USA & Canada (East Coast) May/June 2019

" My 32 Days clockwise, free & easy visit (by buses) starting from New York, East Coast of USA to East Coast of Canada & returning to New York (New York, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Boston, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal & Quebec) with my travel buddies, KC Leong & a newbie,  LeyLana Chai (KC's hiker's friend, Lana was also my travel buddy to my Nov/Dec 2018 free & easy visit to Northern India & March 2019 package tour visit to Balkan states, Europe) from my home country travelling from 14/5 to 14/6 2019 - my 1st visit to USA & Canada & fulfilling my American & Canadian travel dreams " 

1) Travel Itinerary (32 days): Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia > Shanghai, China > New York, USA > Philadelphia > Buffalo > Niagara Falls, USA > Niagara Falls, Canada > Toronto > Ottawa > Montreal > Quebec > Montreal > Boston, USA > New York > Shanghai, China > Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Air Travel (total): 19,345km (one way - 24hrs)
Kuala Lumpur > Shanghai = 3,747km
Shanghai > New York = 15,598km

Bus rides (total): 2,890km (round trip)
1) New York > Philadelphia = 152km
2) Philadelphia > Washington DC = 227km
3) Washington DC > Buffalo = 615km
4) Buffalo > Niagara Falls (USA) = 27km
5) Border crossing by foot from Niagara Falls (USA) > Niagara Falls via Rainbow Bridge = 0.5km
6) Niagara Falls (Canada) > Toronto = 110km
7) Toronto > Ottawa = 449km
8) Ottawa > Montreal = 198km
9) Montreal > Quebec = 255km
10) Quebec > Boston = 641km
11) Boston > New York = 215km

2) Happy Spring - Mid-May to mid-June is probably the most ideal time to travel to East Coast of USA & Canada. Its Spring time, the weather is superb ranging from 8c to 25c. Tulips are in full blooms in cities like Ottawa & Montreal, Canada. For the food services sector, Spring is the season for good friends, great wine & restaurants competing to churn out amazing new menus & good food for their customers ! 

Total expenses incurred (32 days): approx. Rm10,281 (US2,480)
Air ticket (China Eastern Airlines - Kuala Lumpur & New York return): Rm2,856 (US$689)
Travel insurance: Rm170
USA visa: Rm660
Canada visa: Rm300
HI membership card: Rm40
Airport shuttle bus (KL): Rm8 x 2 (Seniors)
Hostels (28 nights) : Rm4,325 (US$1,043)
Long distance coach/bus (10 inter-city bus rides in USA & Canada): Rm1,153 (US$269)
Metro/bus: US$57 + CAD$40 = Rm359
Food & groceries (cost sharing, mainly own prepared meals): Rm50+US$34+CAD$68 = Rm402

Exchange rates: US$1=Rm4.145, Canadian dollar (CAD)$1=R,m3.12

My Travel Buddies, KC Leong & Lana 

Travel Highlights: 

1) New York, USA

2) Philadelphia, USA 

3) Washington DC, USA 

4) Buffalo, USA



5) Niagara Falls, USA 



6) Niagara Falls Canada 



7) Toronto, Canada 



8) Ottawa, Canada 



9) Montreal, Canada

10) Quebec, Canada 

11) Boston, USA 



UNESCO World Heritage Sites, USA

1) Independence Hall, Philadelphia 

2) Statue Of Liberty, New York

UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Canada

3) Historic District of Old Quebec, Canada

4) Rideau Canal, Ottawa, Canada



Words of Wisdoms on Travelling - Travelling may change your perspectives in LIFE; give yourself an opportunity to travel to places you yearn to see; Why travelling, our LIFE span is too short …. so start pursuing your travel dreams ! 

I believe through discipline and proper planning, you too could do a 30 - 45 days free & easy visit to East Coast of USA & Canada - following KM style of travelling or Lonely Planet guide on a shoe string budget ! 

Is this free & easy visit to East Coast of USA & Canada the only visit or may be my last visit to USA & Canada ? My answer is No - this May / June 2019 visit is not my Last Hurrah as I am very keen do one more free & easy visit to the West Coast of USA & Canada once a travel plan has been hatched ! 

USA & Canada (East Coast) May/June 2019 - KM's photo Gallery One for the Album

Words of Wisdoms & interesting pictures taken during my May/June 2019 visit to USA & Canada (East Coast) - a free & easy traveler & a "graduate" from UHK (University of Hard Knock) not Hard Rock Cafe !

My 32 days visit to USA & Canada (East Coast) - KM's Photo Gallery - One for the Album !

1) Words, only words but very inspiring & meaningful ! In free & easy travelling, if you are a newbie, be down to earth & just take a small step first to learn about the ABC of travelling, everyone has to undergo a big learning curve before you become a true blue traveler ! (Harvard University, Boston visit)

2) Cute, very cute ! My Fair Lady elegant looking cats wearing a branded dark glass spectacle & shoes on ! (The Vessel, Hudson Yard, New York visit)

3) Weather was superb during the Spring season mid-May-mid June) in East Coast of USA & Canada, no wonder this handsome squirrel looks rounded & well fed ! The tail of this squirrel looks like a feather duster ! (Lincoln Memorial Washington DC visit)

4) Tulips, tulips & more tulips, the return of Spring & the Canadian Tulip Festival (10 - 20 May 2019), the world's largest tulip festival, never mind our group was in Ottawa on 29-31 May 2019 hence missed this Tulip Festival but there were still many tulips in the gardens to make our days pleasant & beautiful in Ottawa, the capital of Canada ! (Major's Hill, Ottawa visit)

5) We can do it ! Yes, you can do it (any undertakings, be it big or small), I can do it & all of us can do it if you think like this lady Navy cadet (certainly a well trained & disciplined person) saying & showing her action to the world as featured in this poster, loud & clear ! It's time to change and get rid of the bad & ugly behaviors when you are travelling with your buddies overseas ! (Charlestown Naval Shipyard, Boston visit)

6) The hostel I stayed in Philadelphia offered this guided walking tour - a haunted one & you only paid US$2 starting from 8.30pm till the haunted hours ! The weather Today (May 17 2019) was just fine 16c to 27C so sleep well after this haunted walking tour ! (Philadelphia Historic District visit)

7) The American Presidents & First Ladies - do you know them all ? Who was the greatest & fairest among all ! Humpty dumpty sat on the wall but also on top of the world ! (Philadelphia visit)

8) Very Chinese ! Chinatowns in East Coast of USA & Canada - A Chinaman (KM Cheng) from Malaysia came knocking at your doors in May/June 2019 ! (Chinatown visits in New York, Philadelphia, Washington DC & Boston of USA; Toronto, Ottawa & Montreal of Canada)

New York Chinatown, USA

Philadelphia Chinatown, USA

Washington DC Chinatown, USA

Boston Chinatown, USA 

Toronto Chinatown, Canada

Ottawa Chinatown, Canada

Montreal Chinatown, Canada

9) New York has a Wall Street but not a Jaw Street in Lower Manhattan ! Have you seen a street by the name of Xall Street or Yall Street or Zall Street in any of the countries you had visited ? Maybe yes or maybe no ! (Wall Street, New York visit)

10) The Price of Freedom - 620,000 Americans died during the Civil War & 405,399 dead and missing from World War 11 ! This Freedom Wall holds 4,048 gold bars, each gold bar represents 100 American service personnel who died or remain missing in the war ! Freedom is never given ! Human quest for Freedom is real ! May peace prevail on earth at all times !