Front Vine to the Right: Niagara

Next day drove to Niagara Falls, had to go across the US border to get to the Maid of the Mist boat trip. Falls - well what can I say - just magnificent, & the noise & the wind & the mist (more a heavy shower coming sideways really) really a great a experience. At the tourist bureau, Pat & I had picked up a brochure on the the helicopter ride over the falls & mentioned it to Allie, our driver/guide. Considering no one else was interested, (perhaps more interested in souvenir shopping) & it wasn't on the itinerary, she made it happen anyway, dropping us out to the helicopter pad & picking us up after. The view was just the best (& lucky I had my brown pants on) and for me an experience of a lifetime. I even saw the rainbows in the mist, magical! Cost $108 for 12 minute ride.....and that was plenty!
After our ride had a bit of a wait for her to pick us up, wondering what was going on & the staff had a call from Allie to say there been a bit of delay - give us a coffee, which they did. It transpired that one of our number had been lost (dazed & confused) for 2 and a half hours, some wanted to walk across the bridge & straddle the US/Canada border, she thought it was another shopping expedition & stayed in the shop when the others left - looked up & she was alone! Issue compounded by the fact that she did not mention to anyone, like the border police, or even the shop that she had become seperated from her group, so when the tour leaders went around to these places enquiring, no they had no reports of anyone lost! Silly moo, & she was quite pissed off! Still I am a good one to talk, when we went through the border from Canada to US, we had to get out of the van & walk through the border control building & have our passports scanned, I was first in line & went out through a door which said Pedestrian access.....and then could not get back in when I realised that was the long way round. Apparently further on was the BUS pedestrian access, to reunite you with your bus!!!! traps for young players! Anyway waved to the van from behind the fence & walked on to be picked up after they cleared the border compound., phew!