Lifeblog

Toronto - Montreal (Day 110)

By mrbiao ⋅ April 24, 2008 ⋅ Post a comment

I only planned for a half day layover in Toronto, and I’m glad I planned it that way - there’s nothing much to do in Toronto - not much sightseeing besides the CN Tower (another one of those tourist traps where you pay $20+ to take an elevator up, wow at the view from the top for a couple minutes and that’s it). Needless to say I didn’t go for it. Too much to pay for 2 minutes of city view when they are more or less the same everywhere else and no less magnificent for example at the Pearl tower in Shanghai, OUB Plaza in Singapore, etc.

There are actually lots to do in Toronto for people who love the arts… and comedy - Canada is like the comedy capital of the world with lots of shows in Toronto. I didn’t go for them again as I’m on a budget and don’t really want to spend like $30 to watch a comedian for a couple of hours when I can watch on TV.

I took the morning before my departure for Montreal to do a walking tour of downtown Toronto as recommended by Frommer’s, and had a supposedly famous “peabody style pork bun” in St Lawrence market - it was absolutely disgusting, with many pieces of salty and greasy pork cutlet slices wedged between a bun and nothing else, not even a slice of lettuce! Man, I got to stop believing in those marketing efforts put up by these eating establishments - rows and rows of newspaper and magazine reviews on how good that expensive bun is… it was so bad I couldn’t finish eating it!

I don’t like the feel of Toronto - it’s too fast faced, much like Singapore… (but still slower than the latter). And oh the temperature here these couple of days was a comfortable ~20 degrees celcius - quite unexpected given that its still less than 10 degrees in Vancouver - I came here expecting worse, which is typical of weather in East Canada… hmm… global warming effects changing the typicity of weather?

I took a grueling 7 hour bus ride to Montreal from Toronto. The only reason why I chose bus over a flight or train was because of the price … I bought it at a steep discount for early purchase… no complains for the price and the relatively OK bus ride since I had two seats to myself.

Along the way… there was mostly … nothingness. The countryside in Canada is such a vast landscape of emptiness… grass and trees, the occasional farm and small town, and nothing else. I wonder how people who live hours away from a major city (i.e. those in the agricultural industry) survive in this age. It must be quite boring. And oh I had Tim Horton’s for dinner again. Darn. It was the only choice available at the rest stop.

The bus pulled into Montreal shortly after 10.15pm, and I was surprised at how well-developed the city is - seems much, much better than Toronto. At least, first impressions was good - the subway is a more pleasant experience than in Toronto and there are few homeless people on the streets - I felt quite safe walking late at night in the empty streets looking for the hotel I’m booked into for the next few nights - very comfortable room (check out the pic! - I’ll upload tomorrow). I’m glad I got a good rate for this stay.

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Cherry blossoms and snow in spring

By mrbiao ⋅ April 2, 2008 ⋅ Post a comment

Day 76 in Vancouver

By mrbiao ⋅ March 25, 2008 ⋅ Post a comment

Tomorrow I’ll be going to the Rockies! So excited about the trip, but also worried about all the work and chores I have to catch up on when I return…

Dumpling rice noodle soup…

Cherry blossoms are blooming all over Vancouver…

Reading week vacation photos (Seattle)

By mrbiao ⋅ March 1, 2008 ⋅ Post a comment

Restaurant car on the Amtrak Cascade train to Seattle…

Food on the Amtrak train… not bad and quite affordable.

Cheesemaking in progress…

Pike Place Market…

Yummy looking pastries…

The famous Pike Place Fish Market stall…

Monk fish?! Doesn’t look appetizing…

Cute car wash billboard…

Bus station at Everett, WA…

$7 for an apple?! Forget it…

My souvenir from the first Starbucks store at Pike Place Market…

More to come… (Time to ZZZ first)…

Vancouver day 33 photos

By mrbiao ⋅ February 6, 2008 ⋅ 2 comments

Fried noodles!

Modified dim sum steamer…

Siew mai (but didn’t taste like it)…

Potato wedges with garlic, herbs and spices…

Yummy…

Vancouver day 31 photos

By mrbiao ⋅ February 4, 2008 ⋅ Post a comment

Sunny side eggs (look real, don’t they? except for the bottom one)… actually there is a smell of yogurt but for some reasons all my friends were fooled until they actually ate it!