ESL Blogs

This is the journal from my trip to Canada, which I took a month ago. 

Day One: Welcome to Toronto 

For quite some time I’d had it in mind to travel to Canada, to see Quebec perhaps, but in the final I decided on Toronto. I had heard about Niagara Falls, so I thought, “Why not?”

I have to admit that my trip wasn’t as well-organized as I would have liked. It was  rushed because I’d had a lot of work lately. However, it was not bad for my first time  traveling alone in an unfamiliar country whose language I haven’t completely mastered yet,and where I didn’t know anybody. Even so, I dared to do it, so that I could improve my survival abilities, and practice my English of course, LOL.

I got  my VISA a month before my trip after too many requirements. Once I arrived at Pearson Airport, and after questioning from customs officials regarding why I was there, I came across the ultimate interrogator. I was really fed up with saying, “I’m here because I want to see Niagara Falls and other places and I don’t have a lot of time. I’ll be going back to work in a few days,” when he asked again why Canada. I was about to tell him, “Hey. And Why not? What’s wrong? Just because I’m alone, I’m a woman, and I’m Mexican? What’s wrong with you people?,” but fortunately my inner voice helped me out, saying, “Judith, calm down please. It’s the last one, the last interview, then you’ve passed.” So I just smiled and told the official that next time I’ll go to Europe (which is true), and I smiled. He finally stamped my passport then I left customs.

I arrived with some notions and expectations about the place, but the reality is always very different than we imagine, and as a friend of mine used to say, “Those who know nothing fear nothing.” That’s the truth.

I planned on renting a car since I can drive, and I thought it would be way easier getting around like this than by taxi, bus, or subway. I rented a car with GPS so I wouldn’t have any problem getting where I wanted, or at least that’s what I thought. I’d never used GPS before so I had no idea how to use it. A little advice: if you don’t know how to use GPS don’t rent a car with GPS. You’ll be lost anyway. Hahaha. Not true; you’ll learn how to use it. That’s a fact.

I have to admit my sense of direction isn’t very good since I’m easily distracted, and kind of impatient, so I was in a hurry and in a bad mood when I entered the data to get to my hotel. Then I started to drive not knowing anything; I obviously got lost. I realized about 30 minutes after I was headed to Niagara Falls and kept going that way. I went by a lot of places, just admiring the landscape. I passed through Mississauga, Burlington, Hamilton, Stoney Creek, Jordan Harbour, and St. Catharines. I took a freeway called Queen Elizabeth Way and other freeways whose names I have forgotten. I kept driving for a really long time until after I’d read several signs and passed a pretty scary cemetery. About an hour later, I realized I was at the United States/Canada border, so I started to think what would happen if I didn’t stop and kept going that way. Then I decided to ignore the GPS and think logically. My hotel was in downtown Toronto and I was really far outside Toronto so I started by looking for signs that would lead me back to Toronto. I finally found some and drove directly there. After another hour on the road I got to downtown Toronto. I knew my hotel was on a street close to the CN Tower so I got my bearings using it as a reference. Once I saw the tower I was relieved and looked for the address from my iPhone. I finally got there just in time to check in at the hotel.

I just arrived…I realized that just in one day I’d used up a half a tank of gas. Uh oh! So I thought, “Wow, just on the first day! Not a good sign!” But it made me laugh , I was nervous I guess so. I hope I don’t get lost again. God, help me with that- I said.

I’d left my house real early. At 6 a.m. I caught my flight. I got to my hotel at approximately 6 p.m. so I went for 12 hours without eating anything decent; I was dying of hunger. So then I just rested a few minutes and went out to look for something to eat. I was real surprised to see that almost everything was closed. It was real early for me, 8 p.m. I walked for quite a while, the streets were somewhat quiet, until I found a fast food restaurant called Tim Horton’s. I was really hungry and just hoping that the person waiting on me would understand because I didn’t bring any Canadian dollars. I just brought U.S. dollars and forgot to exchange them. Fortunately, I brought my credit card and that’s what saved me. I ordered my food and took it. There was something else that also really surprised me, seeing people sleeping in the streets. I know in big cities that’s common. In my city it is, but, hmm I don’t know. I was hoping I wouldn’t see that there. I can imagine how hard it would be because of the low temperatures.

“Thank God I will sleep in a comfortable bed, but many people will not do it” -I thought.

Good night Toronto...

Day Two: Mission Accomplished and Looking for the Lost Treasure

There’s a specific reason why I went to Toronto; it was a kind of goal and agreement with myself, to prove to myself that I was capable of doing it with no help. A few months back I had set that goal for a year at most. Fortunately circumstances were favorable and I completed it in less time than I’d planned. That was really great…Yes !

The second day I went to complete my mission which I’d planned as mentioned above, so this time I didn’t get lost; I went straight to where I had to go. I completed what I had set out to do and returned to my hotel without any problem. Hahaha OK. On the way back I got lost again but only a little, for like 5 or 10  mmmhhhh or maybe 15  minutes LOL , then I was back on the right track.

I got back dying of hunger again. It was incredible but I was already missing Mexican food. I was dreaming about it, dying for it, LOL. And I had no idea where to go eat. I didn’t ask; I just went out and walked and walked and walked…

And all of a sudden, I found a Mexican restaurant. I said, “WOOOW!!” and without thinking twice I went in to investigate, and try the food of course. While I was reading the menu I realized that they were indeed Mexican dishes, but the truth is there’s nothing like food made in Mexico.

I ordered an “alambre” which is more than just a typical food; let’s say it’s a popular food. It obviously tastes a lot different, though. The original "alambre"  have some meat , you can put chicken or beef , some cheese, onion and chilli an especial kind of chilli wich isn't hot  named "morron".

It’s a really nice place but it doesn’t have the Mexican flavor, and the music I heard there was in Spanish, but it wasn’t Mexican. “In the end there’s nothing like Mexico,” I thought. Anyway, I enjoyed my food although I only ate a third of it because there was too much.

To be continued…