Well, that’s another item checked off the “to do list” in my visit to Massachusetts. Just about every person who visits Niagara Falls take the Maid of the Mist boat ride, as there’s really no other way to experience the sheer power of millions of gallons of water pouring into Niagara River.
Here’s the first series of pictures: focusing specifically just on the Maid of the Mist boat ride first. The other pictures taken from the observation tower I’ll post up later… after I’ve slept the night (dead beat after 9 hours just to get back to Boston).
Below: sightseers and thrillseekers boarding one of the boats that will take its passengers to the falls. This picture was taken from the observation tower straight down. It’s very high up.
Below: A boat departing from the American side of Niagara River, and on the other bank, passengers boarding a boat on the Canadian side.
Below: Depending on how drench you don’t mind getting, you’ll have to decide which spot on the boat you want to be at. All of us get the blue ponchos. It’s like a boat full of smurfs.:)
Below: There are really two falls here: One is known simply as the American Falls, and the other the Horseshoe Falls. The Horseshoe Falls is the much larger one, but it’s also just about impossible to see anything because of the huge water mist the crashing water throws up. The boat brings you right to the falls edge.
Below: Another boat passing by ours just about to reach the American Falls.
Below: They are so about to get drenched.:)
Below: The American Falls as my boat passed beside it. The boat goes quite close to the rocks.
Below: The Horseshoe Falls. This was one of the very few good pictures that came out of it. It’s impossible to see anything.
Below: Just to give you an idea of the scale of the thing. On the left is the American Falls, and in the backdrop with the huge mist is the Hourseshoe Falls.
The million-dollar question: how was it possible I got any of these pictures or video (see later) to begin with, what with all the water crashing down on the boat? I didn’t use plastic bags or waterproof equipment. And short of using waterproof cameras or equipment, it’s next to impossible to take good actual footage or imagery of the experience without ruining your equipment.
I did think of a novel way: a lot of shrinkwrap and scotch-tape! I couldn’t wrap up the D300, so the Olympus E-PL1 got nominated for the water dunking, alongside the Panasonic HDCam for video. Now, whether both equipments will survive the experience long term I’ll know soon enough in the weeks to come. But at least I got some nifty pictures and video of it.:)
Videos next – after I’ve processed them.:)
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