Buffalo - Niagara Falls

With a screaming baby 5 rows ahead we set off on the return flight, it seemed to say what we were all thinking: we don't want to leave! The pilot still took us to Buffalo with a stopover in Newark, which greeted us with temperatures just above zero degrees and a light drizzle. This literally caught us off guard 😄. Unfortunately, the next piece of bad news didn't take long to arrive. Philip's backpack had not been reloaded in Newark and was not due to arrive for another 4 hours and Jana's backpack was dirty - we were frustrated for a moment and were about to fly back. But after a delicious autumnal coffee in Starbucks and breakfast in my stomach, the world looked rosier again. We waited for Philip's backpack, which arrived intact, and took the bus to our accommodation. Because of the 6 hour time difference, we had a little jet lag and took a rest before taking a closer look at Buffalo. We thought the city was really cool and in the evening Halloween decorations lit up some of the houses. A few children in costumes ran past us shouting “Halloween, trick or treat!” and when it started to snow lightly, the autumn/winter atmosphere was perfect!

The next morning we took the bus to the neighboring city of Niagara Falls, which is divided by the Niagara River and has both American and Canadian parts. On the American side there is a beautiful national park, which we explored first by tourist train and then on foot. The trees showed their most beautiful autumn colors and with the orange-red leaves and the numerous squirrels it was very idyllic. Niagara Falls itself is divided into three main waterfalls, of which the “Horseshoe Falls” is probably the most famous and through which the border between the USA and Canada runs. From the American side you can “only” see the water masses in profile, but we were immediately impressed! You also often see a rainbow. Conveniently, we were able to walk with our passport over the so-called “rainbow bridge” for the reason just mentioned to Canada and enter there for a day quite unbureaucratically. So we watched the spectacle again from the Canadian side, which has a frontal view that is even more beautiful. We also walked through a tunnel system from which you can stand through a window in the rock behind the waterfalls and marvel at the gigantic power. This power is also harnessed with the help of a dam and electricity is generated. The mighty Niagara Falls can be turned off and on at the push of a button. Every second, 5,700 cubic meters of water rush through the Niagara River, about half of which is diverted to the power plant and the rest - which is still gigantic - can be seen in the form of the waterfalls. In fact, the two countries have signed a contract in this regard that allows a maximum of 50% of the water to be discharged during the main tourist season, and over 70% outside the season. At the end we had a great view of the “Horseshoe Falls” plunging 57m into the depths from a platform right on the edge. Otherwise, the Canadian side was much more touristy and the city almost reminded us a bit of colorful Las Vegas. After buying the most Canadian souvenir you could probably buy - a maple leaf-shaped lollipop made from maple syrup 🍁 - we headed home. We crossed the bridge again and went to the USA just as easily.

We'll take the train to Boston tomorrow morning!