steal this idea :).
Baking and cooking were both great discoveries for me this year.
Huge thanks to my trusty oven and to Car and Anto for the tips and tricks and for always inviting me whenever there is food celebration at their house! I really did try a lot of dishes and I also realized I kind of like cooking more. Baking is so exact and I'm too clumsy and I get bored easily following the notes. I've collected the beautiful mess I made in 2010 (not comprehensive though). in an album so I can laugh at it.
Embraced Blackberry and a Tablet.
From a person who does not want to spend on technology (I'm for experiential purchases), this is my breakthough or may otherwise be known as the beginning of regret, let's see. More on this soon and if there's anyone to blame, it is the bitch, my reliable, seldom reachable technical support. Blackberry, for its archaic design and a tiny screen, gets to be the most efficient phone for me to support my social networking activism.
Not sure if I should label this as lowlights given the amount of distraction, but Plants vs Zombies deserves a cloud in my 2010! And Words with Friends! (Both of which are not available as games in my current gadget, go figure). They ate my brains!
Obligatory adventure on restaurant discoveries.
Restaurant discoveries is a must as I prefer not to repeat the same restaurant with the same company. The following springs with sumptuous delight in my memory - Van Gogh is Bipolar (for the inventiveness), Kuya's, O Kitchen, Eat Well, Kebab's and Gratitude Cafe (this is more than a restaurant, I attended a session there on how to read someone's aura - superb!). I think also one of my highlights in discovering new places for good food are my monthly lunch-outs with Mike and Nikki. It's mightily challenging to schedule a common time for us to eat out but we still do manage to not miss it despite traffics and color-coding and still do stick to our no-repeat resto mantra.
Tasting Tibok-Tibok
It was accidental - the trip was really our do-it-yourself Pampanga road trip with Pogs, Irish, Kat and Alvin and discovered this totally addicting dessert called Tibok-Tibok - which can be described in one sentence as maja blanca version 2.0. Side trip: Philippine Hot-Air Balloon Festival and although colorful, the highlight was us trying to get out of that area so we could eat and getting lost finding San Fernando city!
Rowing
I blogged about it. It's good for the upper arms, just bad I guess if you swallow the salt water (given that the salt water is from the very dirty Manila Bay).
Coming back to social networking > Twitter.
Just happy to be back in Twitter for 2010. I discovered it three years ago and have been intermittently updating it and when a lot of people have joined in, it then made sense for me why I did also become active. Social networking happens when there is significant mass of people to 'socialize' :). Wow, genius. #sarcasm.
Facebook on the other hand I may have officially given up.
Golf
My uncle enrolled me in golfing lessons as I told him I will be in Atlanta the next year and might be near to the famous Augusta (Tiger Woods' mothership). Feeling talaga ako makakalaro ako duon, hehe. My golfing instructor is so exasperated as he doesn't get it why I sway when I swing. He said, 'Di sya sayaw..'. Oh. I thought much of golf is all about posing :).
Get Pricked!
I've leaned towards eastern medicine because I want to practice that belief that the power we need to heal ourselves are already within us. Here I am with Yung Chin, a taiwanese traveler who I brought to Dr. JC to experience this wonderful healing process, pinoy style.
Fishing
Again, my uncle and my dad's influence. I was not able to catch fish but my dad did. A huge one.
Watched Lea Salonga live.
It was more a gift to my mom as I want her to witness Lea still singing well as if it's still her prime (it's still her prime, yes?). My mom loves performances and watching Cats The Musical is so perfect, simple story but so abundant in singing and dancing. The dancing is very techincal, it's amazing how the performers can still sing while doing the moves. Mom and I enjoyed it very much.
Donated blood for the first time.
Ask Des, I almost freaked out. 450cc of blood? That's enough to make two dinuguan good for 40 people! But it's at least a noble way of inflicting pain to oneself. Right after blood donation, against doctor's orders, Des and I went gallivanting the town with Pogs to tour an Estonian traveler within Quezon City. And I went back home sick - nursing fever and flu for days. Moral of the story: Listen to your doctor! (And still donate blood, the feeling is priceless!).
