1. Prices.
Despite the exchange rate being almost the same in both countries, the prices were OUTRAGEOUS. Just to take the elevator to the top of the CN tower cost 27 bucks a pop. 27 bucks to ride an elevator and look out a window while being over crowded by hundreds of people that didn't speak English. Another outrageous expense... booze. Thank goodness we didn't go out to drink at all, because a miller lite draft cost 6 bucks. SIX!! And after driving around the ghetto for I kid you not, an hour and a half to find a liquor store that was 5 minutes from where we were staying, the cheapest bottle of vodka we could find cost 25 bucks. That exact same bottle here cost $11.99. I looked it up. That's more than double the cost!! We tried to eat at Denny's thinking it'd be less expensive...oh no my friends, nothing on that menu was under 10 bucks. FOR DENNY'S! You'd think we were sipping Patron and Grey Goose and eating filet all weekend if you checked our bank accounts post trip.
2. People.
And people think Americans are rude. It's not like we had on Hawaiian shirts, tube socks, and fanny packs. We looked just like everyone else (not that it should matter anyways). No one supposedly knew where anything was when we'd ask. People let doors slam in our faces. No one was friendly despite how friendly we were. I asked a man in a store how to get to a street that was about a block away and he wouldn't even look at me. The whole country was like that. Even the lady that ran the bed and breakfast knocked on our door Monday morning and said, "You leave at noon." We explained we were originally told we could stay until two. And she was like "No we have people coming at noon, you leave now." Nice.
3. No one tells you how different things are.
You think Canada is a mini America. Wrong. Half the country is Asian. Half the country doesn't speak English. (good thing I know un petit peu Francais) They do things way differently there. Even driving on the QEW (their interstate) was different. Everyone drives like 80 in the slow lanes. Stores close at 7 even on a Saturday. And the liquor store is called the LCB (liquor control board) The selection is just as bad as the prices and the stores are few and far between. Little things like that that someone might not think about before visiting. Take into consideration.
4. Public Transportation.
No map is going to help you with this one. There are THOUSANDS of buses and no one helps you figure out which one to take. We tried one time to take a bus to the CN tower (after reading the bus line for like 10 minutes we swore we had it figured out) and while we were waiting some guy heard us talking and said, "That's not going to take you to the CN tower, you should walk instead." The CN tower was miles and miles away and it was raining. Needless to say we didn't make it there that day. Half the subway line was down for construction. And the taxi's were way too expensive. So we walked everywhere. I mean all over the city....because there's no parking anywhere either.
5. THE METRIC SYSTEM.
This one is more America's fault. Why are we pretty much the only place that doesn't use it?! Because let me tell you, when someone says, "Oh yeah that place is about 6.27 kilometers away." You might as well be telling me it's 100 miles away. I can't tell the difference. When I see that the speed limit is 100 kph, I'm thinking, isn't that a little excessive? ...not when it translates to about only 65 mph. When you tell me it's 15 degrees out, I'm going to bust out my Northface while everyone else is wearing flip flops. I see that gas is 1.83 bucks a gallon, AWESOME. Except it's per liter. Ahh what does it all mean?!
Despite all the headaches, frustrations, and confusions, we did still have a good time. Also, I need to make it clear that I'm comparing an international city to Pittsburgh. We all complain that gas is too much and parking's crazy expensive. Trust me people it could be way worse. I'm definitely glad to be home.
Both pics from the CN tower
Favorite part of the trip. And you can see America from here!
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