Niagara River – wide and. high

In Russia, celebrating foreigners will certainly show the Volga-Mother. In the United States, our tourist departs with a return visit to the Niagar.

Niagara City is a city near the world famous for the whole world. Some 10 hours on a special excursion bus from New York – and we are in place! On American standards – hand. Similar disregard of distances we can evaluate only we, Russian. Well, maybe more Ukrainians. Was in our group one such an old one from Poltava, who was not surprised and brought to the guide to quiet hysteria permanent "Well, sho?".

Near the waterfall, everything wears his name: city, hotel, restaurant. Determined everything! It is said that in neighboring Canada – the same story. Border with Canada – near and completely open. On the other side there is a grand casino with the same omnipresent title that Americans love, much freely feeling in someone else’s country than at home.

Paradoxically, but at first glance, the famous Niagara Waterfall does not produce an expected ambitious impression. As I guessed later, it happens because you expect to see something big (after all, on the way your guide is proud of, as if this is his property, he said that the width of the waterfall is more than a kilometer, and the height of fifty meters), but not your eyes just big, and so majestic sight that the mind refuses to realize his true dimensions. The greatness and scale of water gigan for comprehension require time and more close acquaintance.

However, having stood at the very edge of the waterfall on the bridge leading to the goat island, which is 300 meters from the American shore, looking down with the fading of the heart down – in the punch and clutching at the time from the terrifying roar and the roar of the lowered flowing stream, you soon begin to understand that before you is nothing but one of the genuine non-homework wonders of the world, overwhelming (another word do not pick up!) His beauty.

No less sharp feeling and below the trips on a tiny boat, made through the very edge of the falling jets of the waterfall, so close to the depth water, as soon as possible. Brave ship, like a traffic jam, bouncing up and down the waves and from time to time completely hiding among the MGLL and spray, makes a way in the bunch of boiling water. And no less courageous passengers, convulsively clutched in everything, for which you can stay, and, despite rescue vests, who said goodbye to life, stunned and stunned, still find the strength to admire the majestic picture of nature, sprayed immediately a great multitude of rainbows, then arising then disappearing in the air vessels. This pleasure costs fans of sharp sensations of $ 10. Self-blue disposable raincoat that you get for free, you can leave for memory and proudly demonstrate home to everyone like tartares from Tarason Lion Shkur.

Niagara is one of the few places in the USA, where everywhere there are huge queues. The waterfall is turned into a grandiose amusement park pumping millions from tourists annually. And in this Americans could not but overdo. What is only the night light illumination of the waterfall! Hundreds of spotlights paint the waterfall in all colors of the rainbow, giving it so toy look that blasphemous comparisons with European cities fountains involuntarily occur.

Oddly enough, you can look at the waterfall from the reverse side. There is such a cave there. Of course, with elevator and with all the amenities. Up to museum felt slippers (this is not a joke!), which, naturally, wet instantly under the sleepy spray, peeling the viewing platform. Here, too, give the raincoats, but yellow and with the return.

In the course of the case, here you can learn a lot of interesting things that have an attitude towards or weak or no. So, it turns out, it is in Niagara City caught fire the first light bulb. No Ilyich, and Edison. And in the same city, for the first time in the world, one of the streets covered with electric light.

Of course, there is a Niagara Museum. And how not to be? The lion’s share of exposure occupies exhibits that cause contradictory feelings. These are all sorts of swimming facilities on which the seekers of glory and acute sensations tried to descend from the waterfall. And of course, fragments of these devices. Most barrels. Different caliber and materials – from oak to plastic.

I was in Niagare in the summer. And in winter, if the frost is strong enough and long, with Lake Erie goes down the ice. This happens, as the guide told us, no more than once every four years. It covers the entire upper niagar and rushes through the abyss of the gorge. At the same time, from small fragments of ice, compressed by a rapid flow into a solid mass, arises above the river some wonderfully ice bridge. It is the bridge, because it forms it does not frozen river, but the ice creased on the air and mortaling as if contrary to the laws on the surface of the river flowing under the ice dome in its usual way. This bridge is so durable that if desired, and, of course, a sufficient courage on it can be moved from America to Canada. Add in the imagination to this fabulous picture of the garland of huge (up to 30 m) icicles along the entire top edge of the waterfall, the trees were icing and sparkling in the sun, myriad splashes, filling the air with ice dust, and you climb your eyes from an ennoy dazzling show, whose annual organization even Sensile nature lacks the necessary funds.

Here is someone – Niagara Falls.

At the end of all dizzying impressions, our guide, anticipating a complete celebration, asked Patriot from Poltava his impressions.

– Well, sho? – With a constant composure answered a difficult old man. – And you have seen our Dneproges?

Then I thought about the Mother Volga. But this is a completely different story.