07.26.10
Ben’s going to Canada!
Firstly, my apologies to readers for the dearth of posts in recent weeks. I assure you that the blog is not dying a slow death, but rather has just been temporarily neglected. But the big news is….I’m going to Canada! School doesn’t start until late September and with a wedding on August 28 in Boston, I extended the trip into another North American adventure. On August 14 I fly to Toronto, then travel over land to Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, back to Montreal, to New York, and finally to Boston. The working focus for this trip will urbanism and public transportation infrastructure in Eastern Canada, Canadian Chinatowns, and francophone culture in North America. Like the last trip, I plan to take a lot of pictures and do a lot of blogging, with in-depth write-ups once I get back to Chicago. As my knowledge of the region is rather limited, please feel free to leave any travel suggestions in the comment section. More to come in weeks ahead.
Lisa in Toronto
said,
July 26, 2010 at 8:33 pm
I hope your trip to Canada goes very well!
if you have time for lunch/coffee while in Toronto do let me know.
It’s a busy month for me, but as a happy blog reader and long-time Torontonian I would be happy to try to answer Toronto questions as best I can.
Lisa R-R
Peter
said,
July 28, 2010 at 5:23 am
Hey Ben,
On the road again now? Seems you’re always on the go.
Might be a silly question, but mind that I’m not familiar with American ways of state support: Lately I’ve been wondering how you manage to save for your many trips. I know you’re a student, but afaik that’s not funded by the state in America (it is here in Denmark), so I’m guessing you either saved up a lot of doe long ago, or working part time in between your travels. I just can’t recall you writing much about working after returning to the states, but maybe I just missed it.
And I’m not trying to pry into your economy, just genuinely interested in how you manage. I know I couldn’t “live on a stamp” and flip every penny like many explorers do. That might be why I don’t get to travel enough
Cheers
Peter
Benjamin Ross
said,
July 28, 2010 at 6:33 am
@Peter
The way I afford to travel is by a) keeping a low overhead at home and b) traveling cheap. On the first point, I live just on the fringe of gentrification (Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago), so my rent is quite reasonable. I also do not own a car, which when you live in a city with adequate public transportation is a colossal waste of money (IMHO). On the second point, I generally don’t spend a whole lot of money when on trips. I rarely, if ever, stay in hotels (mostly staying with friends) and I do most of my destination to destination travel overland (train, Chinatown bus, Megabus, etc.)
Another trick is combining destinations and objectives into a single journey. The impetus for the Canada trip was that my cousin is getting married in Boston at the end of August. So after Quebec City, I’m taking the train to New York, and then bussing it to Boston. I’ve wanted to backpack through Canada for years, and by combining a multi-destination sightseeing trip with a family obligation, it cuts overall travel costs significantly. It also decreases the total number of days I have to take off work (another cost saver).
Higher education in the US is not directly funded by the state. However, most Ph.D programs (at private AND public universities) are. Typically tuition is waived, and the school provides a small stipend (10-20k per year).
Peter
said,
July 28, 2010 at 6:40 am
Thanks for your answer. Now I got it!
Have a nice trip to Boston/Canada
Tang Tang
said,
July 31, 2010 at 11:15 am
In Montréal, I suggest you eat lunch at Qing Hua Dumpling, 1676 Lincoln. The neighborhood around the Guy-Concordia metro station is not an official Chinatown, but high number of Chinese live there.
In Montreal’s Chinatown, you’ll find a 小肥羊 restaurant. There’s another one south shore in Brossard on boulevard Taschereau.
You can also try to do the Montréal-Québec ride by train with Via Rail.
QF in Toronto
said,
July 31, 2010 at 5:29 pm
You should consider the new Megabus service between Toronto, Kingston, Montreal, and Niagara Falls.
I’d be glad to take you out for lunch if you have time to spare in Toronto.
QF
Benjamin Ross
said,
July 31, 2010 at 8:41 pm
@QF
I was looking into Megabus, but for some reason it doesn’t stop in Ottawa. Any suggestions on bus service between Toronto > Ottawa > Montreal > Quebec City? Still trying to decide on whether to stop in Niagra. Can it be done in a single day? Definitely worth checking out or more of a tourist trap? Goal of this trip is primarily to look at urban centers, but a day of seeing Niagra might be a worthwhile detour I’m thinking.
QF in Toronto
said,
July 31, 2010 at 10:28 pm
Unfortunately Megabus doesn’t go to Ottawa yet. You may try the train:
http://www.viarail.ca/en/deals/
Too bad that Via’s summer sale ended a few days ago. If you’re under 25, you may also take advantages of the youth discount:
http://www.viarail.ca/en/fares/discounts/youth-18-25
If you haven’t booked your flight yet (probably not likely), you may consider fly to Detroit (much cheaper than Toronto) and rent a car for a driving trip. Just another option while you said public transportation is your choice of transportation.
Good luck. I can be reached by e-mail.
QF
QF in Toronto
said,
July 31, 2010 at 10:34 pm
Forgot the Niagara part. It’s a day trip from Toronto and there are many options:
GoTransit weekend
Megabus
and various tours (google “Niagara Falls day trip Toronto”.
There are weekend night fireworks by the fall during summer months.
http://www.niagaraparks.com/attractions/fireworks.html
Tang Tang
said,
August 1, 2010 at 3:43 pm
I forgot to mention, even if it’s not Chinese related. A famous dish to eat in Quebec province is the poutine. In Montréal, the best place to go is La Banquise, while in Québec city it would be Chez Ashton. Enjoy !
Online IT Training Courses said,
August 10, 2010 at 6:47 am
It’s almost two weeks. But there is no update from your end. How’s your life going? I think now you’re planning to visit Toronto.
ms
said,
August 12, 2010 at 11:45 pm
Benjamin,
If you are still planning on visiting Polish town in Toronto you should look for Roncesvalles neighborhood.
Sadly, it’s much smaller and on the “lower key” side in comparison to Chicago’s kingdom of Poles, worth exploring though. Currently, the portion of the main street is under construction, however, I don’t think this should prevent you form visiting.
ms
ACBB
said,
August 13, 2010 at 8:13 am
@QF
It’s a typical Torontonians view of Niagara as a day trip because of the great transport options into the area. The GO Transit is superb. However for a true backpacker finding the amazing river areas and activities beyond the Family Tourist areas is a must.
The Niagara is one of the world’s great rivers. Incredible scenery down river that is so accessible. Fantastic easy hikes along and in the gorge, helicopter rides, cycling trips, winery/vineyard tours, Niagara on the Lake, two of the Great Lakes within easy cycling distance, Jetboating on the river, great nightlife to unwind, some of the best restaurants in the country, cheap eats too, (which backpackers always find) and of course the amazing waterfalls and acordant activities. These activities generally take about three days to enjoy comortably.
The tyranny of hotel and tourist trap propaganda about the falls obscures what is actually under your nose when you look at the falls. It’s a river!