The Rockies Review – Part 2

We are back in Vancouver from our awesome weekend in the Rockies. The long weekend, which in my opinion was too short, was filled with many sights along the way. Since it was wonderful weather, we got to experience them in their full glory.

By Sunday we’ve already seen quite a bit of the Rockies, and that morning was probably the hardest for everybody to get out of bed, due to our long Saturday night. It was a sunny day in Banff, and no matter what everybody’s plans were, we had the best conditions. We had the opportunity to ride the gondola, which some of you did, and I heard it was amazing. Most of you, however, went to the hot springs and enjoyed the view. I explored downtown Banff, walked around and looked at what the stores had to offer.

 

By 1:30 we left Banff and drove to Lake Louise. The lake was completely frozen, allowing us to walk on it. Since there was still snow, it seemed like a winter wonderland.

 

 

In the evening, we arrived at the Mountain View cabins in Golden, BC. It was in the middle of nowhere and we stayed in white little cabins. As the name suggests, we had an amazing view of the mountains. The evening began with a BBQ with burgers and hot dogs. Later that night, we all gathered around the campfire, made S’mores, and our guide, Nicole, sang songs for us, while playing the guitar. The later it got, the more people went to their cabins, as it got quite cold. The next morning our hosts prepared an amazing breakfast and afterwards we headed back to Vancouver.

Overall, it was an incredible weekend with a lot of fun. I was able to get to know you guys better, which I’m happy about. I hope you enjoyed this trip as much as I did.

See you tonight at the pub night at the Beaver.

– Megan

INTERNeX International Exchange
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Suite 2077, 2079 – 88 West Pender Street
Vancouver, Canada -V6B 6N9-
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The Rockies Review – Part 1

As I am writing this blog post I am having some mixed feelings. I am sad because our trip to the Rockies is behind us. I am relieved that everything went well. I am happy because I have some time to rest now. I am also thankful for all the great memories we made during this trip. This weekend was something I am never going to forget.

I still can’t quite process how much sightseeing we managed to do during these past few days. I am not even trying to list all the places we saw since that would require a lot of space and I don’t think it would be that interesting to read. For a change I am going to tell you more about few things that were the highlights of the trip for me.

On our way to Banff we stopped at Glacier Discovery Centre. It was time to have a nice walk on a glacier. We hopped on to this vehicle called “the Ice Explorer”, which is especially designed for driving on a glacier. The weather was spoiling us as it was a sunny day and you didn’t really even need a jacket outside. We spent some time walking around the glacier, taking pics (ofcourse) and enjoying the amazing view. There was supposed to be an opportunity to get some super pure water straight from the glacier but it had been snowing so much the previous day that we didn’t find any running water. Instead we ended up collecting some snow from the glacier to our water bottles. I mean it kinda does the job, doesn’t it?

Half way through our trip we spent a night in Banff. A stunning little town surrounded by breathtaking mountains. The night in Banff was a party night for us and we sure partied like there was no tomorrow. The next day it was time to explore the town itself a bit more. Checkout from the hotel was early and our party group was feeling pretty tired after having only few hours of sleep. We made a great plan and decided to visit Banff Upper Hot Springs which was located only a 10-minute-drive away. There we spent a relaxed sunny morning in steaming hot water. The views from the pool to the Rocky Mountains were absolutely gorgeous. What else can you wish for?

As mentioned, this weekend was super eventful, and this was only a sneak peak of the whole trip. If I were to tell you every single thing about the trip, I would have to write a book. What can I say; this trip is something you really have to experience yourself. Thanks to everyone who participated. I had such a great time with you all and without you guys it wouldn’t have been this amazing!

-Jasmin xx

INTERNeX International Exchange
International Village,
Suite 2077, 2079 – 88 West Pender Street
Vancouver, Canada -V6B 6N9-
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Winter in the Rockies: Part 1

I’ve had the time of my life and I never felt like this before, yes I swear it’s the truth and I owe it all to YOU!

