In Cuba they actually have a saying that says "Vamos a cruzar la niagara por una bicicleta" (We are going to cross the niagara with a bicycle). It signifies that you are about to partake in a seemingly impossible task. I always think of this whenever I see the river that connects Lake Erie with Lake Ontario.
As I took a drive down Niagara Street the last day of March I had this saying in my head. I drove all the way to North Tonawanda thinking of the environmental devastation that has occurred along the river. I think about what it must have looked like before, before it became an industrial waste toilet. I thought about how the native people must have admired it's awesome power. I wonder if any of them ever got sucked over the falls while they were in a canoe, or ever used it to kill themselves? Could they even use a canoe on the Niagara?
My pictures are incomplete. Since I was driving by myself, I wasn't able to take many photos. Along the Niagara you can find the GM Powertrain plant, landfills, and numerous other monstrosities with the occasional glimpse of beauty, especially in Lewiston.
Most of the industry is long gone. The question is though, what have they left behind?
I parked my car here on Niagara and Albany. There was a path that leads to some train tracks...
Choo choo!
Check out this satelite image of the bridge
This mural on the side of an abandoned Agway building says it all
This is one of the most economically devastated areas in the country...but we all know that.
Porn along the way
These next two buildings are cool
At this point things got real ugly. I need to take the trip again with someone else to get more of the nastier pics.
My voyage ended here at the River Walk in N. Tonawanda. There were lots of people out that day. The air was incredibly nasty, and I wondered why people go there for fun. In Western New York, like many areas of the world, we do not have the right to breath clean air.
Ok, lets do it! It definitely would help to have someone that knows the area well with me...I'm still learning. Still need to do more research though. Maybe we can capitalize on this toxic tourism? We will be the toxic tourism capital of the world!
Let's go together, maybe we could do an estrip tour de toxicity.
(e:paul), that is crazy that you played in that dirt pile. Very scary! Do you think if you get that geiger counter it will start beeping when you touch it? Hope not. I think I want to go on the toxic tour...I need to find out about that toxic tour guide man.
I wrote about it a couple years ago. That whole area freaks me the hell out. North of Kenmore avenue is glowing green toxic. :::link:::
Look its the same bus driver.