Buffalo Soldiers
Trip Start
May 15, 2006
1
8
26
Trip End
Ongoing
Buffalo, New York
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Brought to America
We arrived into Buffalo at around 1am the other day (this trip just seems to be one long day at the moment but i think it was Monday night). I would recomend Amtrak for comfort, theres loads of leg room and if theres no one sitting next to you you can really stretch out and the seats fold out into a sort of bed type senario. However, for speed and reliability you'd be better off walking or riding on the back of a snail. We have covered a big distance by rail but the 431 mile journey from Boston to Buffalo took all of 12 hours!
To be honest though it seems like a good way to see this amazing country. We travelled through forests and swamps, tiny villages and huge cities. There's loads of little wooden houses dotted along the way, just like something out of the Waltons and other American TV shows you used to see on Sunday mornings back home.
So we arrived a little later than expected after a slight delay due to "technical problems" and hit the sack pretty much straight away.
An early start on Tuesday morning and we were on our way to Niagara falls on the number 40 bus. A couple of stops along and this huge American couple got on and sat next to us. There was another lady holding a plant which looked like it could be part of a wedding display or such like. Big Mama asked the lady what type of plant it was and added "Can ya eeeet it?". Me and Carl just looked at each other. Further along the route there was a McDonalds restaurant which was being pulled down and the couple turned to look in horror and in a confused manor frantically asked each other "Why would they tear down McDonalds, why would they do that????"
If you ever go to the states you must see the Niagara Falls, there are so many different views from various vantage points. I did get a bit snap happy, as usual, but as the first wonder of the world I've seen I think it was worth it. We got off the bus just near the place where Lowis Lane fell in the river and was rescued by Superman, another part of the trip which made you feel as though your in a movie! There are actually 2 falls, one is named the American Falls, and the Horeshoe Halls which looked a bit more familiar. A walk over the Rainbow Bridge takes you into Canada and it was there we went on the Maid of the Mist boat tour and got another completely different view, looking up at the specacular water feature. It would take a big salmon to swim up that baby! As advised by everyone we spoke to, you do get a better look at le falls de Niagara from Canada.
We stopped for lunch in the Candian town of Hamilton, Canadian beer is better than U.S. Carl opted for the Collosus burger, 2 half pound burgers piled on a huge bap with a markets' worth of salad spilling out of the sides, it made my regluar bacon and cheese burger look rather puny by comparrison.
On the way back into USA we got the usual "What are you visiting America for?" and "When do you plan to leave?" etc. This really is a paranoid nation, we were only in Canada for about 3 hours.
Back at the hostel we were recomended the Anchor Bar for food. This was the restaurant where Buffalo wings were invented back in 1935. Although they are only chicken wings you could be forgiven for thinking they did come off the back of a buffalo given the size of them, right tasty as well. As with most of the meals we've had there was too much to finish but we did our best.
We were joined for dinner by an Indian guy called Kynsley, he'd been living in New Zealand for a few years so we interviewed him about the best places to go etc etc. I had my suspicions about him throughout the meal but it was only after the meal that he asked assumingly if me and Carl were gay! I think he had a hidden agenda. He only stayed with us for one beer in the first bar we went to after the meal, but when we saw him this morning he had a smile on his face as if to say he eventually got what he wanted.
After many beers and cocktails last night we got in at [insert time] and woke up this morning to be booted out of our room. Our time in Buffalo is coming to an end.
And so to Chicago. Tonight we face another gruelling 11 hours on a train and this time theres nothing to look at because of the dark. I'm looking forward to some genuine pizza that hasnt been made in Moss Side, Leyland!
And the blog goes on.....
