What a breathtaking weekend! The INTERNeX group set off on one of the best trips of the year on Friday. We went to the Rocky Mountains. Together with Moose bus adventures we created a Rockies trip individually planned for INTERNeX and it was just incredibly cool!
On Friday we hit the road. There was a long bus trip ahead, but everybody was super motivated and was ready for the trip. Mike was our driver and guide and brought a bit of atmosphere into the group. After everything was stowed away in our bus, we were ready to go and set off!
We spent our first night in Kelowna, but already on the way there we stopped at many exciting and beautiful places like the Bridal Veil Falls in Rosedale. Then we made our way to Kawkawa Lake, when we arrived there, we all jumped into the water and then we had a brilliant idea…why not make a challenge out of it. The challenge was to swim in every lake we visited! I took this challenge very seriously during the trip (I was the only one who really swam in every lake) because Mike (guide) and I came up with the idea, but the others also enjoyed the idea even if they didn’t swim in every lake.
Hope, a small city east of Vancouver, is known for his wooden figures and we happened to witness the famous competition where the candidates carved wooden figures with a chainsaw.
On the way to Kelowna we also visited the Othello tunnels, which also belong to one of the most famous sights and fo
r reason. Unbelievable that these tunnels were created only with dynamite and manual work.
Arrived in Kelowna it was time to check into the hostel and everyone could hardly wait for dinner. Even though it was very windy at the beach in Kelowna we decided to eat pizza and enjoy the view of the water. For me it meant swimming in the water again! The challenge must go on!
Some of us, despite the fact that it was a long and exhausting trip, went for a drink in the evening, which led to the fact that the next morning it was nice and quiet in the bus 😛
Now it was time for us to head to Banff and on 
the way there Mike showed us many breathtaking places. We stopped at Kalamalka lake and then we went to a lake that really took my breath away. Emerald Lake, a glacial lake that looks like it’s photo-shopped. Small glacial minerals make the water look turquoise. Due to the fact that the lake consists of glacial water it has a water temperature of only a few degrees Celsius. This didn’t stop Mike and me from jumping from the bridge into the ice-cold water. We were a little attraction, and no one could believe that there are actually two crazy people jumping into such cold water, some of the tourists even walked around in winter jackets. Nevertheless, we jumped, and I think my heart stopped beating for a moment, but I’ve never felt so good about anything. A unique experience that I will be talking about for a long time to come.
After we arrived in Banff, we spent a relaxed evening together.
On Sunday we had a pretty early start into the day, because we had a lot ahead of us. We started with a small hike to the waterfalls in Johnston Canyon. Arriving at the upper waterfalls Mike did a little meditation with us which made us appreciate what we have. After that we went to Lake Louise, where almost everybody took part in the lake challenge and to top it off, we all went to Lake Moraine and jumped into the water. We asked the staff of the canoe rental what the water temperature of the lake was, and it was 6°C, yes you read correctly, 6°C. It was very cold, but I am proud that all of us have made it. Both Emerald lake, Lake Louise and Lake moraine look as if someone had coloured the lake blue, I’ve never seen anything like it in my life, unbelievable! In the evening we went to the Banff Hot pools, which were a good change after the cold lakes.
The trip was nearing its end and yesterday we made our way back to Vancouver. A short stop at the Natural Bridge made the trip complete and we made it back to Vancouver safely.
The trip was simply breathtaking and unique!
Hope you have a great week and to see you at tomorrow’s PUB NiGHT at the Yale Saloon!
-Lilly
INTERNeX International Exchange
International Village,
Suite 2077, 2079 – 88 West Pender Street
Vancouver, Canada -V6B 6N9-
Web: http://www.internexcanada.com
Email: pr@internexcanada.com
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.
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.
INTERNeX Canada 