Top of the world

Not only am I standing on top of the world, I am actually swaying there. I try not to think about this fact as I peer down at the vast city of Toronto, diminished to a bird's eye view. I can also see its suburbs, the deep blue of Lake Ontario, the faraway mist over the Niagara Falls, and beyond it, faintly, the city of Rochester in the United States. Far below me, a plane zooms slowly towards the airport. Standing on the Skypod, the World's Highest Public Observation Deck at 1,465 feet, in the CN Tower – Canada's most celebrated icon – is definitely a heady experience.

At 1,815 feet the CN Tower is the world's second tallest freestanding structure on land. It was the world's tallest for 31 years, until September last year, when the Burj Dubai (a skyscraper still under construction in the UAE) overtook it in height. The narrow building is structured to be flexible and wind resistant, and the Skypod at 147 storeys, where I stand now, is said to move as much as 1.5 feet in either direction in strong winds. To demonstrate this, a fellow tourist has brought a small glass of water that he places on a ledge. We watch in fascination as the water tilts mildly from side to side.

From the moment you step into the CN Tower, it's all about height. A thrilling motion theatre ride first terrifies you out of your skin by simulating a roller coaster-like ride through a replica of an imaginary super world called the Himalamazon where a uniquely developed combination of the attributes of the Himalayas and the Amazon has been created. After almost being devoured by vicious alligators in an underground river, tumbling down 90 cliffs and careening through empty space at an incredible speed – all this so real, that you feel the wind on your face and the water splashing around your feet – you wonder how much more exciting things can get. But of course, the reality of the CN Tower is far more thrilling than a motion picture ride.

The ride to the top in itself, in glass-fronted elevators that shoot you upwards at a speed of 22 miles per hour, has been rated as the number one elevator-ride in the world.

Having looked my fill of the magnificent view from the Skypod, I ride the elevator back down to the 113th floor, where my ability to tackle heights is put to the test again. Here is the CN Tower's Glass Floor, from which you look down a dizzying 1,122 feet. Many brave spirited people jump, lie down, and dance across the floor. I stand on it for a few minutes, but my nerve fails me.

I giddily back off. The best I can do is to lie on my stomach on the surrounding carpet, and peep over the edge. Even though a staff member assures me that the solid glass is five times stronger than the required weight-bearing standard for commercial floors, and can withstand the weight of 14 large hippos, it doesn't help.

All these dizzying experiences have made me hungry, and I go in search of the CN Tower's famous revolving restaurant, '360.' Surrounded by windows, the restaurant rotates every 72 minutes, and is said to allow everyone a complete and unobstructed view of the city below.

An employee looks strangely at me, when I ask him where it is. For one thing, he says, it is a fine dining restaurant that serves over a 1,000 guests each day, and requires a reservation. And, he adds, looking pointedly at my jeans, guests are usually dressed in formal clothing. Finally, it costs over $80 per person, and the café just above the glass floor level will feed you for just $10. I smile and say thank you. I go to the café.

It's late evening now, and soon we must be heading home. It is a wonderful thing to see the sun set over a city from such a height. The buildings reflect the soft evening light and everything shimmers in an ethereal glow. Darkness creeps over the land and the lake, and soon it is just a myriad of millions of coloured lights. The world is literally spread out at my feet, and the picture will remain etched in my memory forever. After all, how often do you get to stand on top of the world?