It's been a couple of months since I started my journey across Canada on my epic VIA Rail trip. And I've since settled back in Toronto, so let me just summarise some highlights of the trip.
Favourite city: Montreal, Quebec
Je t'aime Montréal! There was something extra special about Montreal being the last city I traveled to before heading home. Montreal was poppin'. The festivals, the people, the food, the français, the fact that the two days I was there I could use the public transportation for FREE. And I spent time with one of my good friends from high school. What's not to love about Montreal?
Least favourite city: Corner Brook, Newfoundland
Don't get me wrong, Newfoundland is great! Corner Brook is great! But would I recommend someone to visit here out of all of the cities I visited on my trip? Probably not. My trip would have been different if I had access to a car to get out of Corner Brook... Honestly, it's a beautiful place but I didn't know anyone in the area and I think you could do everything you wanted to do in Corner Brook in one day if you had a car. It's a quiet place. People are friendly.
If you're looking for small city scenic vibes, where you can take a dip in the outdoor pool, Corner Brook is your place. Just remember, there is only one souvenir shop.
Types of people you find in (Disclaimer: This is not meant to offend, it's only based on what I've seen in the cities I've visited. Please don't come after me, lol.)...
Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta: Small families, older couples, pretty normal people. Fort Saskatchewan is a homey place. There isn't much to explore or do in Fort Saskatchewan and it's certainly not scenic like Corner Brook. But it's tranquil...and my cousin lives there.
Vancouver, British Columbia: Hippies, hipsters, eccentrics, homeless people, drug users. On the streets you'll find a couple of people singing Hare Krishna songs, a lady doing the hula hoop in a revealing outfit, and various other street performers. If you're not used to seeing homeless people, they will be a common sight downtown.
Once you get out of the downtown core there are some beautiful sights in Vancouver. The transportation is pretty great (ferry, train, bus). The food is also a plus. Vancouver had alcoholic bubble tea...and I loved it.
Montreal, Quebec: Fashionable people. Everyone dresses really nicely in Montreal, seriously. Especially the women. It made me really want to dress up.
The fish foot spa was closed, so I was severely disappointed that I didn't get to go there, but the food was wonderful. The festivals were fantastic. If you like super lively and bustling places, Montreal is the place to be.
Halifax, Nova Scotia: People who have "escaped Toronto," smokers, students, and tourists. A couple of the people I met who worked in Halifax surprisingly used to work/live in Toronto. Halifax natives have either lived in Toronto or have family in Toronto. There is somehow a Toronto-Halifax connection...
At night time, you might meet some unusual people. Also, you can access Wi-Fi outside in certain areas. Tip: Try Nova Scotia's donair poutine. Yum.
Corner Brook, Newfoundland: People who wear Aeropostale shirts, people who have rarely (or never) traveled outside of Newfoundland, retired people, children. Most of the people who lived in the area were seniors, middle aged, or retired. I saw at least three different people wearing Aeropostale shirts, which was unusual given that, apparently, Aeropostale shut down all of its stores in Canada last year. Maybe the last Aeropostale store exists in Corner Brook? I never saw one when I was there...
All of the Corner Brook natives I met either had never been outside of Newfoundland or had traveled outside of Newfoundland only once before. Corner Brook was the least diverse city that I visited. I only saw three other Filipinos and maybe a few other people of different races who were probably tourists.
Just to be completely fair, let me describe the kind of people you'll find in my home city...
Toronto (aka the 6ix), Ontario: Young people, homeless people, hipsters, ghetto people, drug users, old people, smokers, children, families, and students. You either get people in business clothing or casual clothing. Torontonians who don't work in the financial district don't really care what they look like. Or at least they don't want to seem to care what they look like.
Would I want to live in a place in Canada other than Toronto, Ontario? Yeah, PEI. But I love Toronto, it's home.
My VIA Rail trip was a once in a lifetime trip where I spent time with incredible people and experienced a great deal of independence. It was a much-needed trip.
My VIA Rail trip was a once in a lifetime trip where I spent time with incredible people and experienced a great deal of independence. It was a much-needed trip.
