2013 Montréal Take Over, Schwag, Final Words and Thank You

The day of departure. These are the days when you wake up and ask yourself "what did I just go through?". This question is usually reserved to reflect on the trip you just finished while it is still in your memory fresh. In one way its meant to help the visitor have a better understanding why they came in the first place. In all my visits, Montreal has to be the most familiar place I have been to without never being there. The cars, the city, and even the local people and establishments seem to have a certain familiarity from where I am from.

This trip came about unexpected and was a "on-the-spot" moment that I normally don't do. I also relearned one of the core lessons about Metal Festival Rules (buying the Metal Fest ticket in advance instead of waiting until the last minute). I hope what you see here is something to be learned but most important, should something happen in your trip, you can always improvise.

As I packed my bags in my hostel and departed for the 747 Express Bus Stop, the long ride allowed me to view Montreal one more time. When I got to the airport, the US Customs folks were on the Canadian side waiting to check if I was bringing back anything I shouldn't, making my trip even more convenient as once I arrived to America, all I had to do was grab my checked luggage and head off home.

2013 Montréal Take Over, Day 5

The last full day of my visit and the (almost) primary reason for coming to Montreal, the Wings of Metal Market Event. This day, like the entire trip, had its ups and downs, as well as many more surprise discoveries.

The day was incredibly clear and crisp, and this was a good way to start the day.

2013 Montréal Take Over, Day 4

The chill day. This is the day that I have come to appreciate in my trips as this is the day that it is all about taking it easy and just let things "float".

This day started out with what I call "Partially Gelatinated Non-Dairy Gum-Based Beverages" of doughnuts, aka Tim Hortons. In my neck of the woods, we only have Dunkin Donuts (and at one time, many Krispy Kreme's, until the day of the Miami-fast-food-exclusivity-due-to-local-consumers-being-afraid-to-try-something-different massacre happened, leaving only 3 locations beyond my convenient reach, fuck you Miami.). On this day, a stereotype was going to unfold as true.

2013 Montréal Take Over, Day 3

In all my travels, I have found Montreal to be one of the most convenient cities to get around thanks to its Metro (subway system). It's always a challenge to get around a city when visiting for the first time, and the worst part is that one mistake can throw things into a disarray (like my 2nd day with the whole bus debacle). After recalibrating my senses and itinerary, I took the Metro to the next chapter of my journey, the Biodome (don't think this is going to be a reenactment of the film of the same name).

2013 Montréal Take Over, Day 2

Day 2, and my first full day in Montréal. Waking up in a city never before visited has a tendency to throw someone off as the unexpected of what lays ahead gives a person plenty of surprises, but for some reason, this city feels like I have been here before, considering the architecture of the buildings, the roads, the cars, even the people for that matter. This was very weird.

The first part of the day was all about visiting a museum that packed a "bite" of an exhibit, but before getting there, a unusual vehicle was awaiting some passengers to take from dry to wet in 2 shakes of a second. Unfortunately, couldn't get on as it would have taken precious time away from today's planned adventure (something else came along that did that, more on it later).

2013 Montréal Take Over, Day 1

The day of departure. Rainy as usual. For some reason, the last couple of years my city has seen a lot of rainy days during the summer season. I hate to be a superstitious person, but when I stepped outside and the weather was looking "bleh", this should have been an omen from the Metal Gods telling me this trip was going to have its moments. Unfortunately, it was... more on this later.