Time flies when you’re having fun! The Rockies trip we were so excited about has already ended… Sad. But what a great weekend we had! We knew it was going to be impressive, but the real life experience exceeded my (high) expectations. There is so much to talk about, but let’s start at the beginning…

We all met at the bus at 7am to mark the start of our adventure. It was early, but luckily the long bus ride made sure we could all catch up on some sleep. Our first stop was Hope, where we could admire wooden sculptures of bears and a beautiful rainbow. Next stop: Kamloops. Lunchtime! Back on the bus, we played the ‘Moose or Beaver’ game, where everyone had to choose whether the loony (another word for a Canadian dollar) that Erin, our fantastic tour guide, flipped would land on the loon bird or the queen. Everyone looked hilarious, but we were all in this together. Right before we arrived at the hotel in Valemount, we went to visit Rearguard Falls Provincial Park. The entire park was covered in snow, which was breathtaking. Then we checked into the hotel, had dinner at a nearby restaurant and to end this busy day of traveling, we had a little party in our room.

Saturday: 7:45AM. Time to get on the bus again! We started the day with a stop at Mount Robson. It was cold. Like, REALLY cold. But it was so worth it! We had the most beautiful view and there was not a single cloud in the sky, which is really unusual during this time of year. Then, it was time to warm up again and travel to our next stop: Jasper. Time to get some fresh air, get a coffee, get lunch, buy souvenirs and enjoy the view of the mountains.

Unfortunately, due to an avalanche, we had to take a detour and therefore we were not able to see all the things we had planned. Once we arrived at the hotel later in the evening, we wanted to get a drink and have dinner at the pub. Long story short: We did not have dinner and the only thing saving many candidates from starving was the vending machine. It was a long day, but in the end, we still had fun and we knew Sunday would make up for it!

Curious about the last two days of the trip? Come back tomorrow to read Nadine’s post!

See you all at PuB NiGHT at The Beaver Bar tonight! (Mmm, K!)

– Angy

INTERNeX International Exchange
International Village,
Suite 2077, 2079 – 88 West Pender Street
Vancouver, Canada -V6B 6N9-
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Email: pr@internexcanada.com

INTERNeX Goes Rockies Review Part 1

AAAWOOOO! What an incredible trip we had with our amazing West Trek tour guide Maddy and the rest of the party-crazy wolf pack!
Where do I begin? We just did and experienced so much! I guess we should start by breaking it down into the different days.

Day 1
Friday morning. We got up pretty early so we could meet in front of the Waterfront Station at 7am. Everyone felt like a zombie but we were raring to go! The Rockies were waiting for us!
We boarded the bus which was going to be our home for the next several days and got to meet our tour guide Maddy. Some of us had already met her on our trip to Whistler a few weeks back. She’s always full of energy and got everyone super excited quickly.

We left rainy Vancouver behind us and after a couple of hours reached the first stop in Hope. Here we bought lunch and snacks for the remainder of the day’s bus ride. We had a few more stops where we also got our hands on some alcohol for the first party of our trip.
Finally we arrived at our first day’s destination, the West Trek cabins! Everyone was quickly shown their own cabins and we then it was time for the winetasting followed by a BBQ dinner. Naturally,
we had to play some games beforehand though in order to decide which table gets to eat first. Natasja was immediately up for the task and won a hula hoop duel against a Brazilian who looks strikingly similar to Khal Drogo.

As soon as everyone was sufficiently fed, the wolf pack hurried to retrieve their drinks and Maddy turned up the music. Let’s get this party started! There were drinking games being played in every corner of the room and people dancing in the middle. It was a legendary first night!

Day 2
Once again we had to get up quite early. Had lots to do and lots of ground to cover. We weren’t even in the Rocky Mountains yet. First stop of the day: Leo H. Downey’s buffalo ranch. Leo used to be a musical artist in Los Angeles but realized it wasn’t something he really wanted to do. So he just packed what he needed and took off into the wild where he spent a long time until he found his purpose in Canada. Truly inspiring!
Next, we checked out a wolf sanctuary. I mean it was a matter of course for us. We’re a wolf pack as well after all. And when we howled they howled with us!

Moving on we finally made it to our first Rocky Mountain stop at Emerald Lake which was mine and most of the rest’s favorite lake by the way. It was very cold when I dipped my hand into it but the color of it together with the mountains in the background…it was a breathtakingly beautiful sight to behold.

