Canada Day 5: The journey between a lush greenhouse and two mystical forests uses a train, bus, ferry and airplane

 Day 5: September 5, 2022

the portal to Onhwa' Lumina

Today I have a few hours to kill in Toronto before I head off to Quebec City, and I'm determined to make the most of it. 

hidden murals

The Only Backpackers Inn offers free breakfast, so in my morning grogginess, I fix myself a PB and J sandwich. A young guy from my room (I would guess he is about 23) gives me unsolicited advice of everything I needed to see and do in Toronto before I left. I was feeling antisocial this morning and he just keeps following me around the kitchen, telling me how he has never stayed in a hostel before and how he wasn't sure what to expect for breakfast and asks how long I am here for and tells me I HAVE to go to the port. I just stare at my toast as I eat and slip out of the kitchen back to my room to pack. I have to leave for the airport at 1pm, so I don't have too much time to spare. 

I gather my bags and check out of the hostel via their downstairs cafe. I had to pay a security deposit, which was reimbursed to me upon checkout. Because I paid with credit card and the exchange rate from Canadian dollars to US dollars changed ever-so-slightly overnight, I gained 27 cents in the process of the refund. Look at me, making money! 

I sit at the cafe and make a plan for the day. I decide to take my luggage with me so I don't have to come all the way back to this hostel, which is too far east from downtown. A great benefit of traveling with only a backpack is the simplicity of carrying everything with you! 

Allan Gardens from the outside

On my list is Allan Gardens, a free conservatory in the heart of the city. I take the train there and quite literally take time to smell the flowers.  

Allan Gardens is quite the gem, with lush greenery in its cozy greenhouse. The greenhouse includes a glass dome, which was constructed in 1909 and certainly has a Victorian feel. The visit It brightens my mood, especially since the Toronto skies are currently overcast. Right now, in this humid paradise, I feel like I am in Vanuatu. 

I see a few people gathered near a waterwheel in the greenhouse and that's when I discover there are TURTLES. I love turtles and I have spent many hours on other vacations simply staring at them, so this was not going to be any different. If you can bear the smell of rotting cabbage, then you can enjoy hours of turtle-watching. 

Eventually it was time to head off and grab some food before making my way to the airport. I ate a delicious pork bahn mi at The Bahn Mi Brothers before hopping on the train that took me to the express bus. I will say it again: Toronto trains are so fast and efficient…I barely had to wait 5 minutes. 

Thank goodness for Nicole, who led me around yesterday, and informed my transportation route for today. Firstly, when I told her I was flying Porter Airlines, a Canadian budget airlines, she told me I was flying from the Bishop airport, not Pearson, the former of which is far closer to downtown than the latter, much smaller, and therefore a breeze to travel through. I double checked my ticket and she was right. Would I have assumed I was flying through Pearson if Nicole had not made me double check? Perhaps. 

the express bus picks up near the main railway station downtown.

I had no idea there was a free express bus to the airport, so that was a very helpful local tip. I take the local subway to the main train station downtown, walk a couple blocks to a hotel, and step onto the free bus, which runs non-stop from downtown to the airport, for a brief 20 minute ride.  

Well, actually, it runs to a ferry stop, so you can BOARD A FERRY to go to the airport. I am so excited that there was a train, bus, boat and airplane in my travel journey for today. 

view from the ferry

The ferry offers a lovely view of the skyline before arriving at the airport. Nicole was right yet again, this airport was a breeze, because once I arrive, it's only 10 minutes later that I am past security and that I am sitting in a lounge chair at the sparkling-clean gate that could rival any premier club lounge. This airport's amazing! 

my cozy corner at the gate

The Porter flight is also amazing, because like Southwest Airlines, they have all the extra perks without any of the upcharges. You can get free booze, wine, beer, and multiple snacks! This domestic flight is a brief 1.5 hours long, and I get a free grapefruit radler, tea, cookies and pretzels. This is more than I could pry from the hands of a flight attendant of a far more expensive United flight back home. 

I arrive in the Quebec City Airport and it's time to make my two-bus journey to the hostel. The airport kiosk forces you to buy a minimum of two bus tickets, but I guess that is what I will need for my journey, so I oblige.  

So here's the thing I have heard about Quebec City. Well, multiple things. Firstly, I discussed my travel plans with almost everyone I encountered in Toronto (mostly Canadians). I told them I was going to Quebec City and then Montreal. The response, every single time, was "Oh, you will LOVE Montreal." I asked Nicole last night what was wrong with Quebec City. She said it was just likely that no one had been there, but that they had all been to Montreal. Odd, I thought, since Canada has like, what, 6 major cities? And there is one that collectively no one has visited? If I asked a group of 30 Americans about Portland, surely one has visited.  

The second thing was people telling me that residents of French Canada, such as those living in Quebec City and Montreal, speak French. I was not surprised at the idea that French Canadians speak French, but rather how many people "warned" me of it, as if it were something to be cautious of. Additionally, during these warnings, people told me that French Canadians are rude to those who don't speak French. It just felt like basic travel advice for any place anywhere…that anyone would be offended if you show up in their town and assume you could communicate directly in English without even greeting them in the local language.  

welcome to French town!

