Walk like a Canadian

I have trusted a certain bluespined travel guide to get me across intimidating parts of Africa I must confess Irsquove also relied on Internet searches to go holidaying in Europe But while guidebooks and Google have a lot to offer the traveller few can match the flavour brought in by the locals themselves So on a recent trip to Ontario native voices called the shots and led me to discover a side of this Canadian province thatrsquos rarely found in print Best Time MayJuly You need A week Type Leisureu00a0 The CN Tower was the tallest tower and freestanding structure for 34 years straight till 2010 Take the speedy elevator to the Sky Pod 1465 feet above ground to take in the grand sightsu00a0PicKiran Mehta Toronto You need 1 day to replicate my itinerary But three days to cover the many other attractions quotTry the bacon strips with maple syruprdquo suggested the waitress at the Hotel Le Germain as I made my way around the breakfast buffet table I tried the combination warily Surprisingly the sweet and the salty paired deliciously That was my first cue of what this city was about seeming oddities that blend perfectly In Toronto you can find museums located not far from distilleries modern architectural marvels that overlook nature vintage clothing stores alongside trendy malls With so much on offer I couldnrsquot decide where to begin Providentially the weather gods made my choice Due to the rains the receptionist suggested museums ldquoBut I am not museum personrdquo I protested ldquoDo you like shoesrdquo she asked with a knowing smile The Niagra Falls attractsu00a014 million visitors a year PicKiran Mehta The bata shoe museum I entered a building shaped like a giant shoebox Entry CAD145 per adultchild I expected something out of Carrie Bradshawrsquos fantasy minus the men But I was pleasantly surprised to find more depth than aesthetics alone can offer Sonja Bata wife of shoemaker Thomas Bata travelled the world with her husband and with every trip her interest in shoemaking grew She studied the cultural differences in footwear and collected thousands of shoesu00a0When her collection outgrew the storage space the museum was born and Sonja shared her knowledge with the worldu00a0I found here every type of footwear padukas traced to ancient India moccasins of the indigenous people of North America the rise of the sneaker culture in the last century and so on I admired the footwear of icons such as Madonna and Marilyn Monroe and got a kick out of Napoleonrsquos shoes Not quite done with the unusual I asked the receptionist to recommend a quirky place for lunchu00a0 Distillery district History and hedonism mix at the distillery district Studded with industrial Victorian buildings itrsquos got the charm of yore yet a youthful vibrancy The old structures are converted to hip restaurants boutiques and so on I enjoyed a delicious seafood meal at the Pure Spirits Oyster House and Grill a former distillery from where the whiskey barrels first began their clandestine journey across the late during the infamous prohibitionu00a0Post lunch I headed to the Soma u00a0Chocolatemaker for a shot of liquid chilli chocolate CAD 350 A trip here wouldnrsquot be complete without alcohol so I downed some coffee porter CAD 22O at the Mill Street Brew PubMy next stop needed no recommendations other than glimpsing the skyline of the city Libeskindrsquos Crystal at the main entrance to the Royal Ontario Museum CN Tower You can spot this structure from anywhere in downtown Toronto As a gabby local put it ldquoWhen lost look to the tower and find your bearingsrdquo It was the tallest tower and freestanding structure for 34 years straight till 2010 I took the speedy elevator to the Sky Pod 1465 feet above ground to take in the sight Entry fee CAD 12 Here I met Mohammed an Arab immigrant who assured me that ldquoThe UAE may have a taller Burj Khalifa But this is a better viewrdquo It was like looking out of an airplane the surreal imagery of the clouds the miniature life below snaking roadways and imposing buildings I was intrigued by the patches of green in the concrete jungle With that one observation Mohammed decided my next stop the largest urban car free zone in North America Torontoislands A short ferry ride from the Toronto Ferry Docks took me to Centre Island Return fare CAD 7350 per childadult While there are many islands to explore this is the main one I hired a bike and rode across muddy pathways surrounded by greens chased butterflies and performed other natural featsu00a0As I lounged on the grass I struck up a conversation with a bunch of teenagers who suggested a particular strip of sand with what in hindsight appeared to be a mischievous glint in their eyes I followed their directions and found myself on a sliver of sand part of the clothing mandatory beach but only a seethrough fence away from the clothing optional sideu00a0On the other side were a few men working on an even tan A new entrant appeared fully clothed He began to undress in the open but seemed bashful when he spotted the others eyeing him So he made his way to the rest room to confidently stride out in his birthday suit With that Irsquod seen it allu00a0 The Blue Mountains are situated just outside the town of Collingwood on the Niagara escarpment which is a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve The region is known for its ski activities PicKiran Mehta Niagara Falls You need 1 day This is one destination that every traveller has on their list so much so that it attracts 14 million visitors a year Two hours by road from Toronto city got me to this natural wonder Crafted by nature during the Ice Age the falls are a rare combination of aweinspiring beauty and passionate fury with forceful bands of water plummeting into the gorge and creating a delicate mist in the air Little wonder that it has earned the title of the lsquoHoneymoon capital of the worldrsquo I admired the falls from various vantage points I signed up for a helicopter ride which had me flying through rainbows I got even closer to the falls onboard the iconic Maid of the Mist a ferry that teases the falls and will have you drenched to the bone I took the journey behind the falls where I entered tunnels that opened up behind the fallsu00a0By night the falls were lit up with multicoloured lights a mesmerising sight that I admired from my hotel Sheraton on the Falls that stands opposite the falls I stepped out of the hotel and stumbled upon yet another side of the falls I walked the surrounding Clifton Hill area and spotted casinos budget motels andsex shops I understood what the locals meant by the nickname Viagra fallsu00a0 Blue Mountains You need 1 day The Blue Mountains are situated just outside the town of Collingwood on the Niagara escarpment which is a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve The region is known for its ski activities but even in the summer I found adventure hereu00a0I signed up for a threehour guided eco adventure tour with Scenic Caves Nature Adventures CAD 95 per adult which had me crossing a suspension bridge that spans a ravine I stood on shaky ground to take in the dramatic view all the way to theu00a0bay beyondu00a0I tried my hand at a 300foot zip line with a 45 foot drop What makes this zipline unique is that you control the speed I forgot the instructions and somewhere along those 300 feet I came to a standstill a gorgeous mistake that had me staring atu00a0the treetopsu00a0I entered the caves and explored a labyrinth of tunnels and crevices filled with fascinating legends of the ancient tribesmen who dwelled here I walked through forests that sheltered the Petun people from enemies A member of my tourgroup a historian had studied the ancient tribes of the region He shared with me a legend that considers these caves a pathway to the spirit world He piqued my interest and I wanted to delve deeper into the region but my time here was coming to a closeu00a0I realised that to capture a region through local eyes is to really see it yet as I write this I know therersquos more to Ontario than can be expressed in black and white u00a0 Make it happen Getting there Fly Mumbai to Toronto on Jet Airways via London Heathrow Other attractions in Toronto The Royal Ontario Museum the Art Gallery of Ontario the Gardiner Museum Ripleyrsquos Aquarium of Canada Casa Loma the St Lawrence food market and the Eaton shopping centre