Yes folks I'm back, large and in charge! This is officially the first post of the second round of the Wandering Newfie saga. Pretty cool, eh? And I'm starting things off right. First off, I'm in the most remote and exotic place anyone could hope to be. There are wildlife around me you wouldn't even get to see in the Amazon Rain forest. The sounds are all odd and foreign, where multiple languages seem to blossom on every street corner. They even have tunnels which allow them to traverse hills and obstacles from one part of the village to another. Yep, you guessed it, I'm in...
...Toronto!
Not quite what you were expecting, if I were to hazard a guess. But you knew I wasn't completely sane to begin with. Ha ha ha ha. Bring it on world, this is the first stop. But in all seriousness, this is not where I'll be making my first foray into the world unknown. Varadero, Cuba, will be my first choice in stomping grounds. Beaches, babes, and booze. Well, subtract the booze, and you're got my interests down pat. :P Seriously, this whole not drinking thing has its advantages sometimes, especially with a backpacker's budget. I've been eating rather well here in Toronto, during day 1.5. I had breakfast at Sora's, Lunch at A&W, and supper at a lovely Greek restaurant by the name of Penelope.
Okay, so the second one doesn't exactly go with the good food theme, but dammit I was hungry and that was the only one around that wasn't some oriental fare that I didn't know what was in it. In any case, let me describe the dining fare of Penelope for you, my dear readers, who, if hungry, will all be shaking their collective appendages at their computer screens in rather rude gestures, once they have read this next bit.
Ahem...the pre-appetizer was a delightful fresh roll of whole wheat bread with pats of butter on the side. Warmed, and moist, this went over rather well while awaiting for Dimitri, my Italian speaking 6'4 waiter, to attend on me with my next course. Fortunately, I was not to be kept waiting long. While a cold dish, the roasted red peppers, olive oil, tomatoes, cucumber, and spicy olives created a rather intriguing palate when topped with feta cheese. I swear, this dish could have been hot and it still would have gone over well. Tasty, yet not overly filling, and without a hint of lactose.
Booyah for Greek fare, I say. Booyah!
Then came the main course, a beef souvlaki kebab with tzatziki yogurt sauce. This was seared to a medium rare, served with seasoned potatoes, what appeared to be rice pilaf, and garden vegetables consisting of green and yellow beans, and a few baby carrots. The vegetables were of course tossed in olive oil, adding to their natural flavors. For those of you who have had the chance to try the Totally Greek version of souvlaki, then I must insist you do not use this as your benchmark for all greek fare. The beef was flavorful, the vegetables crisp, the rice filling, and the potatoes seasoned to perfection. And to top it all off, the dish came out piping hot! A refreshing experience to have the meals come out as they were advertised on the menu. Truly a work of a set of professionals who I simply must take my hat off too...
...and I would have if it wasn't so damn cold up here and I had more hair. Pbbbbbt!
Well then, how to recap my first two days. I've been to the Eaton Center, quite the mall if I must say so myself, and also to the CN Tower. Not a bad spot, but only a one time deal. Once you've seen it, you're seen it, if that makes any sense at all. The glass floor was nice, but they could use to replace it I figure, just to get all the scratches off it so you can really get that "Oh crap I'm over 300ft in the air and there's nothing below me" feeling. As for the rest of my times, well I spent that as most travelers of any merit do...
...wandering listlessly taking in the sights and sounds of the area, and of course gathering bearings for potential future times out. Oh, I did find out there's a movie theater nearby, and they have an iMax, and they have Avatar still playing, and its in 3D, and I'm definitely, definitely, definitely, definitely gotta go, go , go, GO , GO, GO!
This bloody spell check is driving me crazy, with its americanized spelling of er versus the re of Canada. Foolishness. And the keyboard I'm working with seems to be some international version that like to throw in accents and such ever time I try to use the quotation mark key. Hmmm, intriguing. But, moving on!
Honestly, that movie even in our dingy theaters back home in Corner Brook was amazing beyond all expectations. The realism, the story, and even the characters was just great. I can't wait to see what the spin off of this will be with regards to 3D television and 3D computer monitors and gaming. Look out Xbox and gaming fans, there might be some new systems out real soon, much to our chagrin. Frankly though, I think they'll wait a while, if they're smart, at least to get the technology to the level where they can safely replicate the effects of Avatar on a personal interactive level. The processing power would have to be monstrous. Maybe the new next-gen computers with their chaos-theory processors or organic thought processes will be able to handle the demands. Who know, I certainly don't, but at least its worth dreaming about. I'd pay $200 for a game with that kind of 3D interactivity and graphics level, no problem, It'd be a ridiculous sensations beyond anything in the last ten years.
Whew, well, then, looks like I'm back in action again. It's been a long road on the mend and getting all kinds of testing done back home, but the feeling of being back on the road is worth it. I'm actually looking at some more flights right now, for after Cuba. Perth, Australia is looking really tempting at the moment, and there's Elise to go see there and stay with, and all the creepy crawlies to flick off and shake out of my boots...
Yeah...let's think about that one a bit more.
Anyhow folks, I'm off. Catcha on the flipside, and I'll be back soon with another adventure.
Neal Oram