Afterwards we visited Lake Louise and Lake Moraine. They were quite enchanting as well.
The day was just beginning though. Following the lake visits we went up the Banff Gondola. However, there wasn’t all too much to see due to rain.
Shortly after, we arrived at our hotel and prepared for yet another epic night. It started at this pub called Devil’s Gap, continued at the Hoodoo Lounge and ended back at the Devil’s Gap. Lots of drinking and dancing again and most importantly fun!

And that’s half time! The rest of our trip will be in our next post.

See you then!

Your PR Team
Natasja & Amiel

 

INTERNeX International Exchange – PR Coordinator
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INTERNeX goes Rockies May 2015 – Part 1

Our four-day trip to the Rocky Mountains with West Trek… this weekend was absolutely amazing! Thanks to our tour guide Papa Wolf we know a lot more about these beautiful mountains and its surroundings, we know more about bears, fun facts about villages and besides, we have many new friends.

DAY 1

On the first day we started our journey to the Rocky Mountains. We first went to Hope, which is located about two hours from Vancity. Hope is a cute little village, where the famous movie Rambo was filmed. After a short stop for some coffee and breakfast we continued our journey to Kamloops where the we, the baby wolves, could buy lunch and snacks for later that day.

Papa Wolf had prepared some games which we played on the bus. The bus was divided into two teams: Team Beavers and Team Snakes. Papa Wolf would name an object after which both teams had to find this object in our bags, pass it through all the way to the back of the bus, pass it through to the front, hand it over to Papa Wolf and make the sound of their animal team name. The team making the sound first won. Haha, imagine half a bus making a beaver sound. Quite hilarious. Besides playing games we sang – and we sang loud. Avicii – Wake me up and Grease – Summer Nights. Oh, a bus full of nightingales.

After our stop in Kamloops the bus headed to the Spahat falls, a nice little waterfall where Papa  Wolf offered to take some immature pictures. That turned out hilarious I guess, can’t wait to see all your photos.

 

After this stop we got back on the bus and drove to our first hotel in Valemount. When we were arriving there the sun was out and people were feeling good. So we sat down, drank some beers, had a pasta dinner and then we played street hockey! A campfire was built and people got to know each other better. A good way to end the first day.

DAY 2

Rise and shine early because we were about to officially enter the Rocky Mountains National Park. The first stop was Mount Robson, the highest mountain in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. The peak of this mountain is higher than the altitude at which a sky diver jumps out of their airplane, namely 3,954 meters. Also, this lovely mountain creates its own weather because of its elevation. We were told that often the mountain is surrounded by clouds, but our group was lucky to see most of “her face”, as Papa Wolf would call it.

After Mount Robson we headed to Jasper to get some lunch supplies and then drove further to the Athabasca Falls followed by the Columbia Ice fields. At the Columbia Ice Fields an optional activity was offered, which was the SnoCoach. The SnoCoach is a huge bus, specifically designed to drive on snow, which has enormous tires taking passengers all the way up to the glacier. On the glacier we had an amazing view on the surrounding mountains and the huge ice fields.

On our way back from the Glacier Papa Wolf introduced another game. Everyone on the SnoCoach had to stand up, hold the shoulders of the person in front of them and while the bus was driving up a steep slope, both teams on the bus had to try to remain standing as long as they possibly could. The team that collapsed first lost. I think to remember there was a tie!

After some people had done their jumping jacks because they said a certain word, we continued to two lakes. One of those lakes was Bow Lake; absolutely beautiful. The lake was still partly frozen and that created a very winter like landscape. JAPANESE GIRL!

After having visited these amazing hotspots we checked into our hotel and we all got sexy for our night out in Banff. Papa Wolf, all dressed up looking swish in his too tight yellow pants and suspenders, first took us to a pub located right next to the hotel. Together with baby wolves from the other bus we played an absolutely awesome drinking game after which we went to Banff’s best night club! As far as I could notice everyone was having a great time and I wondered who would make it to the next morning’s wild life loop at 8 a.m.

Want to know what happened the following two days? Tomorrow part 2 of the Rockies review will be released!

WOLFPACK 1.. 2.. 3..

AAAAAA-HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU