A small break from Look within...:)

The Niagara Falls
(Click picture to see the enlarged version)

Since the time I knew

about Niagara falls (which goes back to when I was hardly 5-6 years old, I

think), I wanted to see them; especially the Horseshoe falls. Finally

I got a chance to see them in 2008.

As awed I was when I first seen the pictures of the falls all those years ago, the sight itself took my breath away the moment I laid my eyes on it. Here are a few pictures, which I hope you will enjoy, along with a few facts about the falls and the Niagara River.

18,000 years ago, the last stages of Ice age, southern Ontario was covered by ice sheets 2-3 kilometers thick. The Niagara Peninsula became free of the ice about 12,500 years ago; its waters began to flow down through what became

Lake Erie, the Niagara River and Lake Ontario, down to the St. Lawrence River, finally, to the sea.

About 5,500 years ago the waters were once again

routed through southern Ontario, restoring the river and falls to their full power. When it was all over it left behind a 90-degree turn in the river we know today as the Whirlpool, and North America's largest series of standing waves we know today as the Whirlpool Rapids.

The Maid of the Mist is the name of the boat which takes you closer to the Horseshoe Falls. If you are afraid of water, you don’t want to be getting into this boat as you get really close to the Horseshoe Falls (as close as you can safely get).

Length of the brink: 2600 ft; Height 167 ft; volume of water of

the actual falls 600,000 US Gallons per second.

You see the American Falls on to the right. And just beside are the Bridal Veil Falls.

The next stop is the journey behind the falls, on the Canadian side. There is a tunnel dug behind the Falls and if you walk past, you can actually see the raging Falls, fall down. Again, if you are afraid of water, DON’T go here. I stopped at the first look out point behind the Falls while the rest of the tour group went further almost to the

middle of the Falls.

And NO, there are no tunnels dug from the

American side. Please swallow your pride and cross the border to Canadian side to get behind the Falls.

If possible, try to take the tour in the Whirlpool boats. They are absolutely amazing. As the Niagara Falls, flow down, down through the rapid, they make a sharp 90 degree turn, creating this super powerful Whirlpool, capable of destroying big boats. This Whirlpool is an unforgettable beauty; even though terrifying. Left side is Ontario (Canada) and the right New York (US).

This tour also includes the white water walk which takes you through the trail through the Rapid 5 waters.

I hope you enjoyed the Falls :)