Witnessed People Crucifying Themselves
With the most appropriate people to see this kind of events with - my parents (and my Tita) hahaha! We went to San Fernando Pampanga to witness people whipping their backs and nailing their appendages as nationwide Lenten season is being observed. It was hilarious as my mother cursed me for asking her to walk at that heat! My dad is laughing his head off as my all-white Machu Picchu got splashed with human blood - penitents whipping their backs during a procession. The whole experience was like watching a Filipino classic movie - all the gore, the drama, and the suspense. Oh it was bad-ass fun. You have to see it with your old folks.
In reflection, I do believe the Bible is a story in metaphor. And most of what's happening right now is just lost in translation. What a bloody post this has become!
Walked barefoot in the city.
Not really a stiletto moment - but I walked barefoot from the Shangri-la Hotel to the Shangri-la Mall parking because my feet was begging for mercy. I promised to myself I will never wear heels again even if it looks good on my outfit (comfort over style, and I'm sure this promise I will never keep). Yes, I came from a glamorous wedding and luckily, it was already evening when I decided to hit the ground, caveman style.
Travel by myself
I'm used to traveling with a buddy but a milestone this year as I am very proud to have done traveling outside the country by myself that is not related to work. Toronto was my experiment and it was an adventure to check out museums by myself, plot my itinerary by myself and fill the time with whatever I fancied. Good times.
Given a choice, I would prefer to travel with someone for I was caught many times clasping my hands in excitement at a very nice piece of art but found no one readily available beside me to gush it with. I do highly recommend that at least once in our lives, we travel by ourselves - tough but good for the soul.
Watched a live baseball game
I did this already in Tokyo a couple of years ago, but nothing like watching it in a stadium with teams that are previous world champions. Yep, it was Atlanta Braves vs Toronto Blue Jays - and the only player I know was Derek Jeter (Thank you Mariah Carey).
Come to think of it - Atlanta Braves. What a premonition! Main highlight - sitting on good seats costing around $70CAD and getting it for $10 dollars. (My bargaining chip: I'm from the third world...)
Bonding Experiences
Reunion with my High School Barkada
Met all expectations of being a noisy, messy, but full of sentimental love kind of reunion as we walk dear Jenny down the aisle in wedded bliss. It was perfectly set in the charming town of Bacolod, the place where we all introduced ourselves to each other 18 years ago.
Post-event: Playing Mismo - a jejemon game of sorts in the wee hours of the morning at my house. I think we had a good belly laugh for over an hour.
Celebrity Sightings
Seen Megastar 3 feet away from me! Seen Manny Pacquiao 300 feet away from me! Such a sucker for larger than life characters.
Watched Gay Pride Event in Atlanta
All for equality. I know it does not beat the stories my friend Jaja tells me, of how they do Pride in San Francisco, but Atlanta experience will do for now.
Picture stolen from Luan's facebook photostream :).
Get Rejected in a Bar due to Lack of Proof of Age
Yes, got rejected and not just one bar, but in two bars in mid-town Atlanta because I did not bring any form of identification. In an act of desperation sans shame, I even sang a Beatles song to the bouncer to prove I'm old.
And during my birthday at that. It actually feels good, ha ha ha.
Finally for the first time. Post-mortem: My candidate for presidency did not win but I'm happy with the results.
Re-connect with friends, family, strangers.
Even as simple as bringing my parents to Mercato Centrale to try out new food or as elaborate as doing the yearly garage sale with Aimee, Cindy, Fe and this year with Chris, or those weekend overnighters (I remember the coffee farm house, that was good) with different loved ones, or driving on 100km/hr on ayala avenue (Ayala Ave!) at 2AM to bring a French traveler to his destination or even up to the extreme of traveling a thousand miles away beyond Pacific Ocean to reconnect with a good friend, all these proved that we do remember moments and happiness is only real when shared.
