Picture of the week

Hi guys!

A few weekends ago I went with my girlfriend, Dieuwertje, to try out the famous ‘Grouse Grind’. Whoever I spoke to already warned me that it was going to be a tough hike, but worth it in the end. I was thinking to myself “yeah right, it cannot be that hard”.

I have to admit that it was not just an average Sunday walk. I could feel most of the muscles in my body when I finally arrived on the top, but overall it was a really nice feeling. Kinda like to conquer something.
The first thing I did when I arrived to the top was to order a double cheese burger with fries. After a serious work out like that it tasted even better 😀

If you have not tried it yet, it is a must and I can definitely recommend it.

Don’t forget to send us your picture of the week, so we can feature it in the future!

Cheers,
Mads

INTERNeX International Exchange
Suite 200-211 Columbia Street
Vancouver BC -V6A 2R5-
Web: www.internexcanada.com
Phone: +1 (604) 662 8149
Email: pr@internexcanada.com

News / fun facts

So you think you can cross Vancouver off your list as “been there done that”? I have gathered 5 things I am sure you have not done yet and might still be a lot of fun!

1. First up you can go on a tour where you get an insight into Vancouver’s darker side. Murder, prostitution, and the drug trade, it is all a part of the tour. The tour is organized by the Vancouver Police Museum’s “Sins of the City” walking tour.

2. Do you like to sing and show of your skills to people who really appreciate it? Then maybe you should try one of the many Japanese-style karaoke bar’s around Vancouver.

3. With summer knocking at the door it is time to get into that wonderful nature and experience “the real Canada”. One way is to go hike, another one is the Zipline between the mountains at Grouse Mountain. With a top speed of 80 kilometres per hour it is sure to get your adrenaline up.

4. Have you always dreamt of mastering a sword? Then you are definitely in the right place! Learn how to master sword arts such as the rapier, side sword, sword and shield, and long sword at Academie Duello.

5. It is dificult not to fall in love with Sushi while living in Vancouver, but the Japanese food and drink culture has much more to offer. Sample three different types of locally handcrafted sake at Osake on Granville Island.

There you go, a few tips for those of you, who are looking for a different Vancouver experience.

Cheers,
Your PR-team

INTERNeX International Exchange
Suite 200-211 Columbia Street
Vancouver BC -V6A 2R5-
Web: http://www.internexcanada.com
Phone: +1 (604) 662 8149
Email: pr@internexcanada.com

Winter is coming, take advance now!

Are you planning to be around for the winter? Looking to do some skien or snowboarding this winter? Than make sure you buy your winter passes now! Most Ski resorts have a early bird special, meaning if you buy your winter pass now you’ll save big bucks!

Snow rarely falls in the city, yet living in Vancouver gives you the chance to enjoy some of the best downhill and cross-country ski facilities in North America.

With mountains such as Grouse Mountain, Cypress and Mount Seymour, just outside Vancouver residents and tourists can hardly resist the urge to strap on snowboards, skis or snow shoes throughout the winter months.  Two hours north of Vancouver are the mountains Whistler and Blackcomb. The first mountain you might recognize as the host of the Olympics, Blackcomb is the neighbor mountain and since the opening of the Peak- Peak gondola it is easily accessible for all ski and snowboard fans!

Click on the following links to find out more about the ski mountains and their season passes:

Cypress Mountain

Mount Seymour

Whistler Blackcomb

Grouse Mountain

I wish I was still here when the winter starts, so I can ski one of these beautiful mountains! Be sure to get the winterpass soon most Pre-seasons sales close at Sept. 30th!

– Manouk

Grouse Mountain Hike! Part 2

Hi everyone,

Well like Laura said, the hike up Grouse mountain was brutal! But it was so worth it when you reach the top and  see the view. You appreciate it so much more because  it took so much effort getting there! But the hiking up the mountain is not all you can do at Grouse Mountain. There are lots of activities to keep you busy the entire day!

When we got to the top the first thing we did  was take pictures of the beautiful view, and to also take a much needed rest. After grabbing something to eat and sitting in the sun, we went to explore the rest of the mountain. We started walking and soon discovered that there is lots to do.

There was a Lumber Jack show, where they show you how they cut wood and how they climb trees with a band. When we arrived, the show had already started and was almost over. There was this very funny guy, pretending to be stranded on one of the big pole they use to show how to climb a tree. I won’t go in to a lot of details, you just have to go up there yourself, because it was hilarious! The show is hosted three times a day.

There was also a bird viewing show. We got to see some amazing birds up close. There was a bird that was doing it’s third show and did not want to cooperate and flew up an electricity pole. It took a lot of convincing from the trainer to get the bird down again. There was also an eagle and at the time of the show a wild eagle flew over and they started gawking at each other! It was a totally awesome show!

There is also a grizzly bear habitat. Unfortunately we did not see any grizzly bears, but there was a wild black bear walking around.  Because the black bear was walking around they closed the walking path to make sure that everyone left him alone. So we decided to take another walking route! And it was totally worth it!

Have you ever seen snow in June? And I am not talking about a little bit of leftover snow but enough snow to  make a snowman! So we did! Before starting on the hike we asked people who where coming back what they thought of the trail. They said that there was a bit of snow so we decided to walk anyway. But there was a lot more snow than we thought!  I had never seen snow in June before so that made it extra special.

At the end of the day we took the gondola back down. This was the only thing we had to buy that day. So we had an amazing day for only $5.00 (not including transport).

I really recommend everyone to go to Grouse Mountain! I had such a amazing time and I also recommend everyone hiking up the mountain. If you don’t want to hike up the mountain but would still like to enjoy a day at Grouse Mountain for $39. 95 you can go up and down the mountain with the gondola. This ticket also includes a ride on a chairlift, giving an even better view and access to all of the shows and other activities at Grouse Mountain.

For more information about Grouse Mountain, check out their website

If you want to see more pictures from our trip, click here

If you want some more information about how to get there, send us an e-mail at pr@internexcanada.com and we will help you out!

– Laura and Manouk

Grouse Mountain Hike! Part 1

All I can say is – WOW! Saturday was an amazing day! The weather was gorgeous and made it the perfect day for hiking. Five of us met up to enjoy the day and get some exercise! I’m glad we could hike it together, because I must say that having each other there for moral support was needed.

You know, when I thought about hiking Grouse Mountain, I expected it  to be a couple hours of fun and some good exercise. When we arrived at the bottom, and I looked up to see the clouds covering the top of the mountain – I knew then that it wasn’t going to be all that easy.

It was a grueling 1 hour and 40 minute walk to the top. There were markers along the trail saying “You have now reached the 1/4 mark.” When I saw that sign I wanted to cry! I was a lot more out of shape than I thought, and with Radek calling me “Grandma”, you can only imagine how unamused I was. However, those comments made me push myself hard and keep going to reach the top. I was so exhausted already but knew that the view would make it worthwhile. And did it ever.

All of Vancouver – and further – could be seen from the peak. Below, the Lionsgate bridge sparkled as the sun reflected off of hundreds of vehicle tops. Hiking Grouse is a truly amazing experience and I encourage you to hike it! I won’t say too much more so Manouk can write some of her experiences and what activities there were at the top of the mountain.

Get out there to Grouse mountain and hike the Grind! You’ll love it!

– Laura