Out & About #1024 | Commencing a Bike Share Odyssey + Ripley's Aquarium

8/14/2024

I had intrepid plans for my upcoming in-office days. Beyond a pantry clearout of ancient tea bags, my newly acquired neon bike helmet and cycling gloves from MEC would venture downtown with me.

Squeezing in a trip to Koreatown between two meetings made for the most hurried lunchtime expedition to date, especially when the route was unfamiliar and the Bike Share login process not nearly as seamless as before.

Not withstanding these obstructions - inclusive of nearly sliding off the seat and maneuvering around a lane closure at Bloor St W and St. George, I'd arrive unscathed at the doors of Hodo Kwaja in under twenty minutes. The bike would be parked at the northeast corner of Bloor St W and Euclid, any otherwise empty station during lunchtime.

My picks of the day would include a standalone Brown Sugar Pancake (Hoddeok) and 6-piece set of assorted Walnut Cakes (Hodo Kwaja) for my coworker, followed by a 5-pack and 30-pack of the traditional treats respectively for myself. These items were bestowed upon me using my own sturdy reusable containers. The initiative delighted the ever-amicable lady behind the cashier, for it not only lessened her workload (box folding, etc.) but further demonstrated a sustainable approach as a consumer. Neither fell within my core objectives, for my priority was to ensure safe packaging for transit and eliminate the need to transfer greasy items out of their paper and Styrofoam packaging once back home.

In addition to my usual selection, I also inquired about iced coffee - reasonably so, given the weather conditions and activity levels of the day. The cups were priced based on size: 10 oz for $1.75 or 12 oz $1.95. With some degree of uncertainty, I retrieved my tumbler for the request, noting its capacity of just over 1 cup / 250 ml.
The lady offered to rinse the tumbler, which had previously held this morning's cold brew. Next, she filled it to the presumed 10 oz mark, adding ice, milk, and sugar with my confirmation. "There's still some room - would you like more ice? More coffee?" she offered with a big smile, "I can fill up with coffee if you'd like - it's cold! I'll only charge you for the 10 oz." It was as if she had read my mind regarding temperature qualms.

The stopover was incredibly brief and efficient. Within minutes, I crossed over to P.A.T. Supermarket, where a second Bike Share station could be found. Located at the southwest corner of Bloor St W and Manning Ave, this station offered a greater number of bikes, with nearly all positioned under the shade. This feature was worth noting, as well-illuminated areas generally equate to scorching seats.

My return was made in under thirteen minutes, for most of the route was downhill. Midtown-downtown cycling connections were surprisingly good, with plenty of one-way residential streets surrounding K-Town, uni-directional cycle tracks on Harbord Street, narrow-but-functional cycle tracks on College, and a seamless connection at the southwest corner of College and University. Contrasting against the horrifically narrow segments surrounding the University of Toronto St. George campus, the southbound segment along University was extremely wide. Fresh asphalt had been laid not long ago, along with pavement markings, tactile strips around bus stops, and two-stage crosswalks/concrete barriers to delineate between pedestrian, cyclist, and vehicular traffic.

The Hodo Kwaja haul was unveiled upon returning to the office. While logging into my second meeting of the day, the containers were arranged on my table, ready for sampling. Surprisingly delicious was the iced coffee. In spite of having asked for both milk and sugar, the concoction wasn't noticeably sweet. The formula had kept well for the speedy ride back, supplying a much-needed dose of afternoon caffeine without any spillage whatsoever - the container was pristine!

Back-to-back office days had been planned to align with my browsing partner's return to the GTA. The plan had been to undertake yet another cycling journey for mid-day exploration and evening sustenance acquisition. Alas, my coworker had informed that her subscription had concluded, and that she'd no longer be renewing for another year. With this in mind, I resorted to the only other option: My own Bike Share membership.

A corporate discount for classic bike trips under 30 minutes would set me back just slightly more than monthly fees at LA. Though, I'd likely be restricted to effective use of the service for half the year, given that Ontario spends the other half in snow, ice, and subzero conditions. Nevertheless, I'm eager to explore the city beyond the walkable 1.5 km radius.

In light of increased humidity and hotter temperatures though, I could not venture as far as I would have liked.

U of T grounds had posed the additional challenge of locating empty docks. While I passed a station on the north side of College not far away, the one located at the southwest corner of College and Huron had assumed the ultimate destination for the outbound trip. Panic overcame me as I neared the array of bikes; should there be no empty docks, I may have had to continue pedalling. Of the two available docks, one was malfunctioning. Thankfully, the last readily accepted my bike.

I settled for a brief tour through the TPL's Lillian H. Smith branch. The building appeared grand from its exterior, though was, in reality, a very narrow structure that maximized its space across six floors: four at- and above grade levels to support book storage, working areas, and specialized collections and two basement floors, likely to serve as workshop areas.

While in possession is a Toronto Library Card of my own, I perused the floors without spotting much of interest, thus departed soon after.

Terima's Taro Latte had caught my attention previously, but had now been swapped out of rotation for a Coconut Chocolate Frappé instead. In learning that both the Taro Latte and Coconut Chocolate Frappe were constructed sheerly from synthetic flavour powders, I was, admittedly, quite disappointed. Not even bothering with coconut milk or chocolate syrup was an outrage!

Nevertheless, I would continue with my frappé order. Two members of staff were posed behind the counter: One eagerly greeting and tending to customers, while the other utterly unmotivated and indifferent. The latter appeared to be being trained by the more experienced employee, albeit responding to the evidently unfair distribution of duties with little to no remorse.
While one busily prepared the drinks, clarified orders, and provided guidance, the inept one had failed to fulfill even the most fundamental of cashier responsibilities. She had entered my order into the system, then reset the transaction page before I could request an e-receipt. Her response to a receipt request was simply that she had "already cancelled it". In asking the more experienced employee, she handed a printed receipt towards me instead, depicting her reluctance towards learning how to operate the email function. The printed slip was the wrong receipt, and not the one associated with my order at all.

Due to these trivial delays, the barista's actions were hindered. She worked quickly, ultimately spilling the beverage and sliding a sticky tumbler my way. Suffice to say, I was not pleased.

The return trip had initially been planned for Wellington, Simcoe, then University. Again, due to surging humidity levels, I ultimately resorted to cutting the trip short and rounding east on Adelaide back to University. Along the way, I discovered the nuisance of parked cars in the cycle track, yet simultaneously encountered the courtesy of off-peak drivers. A handful saw my hesitation and allowed me to pass before making a left turn, consequently becoming the recipient of incessant honking from those less patient behind them.

The northbound stretch along University was severely sweltering. At the very least, I did appreciate the new separated pathways for pedestrians and cyclists north of Queen Street. The addition was likely the closest the city had ever come to improving walkability. By imitating trails in Vancouver, the scene conjured a knowing smile from yours truly, whereupon rendering Ontario Line construction to appear much more bearable.

My lunch trip had been incredibly compact, perhaps approximating just over twenty-five minutes. The first leg of my trip had not been recorded due to my forgetfulness; the library stopover had seen a pause in activity without terminating data collection.
In spite of the short duration, I returned to the office perspiring profusely. Rather than physical fatigue, I had been engulfed by humidity- and heat-induced exhaustion.

Later on, I indulged in a toasted - and slightly burnt - Hot Dog Bun from Akko and the horribly icy, coconut-less frappé from Terima. The café had not impressed one bit with their products nor service this time around.

Come evening, I confirmed once more the scarcity of bikes following the afternoon rush hour. Although there was absolutely no shortage of bikes in the downtown core during the early afternoon hours, different circumstances would arise once office workers departed the area. One would need to plan accordingly if commuting using Bike Share facilities.

I opted to forego my initial plan of cycling to Chinatown for supper, for the heat levels were simply too treacherous.

A slow trek towards Union enabled a stopover at Rudy, the smash burger destination I had been keen to revisit since my first encounter eight years ago.

The eatery now operated exclusively from an order window. The former seating area was now blocked by boxes and the front door serving to provide access for staff, inventory deliveries, and delivery drivers with large pickup orders. There was neither shade nor seating outside the establishment. Under the blazing sun, I would review the updated menu and relay my order to the man within.

Prices had seen a notable increase, of course. I would inquire of options containing drinks and sides, for combos were not listed on the menu. The cashier confirmed that combos could be requested for any burger and any side, then recommended the Pickle Chips in response to my curiosity.
Order placement would occur at around 5:30 PM, at which point I had been promised a 6-7 minute wait time. During this period, I observed several other office workers hover about the area, most in anticipation of having their name called. On the other side of Duncan Street were delivery drivers, perched near their e-bikes and squatting in the shade. Similar scenery had been witnessed on the outskirts of Chinatown, outside the Tim Hortons at Dundas and Spadina.

At 5:46 PM, a lady slowly wrapped my order and slid it into a white paper bag. She then approached me to confirm my choice of soft drink. In the midst of retrieving a paper bag with handle for my carrying ease, "iced tea" had somehow transformed to ginger ale. At long last, I'd continue towards Union with my whopping $20.59 plus tax order in tow.