2010 was definitely my year, because everything was an adventure. I don't post any work related stuff (as much as possible) but that area too, for this year was an out of comfort zone thing experience. Anything that forces me to grow, tops it on my list - on a hindsight of course.
I hope this year was awesome, heroic, stunning, kick-ass cool for you as it was for me!
Looking forward to 2011! Latin America backpacking, New Orleans, living abroad, already on my planning list!
I watched Eat, Pray, Love the movie at the Atlantic Station with fellow Pinoy friends from office and I have of course super high expectations about the movie and I ended up as usual, feeling good about it but not totally impressed (as it seems to happen on all book-to-movie adaptations except for LOTR). I'm so-so about that movie but I love Julia. Will Julia ever get anything wrong? She acts with a heart and I could not have thought of anyone who can play Elizabeth best. Possibly Witherspoon but she's too southern for that role.
Speaking of Southern, I'm here in Atlanta, in the land of McDonald's culture, spending a few weeks for work stuff. You know what scares me? The serving as usual. So huge. Doritos are like buckets, all drinks are refillable, and you buy your commodities in wholesale quantities. Obama is leading a kingdom of consumerism. You cannot get small servings because you're not 12 years old and below. You cannot buy it few because it's packaged large. So you're forced to buy stuff that's too much for you, and waste it. So Obama then is not just leading a kingdom of consumerism, but a kingdom of wastefulness. What's a girl like me to do? I could not finish anything, and I totally won't apologize for it (although I still have a tendency to explain).
I wish that the solution for everything is just allow people to order junior size or just freaking get smaller plates or package everything in "sakto" sizes. All this talk and all this culture about excess, it's crazy, and it does bother me.
It bothers me because I bought myself two pairs of shoes at good discount over at DSW in less than 45 minutes that I was in the store. There. Excess my foot.
Oh but I got a good quote from Liz Gilbert's book (highly recommended to read the book):
When you sense a
faint potentiality for happiness after such dark times you must grab onto the
ankles of that happiness and not let go until it drags you face- first out of
the dirt- this is not selfishness, but obligation. You were given life; it is
your duty (and also your entitlement as a human being) to find something
beautiful within life no matter how slight.
I was begging my friend - when we go see Niagara Falls, I want to see it in daylight as well as night time. Some people gush about the lights at night which illuminates the falls, in such a way that it's still the star over everything else in that area (aside from the sound it makes, it better be).
The falls is so powerful, not even just by sight but even the sound it makes, even the sound the river makes as it approaches it. It's so scary just to go near it (we still did, did the whole Maid of the Mist ride where it brings you so close to the bottom of the falls, you're practically wet and damp right after the ride), and its energy is being harnessed powering electricity practically majority of Ontario and that of New York State (it is the largest producer of electricity for NY).
The most photogenic is Niagara's Horseshoe Falls, with that sexy bend. It erodes slowly towards Canada and even though I have not seen it from New York's perspective, the best view is looking at it standing on the Canadian soil. Well, I would think so, since the falls face Canada. New York on the other hand is at its side.
I love listening to stories about the Falls, how it stopped flowing in late 1800s, how it froze once, how many daredevils tried to conquer it - some succeeded, some didn't, how a lot of myths and magic were created because of it.
At night, it is dazzling. My picture above does not justify it. It's romantic and the floodlights create an ambiance of fantasy and something I guess near to Disney on Ice, har har har! See the aerial view here, thanks wiki. But I love the falls better during daylight, it is breathtaking and the lighting, au natural. It taps all of your senses more during morning - emphasizes its power more when the sun is up and you can see everything in its awesome majestic glory.
I love the bird and the rainbow..I felt like I've been anointed a kingdom or something.
After that visit, I went home so hyped up and started googling about waterfalls. Victoria Falls is next!
