Have you ever wondered what it would be like to drive for 1000Km on a twisty, single-lane road with animals jumping out all over the place? Well, that's what it's like when you drive from Manitoba in the Prairies through the rugged region known as the Canadian Shield to the east side of the province of Ontario. Make sure you stock up on instant coffee before you start your drive!
OK, time for a quick Canada quiz.
Question: What is the Capital city of Canada?
Answer: Ottawa.
For those who responded "Toronto,"
give yourself credit for being close. For those who said "Vancouver,"
give yourself an uppercut.
The
building you see here is one of several that makes up the Canadian
Parliament buildings in Ottawa, Ontario. This is where the federal
government of Canada works to find new ways to spend our tax dollars.
If you visit Ottawa, be sure to see more than these buildings
(although they are quite impressive). Take a walk or drive up
the Rideau Canal and find a place to sit and enjoy the scenery.
Got some extra time? Planning to study English for a couple of months in Canada? Then visit my friend's English Language Centre in Toronto.
You
knew I'd arrive here sooner or later, because very few people
who visit central Canada fail to visit Niagara Falls. They are
extremely impressive (I've now used
the word "impressive" 3 times over the last page and
a half. A product of my impoverished vocabulary). If you go, be sure to take a trip on the Maid
of the Mist. It will take you right to the edge of the falls.
But don't plan on spending more than a day in Niagara. Once you've
seen the falls, there's not much else to do. Instead, make sure
you spend some time in the parks around the Great Lakes or in
northern Ontario. It's one thing I didn't get to do in Canada,
but I will definitely do it next time around.
Although Quebec is next
in the sequence of these pages, it was actually the last province
I visited on my trip. On my way to the East Coast, I actually
had driven from Ontario to New Brunswick via the US. I finally
got to Quebec on my return trip from the East Coast. It was worth
the wait! It's very green and fertile farmland, and the pace of
life seems very slow. But as you approach Quebec city, you find
that everything starts to get faster: When I first entered the
province, I was driving at about 70Km/h and passing everybody.
By the time I got to the bridge into the city, I was doing over
120 Km/h. And I was the
slowest person there! I soon got used to the pace though,
and by the time I left Montreal, I felt like an accomplished F1
driver.
I arrived
in Quebec after dark, so I only had time to find a hotel and crash
after having driven about 10 straight hours. The next morning
I got up and visited the university that I needed to go to for
my research, and then it was off to the old part of the city,
Vieux Quebec, to do some sightseeing. Although the entire city
of Quebec is great, you will probably find yourself spending most
of your time in this more historic (and tourist oriented) part
of the city. If you go, make sure you visit the lower part of
the city (that's where this photo was taken). I had the best food
I ate the entire trip in this part of the city.
And for those of you who don't know, the official language of Quebec is French. Don't expect people to speak to you in English. The people there are very protective about their language and culture. As they should be -- they are like an island of French language and culture surrounded by an ocean of English. It's easy to get washed away! So the people here may not want to speak English, even if they can.
Wow! This church
looks just like the Notre Dame in Paris! Wait a minute, it is
the Notre Dame -- the Quebec version. The interior, as you can
see, is beautiful. It definitely warrants a visit -- particularly
if you've never had the chance to visit France. In fact, in Quebec
and Montreal, you'll have a chance to experience a kind of new
France. New because although Quebec was originally a French colony
a few hundred years ago, the French language, the food, and the
culture have developed independently of France. Both in terms
of gaining a unique cultural experience and in terms of seeing
a beautiful part of Canada, Quebec should be a destination on
your travel itinerary. Just don't go in the winter!
To the Prairies 
To New Brunswick