Routing through familiar territory, I chanced across a complimentary Movies in the Park session at David Pecaut Square, hosted by the local BIA.

Upon reaching Union Station, I was again met with commuter chaos. The warmer months were especially tragic, for concert-goers and tourist had further amplified the volumes inside and outside the transit station. When I finally found my way into the York Concourse, I was flabbergasted by the sheer number of guests queuing for food.

Luckily, I managed to snag the last Chicken Salad and one of many BBQ Bulgogi Burgers at Kibo. Their 30% off end-of-day sale remains the most affordable option for delicious, well-rounded sustenance.

Amongst the concourse's newcomers were Egg Club, Venezolano, and Sugar Daddy donuts. Most of these stalls were spotted to offer competitive prices, making them relatively affordable compared to similar establishments in the vicinity.

Meandering through the Bay Streeter and luggage-dragging airport-goers, I crossed the York St overpass towards the UP Express terminal. My browsing partner would be commuting directly from Pearson to join me in after-work activities. For the sake of saving time, I'd volunteer supper.
Upon arrival, I'd take hostage of one of the many vacant tables at Balzac's. There, I'd unveil the entire spread.

While I halved Kibo's BBQ Bulgogi Burger with two wooden spoons, my browsing partner took hold of the Baby Crudy. Between my slicing struggles and expressing distaste for lack of sharing, I had forgotten to capture images of my Kibo items. The salad was remarkably tasty, with fresh, crunchy greens, lightly seasoned chicken breast strips, cabbage for crunch, and a honey mustard dressing for sweet tang. Extremely juicy and flavourful was the BBQ Bulgogi Burger. Despite the somewhat soggy bun, the patty was of a sizable portion and supported by standard burger components of lettuce and cheese for the ultimate Korean-North American fusion feature.

In stark contrast was the Baby Crudy, which shocked me with its horrifying greasiness, thin patty, and meager quantity of fillings. The bun was, frankly, better than Kibo, however no further positive commentary could be extended with regard to its sickening oiliness. Rudy was the presumed image of overpriced Toronto hangover food, and nowhere near the smash burger I had expected.
Originally, I had been slightly annoyed at my browsing partner's inconsiderate huge bites. Due to its unthinkable greasiness though, I was ultimately unable to stomach more than a bite and half, pushing the checkered parcel back across the table.

The Pickle Chips were crunchier than they were crisp, likely due to a batter comprising of a greater proportion of starch than flour. Neither excessively acidic nor oily, a definitive review could not be conjured. The slices were passable at best, and hardly worthy of their $9.99 price tag. With that said, the Baby Crudy combo was even less deserving of their steep cost. Now even pricier with a 39% markup, Rudy has been officially blacklisted.
The journey commences for an alternative smash burger destination.

We took to a Desert Pair Sparkling Lemonade before departing the terminal, for it was with some degree of guilt that we resided at Balzac's seating area without making a purchase. Service was exceptionally friendly, though the beverage itself merely attained visual appeal without complexity. Too carbonated and too cloying, I handed it off to my browsing partner after a few sips.

At long last, we'd assemble our belongings and begin the trek to Ripley's Aquarium.

The highlight of the evening had been noted by my browsing partner as a destination of interest, prompting me to muster ticketing skills for a TPL pass. After several weeks of monitoring the site, I finally succeeded in reserving a pass. It would be the second successful booking since my short-lived lunch walk through the Textile Museum of Canada.

Given the scale of the attraction, physical tickets were still required for entry. Both the reservation confirmation and physical library card would be verified at the counter before being assigned tickets on-site. Two Adult "Any Time" tickets would have set us back $46 per person, totalling $103.96 after tax for a party of two.

Our entry would be complimentary in this case, though I requested bag check for my backpack, laptop, and multiple containers from work. Contrary to admission fees, coat check prices were quite reasonable, ranging from three to five dollars. The Large Bags category did not impose a size restriction, nor would it limit the number of bags. Five dollars earned me peace of exploration for the duration of our visit.

My last visit had been over eight years ago, and I struggled to recall details from the trip.

Save the addition of kid-friendly attractions and a green screen photobooth area, I found few variations in my vague recollections of the rooms, passages, and installations.

The conveyor belt-affixed underwater tunnel was arguably the most alluring aspect of the exhibit.

Although this installation is relatively rare in Canada, it is not uncommon in East Asia. Even COEX Mall in South Korea had boasted a substantial aquarium in the early 2000s.

View the full album HERE !

While my browsing partner took interest in reading the info boards positioned throughout, I was more keen on observing interesting species and capturing their demeanours.