Today we went to the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), one of the largest museums in North America, and Canada’s largest museum of World Culture and Natural History. Besides its impressive and extensive collections of artifacts, the ROM is also famous for its recent architectural addition: the Michael-Lee Chin Crystal. Students enjoyed seeing dinosaur fossils, and artifacts from various times and places in history.
Today, some more of our Brazilian groups visited Toronto’s most famous landmark, the CN Tower! Students went up to the Observation level of the tallest free-standing tower in the Western hemisphere, and had a chance to stand on the glass floor 342 metres above the ground. And of course, they got lots of time to explore the souvenir shop!
The Hard Rock Cafe at Toronto’s buzzing Yonge-Dundas Square was the place to be on Wednesday Night, as students spent the evening dancing and meeting other students. Not only did everyone look fantastic (and incredibly fashionable) but we also had a lot of fun! Our Brazilian students were in especially high spirits due to their win in the big soccer game. What a great way to celebrate!
On Tuesday, students went to Bulk Barn to load up on cheap candy and treats, and then headed to the cinema to watch a movie. Students chose between The Great Gatsby, The East, and Now You See Me. There were mixed reviews from the students, but everyone appreciated having a relaxing day after dealing with the flood on Monday.
One of Toronto’s most famous (and beautiful) landmarks is Casa Loma. Casa Loma was once owned by wealthy Torontonians, and later became a luxury hotel, but now functions as a museum. The students enjoyed touring the giant residence and the five acres of gardens. Many students recognized Casa Loma as the filming location of popular films such as X-Men, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, and Chicago!
Today, some of our Brazilian groups visited Toronto’s most famous landmark, the CN Tower! Students went up to the Observation level of the tallest free-standing tower in the Western hemisphere, and had a chance to stand on the glass floor 342 metres above the ground.
On Monday, students headed to Woodbine beach for an afternoon of fun in the sun. Students enjoyed the beach and the water, and a couple people even got buried in the sand! Unfortunately, a massive storm rolled in and we were forced to leave the beach and find our way back to the city.
It was a nice sunny Monday when we went canoeing on Lake Ontario. The students took the boats all the way across to Toronto’s Center Island and had half an hour to explore the island a bit. Some students hung out at the beach or went swimming while others made friends with three miniature horses! We got back into the canoes and started to paddle away when we saw a very ominous-looking storm roll in over the city. Our guides had us dock on another part of the island and we tried to wait out the very heavy storm. After about an hour of waiting, the torrential rain was not letting up and we had become less optimistic about being able to canoe back to the city, so we decided to make a run for the Ferry which took us back to the city center. We were completely soaking wet, and when we got back to the city we had to navigate through thigh-high water in the streets (really!) and deal with massive power outages, severe flooding both outside and inside, subway closures, and general chaos. Thanks to our quick-thinking Quest activity leaders, everyone got home safely. What an adventure!
On a drizzly Sunday we went to the Harbourfront to explore the area and check out the Ritmo y Color festival. Besides international foods and interesting things to buy, the festival also included Cuban music and Capoeira performances, a Piñata-making workshop, and a dog show. The students even convinced some leaders to participate in Cuban dancing and playing different instruments.
On Sunday students woke up early in order to catch buses down to Niagara Falls. Everyone was impressed by the famous 53m high water falls, and some people were surprised to learn that we were separated from the USA by only a small bridge! (But no one went across the border for a visit). Students enjoyed getting up close and personal with the falls (not to mention very wet) on the Maid of the Mist boat ride. Then students used their free time to explore the city of Niagara Falls which is home to many tourist attractions and shops in addition to its natural wonders.
