Toronto, Ontario (October 2015)

Hotel: Marriott Bloor Yorkville Toronto 

Distance from Toronto Pearson Intl. Airport: 15.7 (32 minutes) ($62 CAD taxi ride, $75 CAD Private car)

Length of stay: 4 Nights

Average nightly rate: $200 CAD Avg/Night.

(The current USD->CAD Conversion is $1USD=1.30CAD)

It's been a few weeks since iv'e had the chance to document my travels. Traveling and working can sometimes divert you from your hobbies. Being able to write allows me share the world as I see it through my eyes as well as being able to re read the memories iv'e created. This past week I had the blessing of visiting Canada for the first time. I must admit that I was completely ignorant to their culture and way of life. Some people say The States are the biggest melting pot in the world, in my opinion Toronto was so culturally diverse it was overwhelming. 

The Flight

I flew to Toronto in First/Business class on Us Airways with a layover in Charlotte. Flying international requires being at the airport 2 hours in advance, having a 5am flight made this a very long day. I was a little nervous flying to Toronto because they have extreme restriction for Americans coming into their country (Especially on business). If you have any sort of criminal record, even a DUI you will not be allowed in to any Canada providence. For me, I was given a script by my company telling me what I had to say in customs in order to get through for work. You are not allowed to say you are working because in their eyes you are taking jobs from Canadian citizens. When I got to the Customs agent my tongue froze and I probably sounded drunk because I was so nervous, thankfully the paperwork I had got me through

Luckily the plane had fully lay down seats in first class so it was nice comfortable trip, I passed out and didn't even wait for breakfast.

The drive into the city of Toronto is breathtaking, I had no idea it was such a crowded city. It felt like looking at a mix of every big city in the states. At the same time it was so unique that I couldn't compare it to anything.

The Hotel

I wont spend much talking about the hotel just because it wasn't the highlight of my trip. The hotel was centrally located downtown on Yonge Street. They call this the longest street in the world and honestly it feels like it. You can walk for miles and miles and your eyes will never stop wondering. It is overcrowded with shops and restaurants of all kinds. It was very unique comparing to New York or Chicago because nothing was the same, nothing repeated.

The room was pretty standard, the bathroom was actually very nice for Marriott's standards. I was able to get Concierge Lounge access by simply asking a banquet manager. The Concierge Lounge has free breakfast in the morning appetizers in the evening. It saved me about $150 for the trip considering breakfast downstairs is $25 a person. Again I stress "It doesn't hurt to ask". The hotel is actually located above a subway station, a one way ride on the subway is $3 CAD. The yellow route took us directly to the entertainment district by the water and the Baseball and Hockey stadiums. A 1 week pass will cost you $41 CAD. I was actually highly impressed with Toronto's rail system, much more efficient and cleaner then NYC.

FOOD!

I usually only review a single "must eat" in each city I go to but I would be disrespectful only doing that for this trip. I love food and I was so exited about all of the unique dining concepts this city had to provide. The first one I would like to speak about is "Aji Sai", as I walked down Yonge street I saw a restaurant that said $15 all you can eat lunch and $25 all you can eat dinner. My first thought was buffet, buffet's don't really appetite me so I walked past it. After walking around indecisive for a while I decided to return and see what it was all about. I was completely wrong, this is a sit down "Resto Lounge", you sit down and you are given a paper with everything the restaurant has to offer. This specific restaurant was asian fusion so it had everything from fresh sushi, appetizers and entrees. You fill out the paper and check off everything you want brought to your table, after you eat it all you can fill it out again and get more for up to 2 hours. There is a catch! for every piece of food you leave they charge you 50 cents. Below is a picture of the huge menu you can choose from. It was a cool unique dining experience. I got so exited when the food arrived that I forgot to take pictures of the food!

("Aji Sai")

Obviously being in Canada I had to drink some Canadian beers. I noticed something really cool that every restaurant seemed to do. Depending on what beer you order you get served in a corresponding glass with the brewery's logo on it. Not really a big deal but also unique, considering in the states you'll get served in a plastic cup regardless of the beer. They had countless local crafts I had never heard of, some good some bad. Regardless it was part of the adventure of trying new things.

The next 2 places i'll talk about where very similar but different at the same time. As we walked down Yonge Street we noticed that on the left side street some restaurants that looked like houses. They where lit up with with string lights and it caught our attention. This is where we discovered "Urban House", I completely fell in love with this restaurant. Its basically a hipster bar, its lit very dim, very intimate, good music playing, good drinks and good cheap food. I was surprised to see on the menu Pastas with chicken and shrimp for $8 CAD and pitchers of beer for $10 CAD. Me and my girlfriend where celebrating 1 year together, it was a special night because this placed created a vibe like no other. 

(Urban House)

(Dining Patio)

(Delicious $8 CAD Meal)

The previous night we dined in a restaurant very similar, it was called "The Artful Dodger". This was more like an English Pub, also a very unique vibe and delicious food but it was a bit more expensive. The average entree was around $15 CAD but the food was also great. They had an extensive selection of Canadian beers.

("The Artful Dodger")

The last day we took the subway to the entertainment district and walked by Lake Ontario and just soaked in the beauty of the city. The temperature this time of year is perfect sweater weather and made it pleasant to walk around. Canada now has a place in my heart, I will actually be returning next week to Hamilton, Ontario and I am extremely exited to discover yet another city.

A very special person in my life gave me the gift of "The Alchemist". Im not a person crazy about books but this specific book got me glued. It reminded me how important it is to follow our dreams and to pursue our personal legend. In my case I will do what I can to continue to travel and see this beautiful planet. On top of that I thrive to inspire other people to get out of their comfort zone and to travel. If you have any questions about Canada or travel in general feel free to message me through Google Circles.