Caribana!... PART 1

This is just a brief overview of my trip and some photos. 

(Bear with me, my camera is crappy. I'm seriously about to add an "About Me" page with a PayPal Donate button.)

A whole lot of shit went down though, I lost a friend, but gained two more.  I was also in a MAGIC show. 

I also learned that age might not be as big a factor in dating as I once thought... Basically way too much for one post. I don't want to give you an information overload!

So, my trip to Toronto was freakin' AH-MAZ-ING.  I had no idea what the Canadians were working with up there.  I mean I could completely live there. Except that they don't have Chipotle...major FAIL!

I went for Caribana, which is a cultural festival...the biggest one ever! 1.5 million visitors annually, mostly from the West Indies.  I do not have any sort of background in the West Indies, but my friend's (well, now my EX-friend...why?... that's another post!) family is from St. Lucia.
 
When the bus arrived into the city, I was amazed...everything is glass.  The condos they have downtown were called the ICE condos.  Who wouldn't want to live somewhere called ICE?

Our hotel was swank as hell.  When I went to check in, there were about 30 men standing around of all shapes and sizes. My first thought was, "This is going to be a GREAT weekend!" 

After I wiped the slobber off my face and handed my credit card over to officially check in, we went upstairs to the room.  Full kitchen, 42" flat screen TV that swiveled, big comfy king size bed and  pull-out couch.  I wanted to move in!


Saturday was the actual day of Caribana, and it went on for SEVEN hours.  Me and my friend ended up jumping IN the parade and dancing for hours.  Nobody said anything, we just went from one float to the next.  I may not talk like an islander, but I can shake my ass with the best of them!

All sweaty and tired, we made our way to the beer tents... although we were carrying around a bottle of Moet. (Hey, it's vacaaation!) We ate roasted corn and drank and had the BEST time.

We then went back to the hotel to get dressed for a night out.  We went to Dundas Square, where I was in a magic show and stayed out until 4 in the morning. We woke up Sunday to a breakfast of French Toast, scrambled eggs, and home fries! Yum!

Monday morning, I was not ready to leave!  I love Toronto...the diversity and how laid back everyone was.  I can't wait to go back!

I also learned some things about Canada on this trip:

1. Canadians and all other places outside of the US, think Americans are funny...they are not laughing WITH us, they are most definitely laughing AT us.

2. Instead of "Eclipse" gum, they have "Excel" gum...I completely thought it was a cheap knock-off and actually got into an argument with someone over it. "Excel" really IS the Canadian version of "Eclipse"...go fuckin figure?  That person felt the name "Eclipse" for gum was just plain stupid.

3. There are Sushi restaurants on EVERY freakin' corner in Toronto. More sushi restaurants than McDonald's.  I love Sushi, but damn, too many options, no reccomendations and Sushi is nothing to mess with...eat bad Sushi, pay consequences later!

4. In America, you're lucky if a cab stops for you; in Canada, they practically attack you when you're walking down the street.  It doesn't even have to LOOK like you want a cab and their yelling at you! Ironically, every single time I asked a cab driver how to get somewhere, they gave me the wrong directions... (Things that make you go hmmm...)

5. Canadian money is annoying.  I can't stand change and I am ALWAYS trying to get rid of it.  Not only do they have pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters, but they have $1 and $2 as coins...WTF?  I like having the option to NOT carry a silver dollar.  So here I am, looking like a complete asshole, trying to figure out the difference between my $1, $2, and 25 cent COINS while intoxicated. 

AND when I went to trade in my Canadian money at my bank in the US, they wouldn't take my Bob Damned coins, so now I have like $15.00 in Canadian coins...

More Pictures:

Next Toronto vacation installment: Chicks Before Dicks! Stay Tuned...

Toodles Biatches!