Day 10 - Midland-Niagara Falls

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Today we start with a visit to 'Sainte-Marie among the Hurons', a former mission station, founded in 1639 by French Jesuits. The mission was designed as a retreat for missionaries and a refuge for Christian Wendat, or Huron people. The Wendat and the French European inhabitants had a different culture, but lived together in this community and shared their knowledge. However, they each lived in their own part of the community with their own houses etc.

Nowadays it's a sort of museum, where men and women in period dress who tell you about life in the 17th century in the community.

In the afternoon we arrive at Niagara Falls, where we do the famous Maid of the Mist boat trip (very wet) and walk around and enjoy the magnificent Niagara Falls.

In the evening we are on our own and decide to see the Niagara Falls Film in the IMAX theatre, where we are told about the crazy people who descended the falls in a barrel, together with spectaculair pictures of the falls.

We visit the Skylon Tower as well. It's already dark and we see Niagara Falls by night, illuminated by colorful lights.

We haven't got any time left this evening so we decide to do the 'Journey behind the Falls' attraction tomorrow morning. We have time for that because we will leave a bit later tomorrow morning.

Niagara Falls, it's a bit touristic but should have seen it, by day and by night!

Sainte-Marie among the Hurons. These are the buildings of the French Jesuits, who live together with the Hurons or the Wendat in a missionary.

Men and women in period dress tell us about how life was in this community in the 17th century.

A wigwam. This was constructed by the Wendat.

A longhouse, where the Hurons used to live, with the whole family.

The longhouse from the inside. Up to 40 persons lived in such longhouses.

MarieHuronsLonghouseI.JPG (109280 bytes)

A traditional canoe.

Niagara Falls. On this plate you can see that they are actually two falls, separated by a piece of land. The water forms the border between the USA and Canada, so one of the falls belongs to the USA (The American Falls), the other (on the plate: lower) belongs to Canada (The Horseshoe Falls).

The Horseshoe Falls, a spectaculair view.

168.000 cubic metres of water goes over the Falls every minute! The little boat on the photo is the 'Maid of the Mist'.

The American Falls. Nice, but less spectaculair than the Horseshoe Falls.

Ready to embark the 'Maid of the Mist'.

The previous 'Maid of the Mist boat' returns, so now it's our turn!

Here we pass the American Falls.

We all have been handed out a plastic raincoat, because it's going to get wet!

Closer and closer to the Horseshoe Falls. Be prepared to get wet.

The last photo I dare to take. In a minute my camera will be drenched if I don't put it away.

I can tell you, it's very wet near the Horseshoe Falls. All the water that comes down gives mist and a lot of spraying water, like pouring rain!

At night the Falls are illuminated by colorful floodlights.

Unlike many people think, the colored lights are NOT behind the falls, but are on the mainland near the road. They are powerful floodlights as you can see here.. Half of them shine on the American Falls, the other half on the Horseshoe Falls.

The Horseshoe Falls, taken from the Skylon Tower, from the observation deck at 236 metres above the ground.

The American Falls, taken from the Skylon Tower.

The Skylon Tower, from which you have a nice view at 236 metres.

To see the Niagara Falls live via a webcam, click the following link:
http://www.fallsview.com/Stream/WideLive.shtml

More niagara photos (in the sun!) tomorrow, day 11!


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