The #80 bus arrives at the airport, and an elderly couple and I are waiting for the #76. After waiting, a young man approaches us from the recently-arrived bus and points out the bus changed its signage and is now the #76. We thank him and board. He didn’t want us to miss our bus! How friendly and helpful! 

The bus ride is long but simple, and I am a bit shocked that the bus route from the airport to the hostel drives through a suburban landscape. We ride along tree-lined roads near homes and schools, as well as on two-lane highways running along strip malls with Dairy Queen and movie theaters.  

the bus also passed this gorgeous church

I arrive at the QBEDS Hostel, check in and head to the room. While it is a 12-person room, it doesn’t feel super crowded since the bunk beds are arranged both along the walls and in the center of the room. Each bed is basically a rectangular box stacked atop another to form a bunk, with the side open but covered in a curtain for privacy. The lockers under the bed are massive. Oh, and this room has a BALCONY. A large one, which features a table and five chairs around it with ample space surrounding it. The balcony is a game-changer, since we can leave the door open to air the room out during the day.  

how cute is this hostel?

I really liked the staircase.

I explore the hostel, which features a beautifully decorated bar. From there, I see signs for the “Magical Forest,” which intrigues me. I follow the signs and encounter an awkward hallway that someone smartly decorated to become usable space. It features floor to ceiling mirrors, astroturf carpeting to resemble grass, tall pillars with tree-like features, and hammocks hanging from the ceiling. It’s a magical nook that vaguely resembles a forest, and it is adorable. 

the magical forest

Past the forest is the “Library,” a room with wooden bleacher-style seating, bookshelves, cozy chairs and a high ceiling. I look up and there is a massive net about 12 feet over the library with pillows. Basically, from the floor above, you can enter the net and lay in a massive room-sized hammock hanging over this library. SO COOL. This is what I love about hostels, all the cute, thoughtful decor that encourages cozy socializing. 

One of the things I wanted to seek while in Canada was Indigenous culture. I found an evening event that looked very cool, and I could do it any of the evenings during my Quebec City leg. Since making any decision about being productive on my first night here is daunting, I decide to buy my ticket, change my clothes, and head off to Place d’Armes, where the bus is to pick me up for the tour. 

As I walk to the plaza, it’s already dark, and the magic of Quebec City settles in. The sounds of a busker playing the accordion outside of the park drift past as I walk through the old town’s fortress walls via the St. Louis gate. Just past the gates is a town perfectly plucked from Europe, with cobblestone roads lined with shops and restaurants. The wooden signs for each business hang from a wrought-iron post jutting out from the buildings, adding charm.  

I make my way to the plaza, to the rainbow-lit Chateau Frontenac (it is LGBTQ awareness week) and find my bus.  

After a brief drive, we arrive at Onhwa’ Lumina. This is a night walk and light show in Wendake, featuring stories of the Huron-Wendat. It was developed by artists, musicians, historians and community members from the Nation. According to the website, “It is grounded in the rich creative traditions of the Huron-Wendat culture, and explores themes such as the cycle of life, the passing down of knowledge, and the shared relationship between all living things.” 

The premise of the 1.2km walk is the Great Circle, a belief system that all life takes place in a circle. The path is a loop with various light installations punctuating a lantern-lit walkway.  

The first light installation is the Kwaweyih, a circular ring of lights that plays accompanying indigenous music. 

The next one is the Yāndia’wich, the tale of the Turtle, which features lights projected onto a large rocky hill. There is an illuminated moon and forest at the top, and the lights projected on the hill make it appear as if there is water rushing down, or fish swimming.  

The Yānonhchia’, or longhouse, features silhouettes of forest creatures backlit with fog. In the middle are bonfires and illuminated archways where you can sit and gather. 

My favorite is the Yāndata, the village, of tall wooden pillars forming a wall. Lights project a story of war, before an usher invites you to walk past the wall to the other side.  

The Onyionhwentsa’ features large cylinders illuminated from within, featuring small holes that form pictures. 

The Hatiyōndahskehen’ is a short film projected on a screen propped between trees, featuring the history of their elders.  

The trippiest show is the Tihchion’, a sparkling and glimmering laser show from multiple projections that make the forest seem like a shimmering night sky.  

The tour ends as it begins in the Kwaweyih, the circle.  

The tour is everything I expected and more, and I am so pleased to have come. Of course, there is a photo opportunity at the end, with an usher asking if you’d like him to take your photo for you. This was the first of many times on this trip where people were confused how/why I was traveling alone. He looked around at strangers, assuming they were accompanying me, and confused why I was excluding them in the photo, until we all collectively pointed out that we don’t know one another. 

just me, myself, and i

After the bus has returned me to the plaza, I walk around the old town alone, and it is so peaceful and quiet without the bustle of people. It feels safe and secure, despite the presence of anyone.  

It’s now late, and I end my evening with a walk towards my hostel while seeking food. There aren’t many options for Labor Day Monday at 11pm, but I have luck at Taverne Grande Allée, which is a bar that serves grilled cheese sandwiches late at night. Remember, I’m in French Canada, so even the grilled cheese is fancy, and features aged cheddar, with ham braised in duck stock, onions and sour cream.  

the sandwich you never knew you needed

Tomorrow is my first full day in Quebec City, and the first thing I have planned is a walking tour to get me acquainted with the area. I’m excited.