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Reports

During my travels, I received free accommodation for a night in exchange for writing a daily travel diary. This diary documented how I reached my next destination, the hosts who welcomed me, the food I was offered, and other experiences along the way. Below, you will find the archives of these extensive reports. Please note that English is not my native language, and most entries were written quickly, often around midnight. Enjoy!

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Wednesday, 4 June 2003
--> Toronto, Ontario, Canada (day 2)

This report will be published soon...

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Photos

With yesterdays financial support by Shawn I could hop on the metro to my next destination, the corner of Walmer Road and King Street. However my hostess Erin Armstrong had to work all day. BUT she called in her friend Sarah to help out. Sarah was going to take care of me today, with another exploration through the city.

It was super-salesman Ed Mirvish who started this store in Toronto. He came from a really poor family and had to share his bathroom with up to 50 people during his childhood. He began with a small store in 1948, which soon grew into Honest Eds taking up a whole block in Toronto and making him a wealthy man. To open the store he cashed in his wifes 212$ insurance policy. Now he not only owns Honest Eds but also several theatres in Toronto, like the Royal Alexandre theatre (bought in 1962 for 215.000 $CAN), the Princess of Wales theatre (built in 1993 for 22 Million $CAN) and also the Old Vic theatre in London, England.

At this college the movie Good Will Hunting was filmed.

On the streets of Chinatown we stumbled on a fruit stand with strange fruits. I decided to buy a few of those weird things, to try. You have to peal the hairy part of and inside is this sweet fruit. Almost like lychees. It was sweet and Sarah had to get used to it for a second.

At another street corner I saw two ladies selling tson-zi. It was sticky rice with pork or beans wrapped in banana leafs (Chinese have that to celebrate the dragon boat festival annually). That was pretty belly filling stuff! By the way, when I pulled out my camera one of the ladies started to run away fast.

Honestly this street reminded me of a street in downtown Australia, dont know which one. We had a coffee break at the Lettiere coffeeshop at the right corner.

I wasnt sure if I was going to get that high, but happily Sarah took me along for a visit to the CN Tower in Toronto. The Worlds Tallest Building!!!

An elevator took us up to the whateverth floor. As the elevator shooshed up we could look through the glass wall of de side of the tower. Our destination: 342 meters in the Toronto sky.

The weather was not cooperating today, so we could not see that far from the tower. However... EVERYTHING LOOKED SO SMALL!

As seen on the display down one of the many windows

That previous scene as seen through the window....

Wanna see where I had that rooftop barbeque last night?

One floor down we got to the Glass Floor at the Indoor Observation Deck. Because of the bad weather (can you see the rain drops?) the outdoor observation deck was closed.

It is not that the entire floor is of glass, that would make people go crazy. It is just a part. Sarah had a few worries to overcome before standing on the glass and looking down to the parking lot...

I found it not that scary from up here, standing on a glass floor. It actually reminded me of the Worlds Highest Bungee Jump I did in South Africa. Wasnt that 216 metres?

Before we got up the tower, in the downstairs tourist trap Sarah and I pretended we were a couple and had this really cheezy photo made for a souvenir. But no way we were going to pay 20$ each for them! So this is the photo I took of the photos. Hehe...

From the tower we took the street car to Sarahs apartment.

And there is where I met up with Erin Armstrong, my actual hostess, who had to work until 5 pm today.

For dinner these Marry Poppings took me for a walk on Queen Street West!

On 478 Queen West is Fressen located, during the week a vegetarian restaurant and in the weekend it is a mellow lounge club. The waitress was very anxious to serve us dinner tonight.

And an all vegetarian meal (Sarah and Erin are vegetarians) is very good! Before you actually know (me meateater) that tummy is full!

We could really get along with that waitress (I never asked her name! Booh!) and she loved my digital camera. And before I knew she was off taking pictures IN THE KITCHEN!

From Fressen we walked to the district known as Little Italy, where we had a few drinks with friends of Erin and Sarah, at the Oasis Restaurant on College Street.

Erin, Sarah, their friend Kasha and me ended up at The Collision EDs Bodyrepair Shop. We certainly had a few drinks there! Do you like my glasses?

At the apartment we all hung around a bit more until it was time to head home or to bed. Erin prepares my bed for the night and folds out the couch in her living room.

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