Crossing the border at Niagara Falls

We are already in The US having crossed over from Niagara Falls, Canada, via the very short Rainbow Bridge. There are 29 passengers on board and we get off with all our luggage for customs and immigration clearance. The security check takes quite a while. There is only one scanner. But then there is a two hour stop for the train. We then step up to the immigration officers. Raji and the children show their ESTA and 10 year visa and they are almost immediately approved. But when it came to our passports which had the Iran visa on a whole page, they had their doubts. We had ESTA but according the rules if we had entered Iran after getting our ESTA, the visa was considered null and void. We had no idea since we had already been to Alaska after visitng Iran. The officers had to call up various departments in Washington to clarify matters and they were certain we couldn't enter US immediately. 

They asked us if we had an alternative plan. We didn't and simply said we'd return to Canada . But the return train was 8 hours from now. ( It seems Vasanth was at the Canadian end watching the train on American soil for nealy 2 hours. When the train pulled out he started for Cambridge not knowing what had happened to us).We had already seen a lot of the US and there was really no need to visit the country now. The boss was quick to point out that we were assuming we wouldn't be allowed in. Upon more queries we found out that we'd have to have visas no matter what because even if we transit in US we need a visa. Drink wil be flying from Washington and that would mean a visa was necessary. Besides most of the cruises we take either start or end in the US. We had to make a decision. The three were to go ahead. They had the printed Amtrak tickets and the connecting Greyhpound tickets. 10 mins were left before the train was scheduled to leave. The officers were still working on our visas and finally told us they cannot do it in time for the departure. So the three leave without us. 

The office and platform are clear of passengers. We cannot go onto the platform because it is US soil and we are foreigners without a valid visa. We sit in the office nonchalantly. All the years of travelling have prepared us to take everything in our stride and make the best of every moment. We are offered NY's best doughnuts and coffee. We split the humongous doughnut to share and the 'big' officer jokes with us that we had to eat one whole each so that we could be his size, and pulls out his flab jokingly to show us what Americans are all about! We sign a document prepared by the officer on our case stating that we were unaware of the new rules and thus the attempt to enter. After that we are finger printed and within 30 mins we have our single entry visa valid for 6 months. We apologise for the challenges we had posed them, to which they reply that we had made their day fly because they had work to do. It was not a boring day. On our part, we pipe up with, "If not for the hitch we would not be spending a day in US Niagara Falls. Yet another place to add to our travel diary." 

The boss, a young female, now walks us to the ticketing counter at the station and requests that our ticket be dated for the next day. Then she also asks him to call a cab for us. As an officer she was not allowed to call a cab on our behalf or even suggest hotels. But she did say the neigbourhood was unsafe and hence the cab. The cab driven by a Pakistani imigrant arrives in about 10 mins and we ask to be driven to a hotel. He asks if we wanted the Sheraton. We see Comfort Inn and say we'd go there. It is only a 5 mile ride but it costs us $10. We are able to secure a room, same price as yesterday's at Niagra Falls, but only for two queen beds. Breakfast is not included. The moment we enter the room we go on line to book Greyhound seats for our travel to Utica and thence to Springfield. 

All that done, and after some hot coffee, we decide to walk to the falls and we are met with a gorgeous view of both the falls. We are able to get up close to the Bridal Veil falls. It is getting dark and very chilly, and so we just walk the bridge to Goat island, don't have time to enjoy the park, and return. Then we walk to the view points for photos, We explore the town a little and then walke back to the hotel. The tall building opposite the museum houses sovenir shops and has a food court. We walk in to the aroma of all kinds of Asian food. It seems the casino attracts lots of Chinese. It feels and smells like we are back in Singapore. 

The town is planned for massive crowds. It has all the attractions that the Canadian side has , but is well spaced out and therefore the town looked deserted despite it being Halloween. There is no grocery store in this part of town but the reception tells us there is a 7/11 nearby. We try to find our way there, but get a little confused by differing ideas of direction. We were just passing by the Sheraton that looked gloomy on the outside and pathetically deserted in the lobby. The receptionist will surely be able to give us directions. We are going the right way. We manage to find the store  and order a $5 pizza. It is ready within 20 mins, well packed in a cardboard box. It is piping hot and we want to reach our room before it gets cold. It is acceptably warm when we are ready to eat it, and the we find we couldn't eat it all. We would have enough left over for breakfast. That was it for the day. 

Raji and the children had been picked up by Thenu at Springfield. In the morning we finished the pizza , washed it down with coffee and then decide to walk to the station. After all I have only a back pack and Drink, a cabin bag. So we started at 10 am and walked the almost straight route to the station. Every now and then we had to share the carrying of the cabin bag. My Ikea back pack was an excellent buy. It has served me very well. No backaches and strained arms. We are nearly there and we wonder if we have a turn to make. An African American lady showed us when to to take a right. But we were not convinced and a few minutes laters asked a couple of gentlmen. By then we were very close to the station. We had walked five miles in slightly more than an hour (in all that time we only met three people on our route).  The train was to leave at 12:30 and we were ther by 11:30. The seats are comfortable. The overhead shelves have lots of space, even for huge bags. The conductor checks our ticket and puts a marker at our seat with the initial of our destination.