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Niagara Falls Short

A quick re-edit of a post I put up last week, whilst on my hols... I have just noticed that in the midst of my near fatal illness, I actually posted an earlier draft of the piece. Here is what it should have said...
Just a quickie, as I'm dying (or as Sally might suggest, I have a mild summer cold).
Despite my imminent demise I (with the help of Maggie the satnav) managed to get the family to our hotel near Niagara after an 8 hour trip (including breaks). This morning we then headed in to see the Falls themselves.
And was amazed, nay horrified, at the astonishingly huge gulf between the beautiful, awe-inspiring power and majesty of Niagara Falls (both American and Canadian/Horseshoe varieties, though particularly the latter) and the tacky, commercial, dollar-gobbling gungy-ness (if that is a word) of the town that overlooks it and shares its name.
After a jaw-dropping trip on the Maid of the Mist we got out of town as fast as we could to the much more genteel Niagara on the Lake.
But if there is ever a perfect illustration of how far humanity falls short of the glory of God the creator, Niagara Falls is it... And the sad thing is, where was Christianity represented in this cavernous divide between creation and consumerism...
In the midst of all the money-grabbing eateries and sidehows, was Bronto's Adventure Playground, featuring VeggieTales! Those purveyors of piety to the pint sized, have not only got an ever-expanding DVD range (with appropriate tie-ins) they are there on Clifton Hill, flying the flag for capitalist Christianity...
It almost made me want to throw mysef over the falls with or without a barrel.
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Anonymous said…
The term "Tourist Trap" has haunted Niagara since I was a child. It sounds like it hasn't changed in 25 years. Between the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls, if mankind can exploit and ruin natural beauty (maybe even their souls to an extent), these are perfect examples.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008 3:40:00 AM
Anonymous said…
David, it's bert bailie from enniskillen reading your blog....sad girl. Wouldn't you think i should have been watching CSI or something??! Just wanted to say hello and send our love to you all. We were at Niagara this summer too. Breathtaking! We fell in love with Niagara on the Lake and we indulged in the Inniskillin Wine- ice wine. It was a wonderful experience. We need to touch base! take care....
Monday, September 08, 2008 2:13:00 PM
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