First Eid together and we couldn't have celebrated it without our families. Fortunately, M's side lives in Toronto and B's side lives in Ottawa. On the last day of Ramadan, we took a 17 hours connecting flight (Germany) to Canada. The welcome was just perfect with the most beautiful bouquet of flowers and little messages from M's nieces and nephews. We arrived at M's house just in time for everyone to open their fasts. B's brother had also come from Sudbury for the occasion. We ate until there was no room left in our tummies!
The first day of Eid was pretty hectic. All the men went for the Eid prayer and then returned home to have delicious Sheerkurma. After breakfast, Everyone exchanged gifts and envelopes filled with cash. The women took their sweet time getting dressed in fancy clothes while the men got some shuteye. The entire day was spent visiting relatives, eating delicious food, playing games and gift exchanges.
On the second day of Eid, we ate brunch with M's family then made our way for a five hours roadtrip to Ottawa with B's brother. We ate dinner and went out to stroll in Hogsback Falls. The mini water fall, and the tall green trees are things we admire most. Riyadh is all desert, so seeing this beauty of nature was a sight for sore eyes.
We spent a few days in Ottawa enjoying nature hikes, poutines and spending time with B's family. We returned to Toronto three days later.
Blue Mountain
Before going back to Toronto, we booked the night at Glenn House which was 45 minutes drive from Blue Mountain. The Airbnb was beautiful in the daytime but we arrived in the night which made the house appear scary because it was located deep in the countryside, with minimal lights for an old-fashioned touch.
M barely got any sleep from thinking about all the horror movies she'd watched. We woke up early in the morning to a personal Chef cooking us delicious cheese omelettes served with orange juice.
Unfortunately, it was raining on and off all day so the rides kept closing for an hour long to dry the areas. We bought a ride pass for $90 that included three activities for two people.
Activity #1: Ridge Runner Mountain Coaster
Acitivity #2: Ziplining
Activity #3: Open Air Gandola Ride
Great Wolf Lodge
The real adventure begins! M's family is pretty big so we booked two large suites at Great Wolf Lodge for the night. This water park is a must go for anyone visiting Toronto. The numerous slides, the lazy pools and the waves pools just make you forget about time.
After 6 hours of enjoying all the water activities, we went upstairs to change and get ready for dinner. There aren't any halal options so we ate vegetarian pizzas and fries.
The next morning was painful for everyone. None of realized how much physical strength it takes to play in water. With each sore joint, the adults decided to sit on the beach chairs while the children play in the water. That plan only worked for about 20 minutes. The entire family was back in the water for another 3 hours and the soreness had disappeared.
Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls is only 5 kms drive from the Lodge so we stayed back for two days to explore the downtown streets. We checked into our room at Hilton Hotel that had a great view of the American Falls. We got dressed and went out for some strolls. This was B's first time here in daylight so he was pretty excited to see the Horseshoe Falls, that's well-known for its natural beauty and a valuable source of hydroelectric power.
We love a little passion for adventure, so we bought tickets for $160 to MistRider Zipline ride facing the American and Canadian Horseshoe Falls. The experience was a lot more relaxing than the one in Blue Mountain. The panoramic view was beautiful as we slowly crossed the falls with our hands and feet swinging in the air.
African Lion Safari
The heat on this day was unimaginable. Thankgod, it was a safari adventure and not a zoo. We drove around the 740 acres of land in two SUV's where animals roam freely in contained areas. It was amazing to see these creatures close up. Many monkeys jumped onto our cars but didn't cause any damages. We got to see elephants taking a bath with their trainers and lions running around the vehicles playing with each other.
There was also a large waterpark located in African Lion Safari grounds. The water activities were solely for kids, but adults got the chance to soak their feet and stand under the waterfalls to escape the heat.
Our last week in M's house was all about eating tasty food in halal restaurants, watching movies and strolling the downtown streets with everyone. M did get to meet her friends and former coworkers which was the loudest reunion B has seen, haha! Meeting old friends after a while can be quite emotional, don't you agree? But, what's more difficult is saying goodbye to your families. It's never easy to live away from them, but the saying "distance makes the heart grow fonder" are words we both believe are absolutely true.