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-
Web: http://www.internexcanada.com
Email: pr@internexcanada.com

The Rocky Mountains 2019- Are you ready?

Tomorrow is the day! The day that many of us have been waiting for; we will finally leave to the Rocky Mountains. So pack your bags, rest when you still can and get ready for a trip you are never going to forget.

To make sure you don’t miss the ride I would recommend on being in the right place on the right time tomorrow morning. And where would this be? The buss leaves at 7am from 999 Canada place. Do not be late and remember to check how to get to the meeting point at that hour. Sky trains might not be operating that early.

I’ve been getting questions about whether there is Wi-Fi at the cabins, if we need to bring towels or hairdryers etc. I will answer these questions right now. According to the information given from West Trek there will be Wi-Fi at the hotels but not at the Mountain Cabins . The hotels and the Mountain Cabins will both have towels, so no need to bring that. Unless you want to.  The hotels have hairdryers and Cabins won’t. Hotels have shampoos and other stuff, but again, the Mountain Cabins probably won’t. I would bring my own showering stuff. There will be plenty of space in the buss for our luggages so don’t worry about having too big of a backpack.

And again, remember to bring enough warm clothes, two pieces of ID and cash for the optional activities (if you wish to do any). You can find a specified schedule from the Facebook event page. Read also the previous blog posts about the Rockies trip, in case you haven’t done that yet.

See ya guys tomorrow morning!

-Jasmin xx

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

Rockies Review – Part 1

Starting the week on a Wednesday sounds pretty cool, right? Well, wait till I tell you about my weekend, because that was even cooler than just having a three working-day week.

On Saturday morning, I met 27 of you guys for our four-day trip to the Rocky Mountains. 6.45am seems pretty early, but the time that was lying ahead of us was worth the hustle of getting up so early. The bus took off at 7.30am and our adventure started. We got to know our West Trek tour-guide Hayley and bus-driver Lucien, who made this entire trip so much fun! Thank you to the two of you.

Our first stop was Hope, where we had some fun times at the playground and could just walk around the picturesque village. Aboard the coach again, we played some games, listened to music and started to get to know each other better. We had lunch in Kamloops and made a short stop at the Spahats Falls. And so, after a 9-hour drive in the bus, we finally arrived at our first night’s stay in Valemount. The evening activity there: Hockey in the Rockies. Teamed up and ready to win, both the “Pride Dragons” and “Tigers” chased the ball to score some goals.

While some of you were still playing, I settled down at the bonfire and enjoyed the last hours of our first day. We had some easy conversations, listened to Hayley playing the Ukulele, sang along to ‘Riptide’ and ‘Country Roads’ and just enjoyed the view of the mountains. At around 1am I decided to get some sleep, because I knew that we had a tight and busy schedule the upcoming days.

On Sunday morning at 7.45am, it was time for us to depart from Valemount. It was a stressful morning and I was quite relieved that I did not have to sing when I boarded the coach (the West Trek rule is that the person coming late has to sing a song for the entire bus). We had our first scenic Rocky Mountains stop at Mt. Robson. It is the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies and it gave us the opportunity to have a breakfast with a view. Afterwards, we all had the chance to take beautiful pictures with this giant mountain in the background. We boarded the bus again and drove to our next stop: The Athabasca Falls. Even though we had to leave quite soon after we arrived, everyone had the chance to take a stunning picture of and/or with the falls.

But the next stop promised some more breathtaking views: Athabasca Glacier. Already on our way to the icy phenomenon, Hayley taught us about the formation of glaciers and the relation to icefields. From the distance, we could see the Columbia Icefield, which is one of the biggest accumulations of ice south of the arctic. Some of us went up the glacier in a special bus called snowcoach. Personally, I did not join. Some of you just spent the time at the foot of the Glacier with me, having lunch and hiking through the moraine.

After the “Snowcoach-Group” returned, we boarded the bus again and continued the trip to Peyto Lake. Wow, what a beautiful place! The water was turquoise blue and the view was just breathtaking. Another perfect location to take stunning pictures your friends will envy you for. 😉 After this stop, we just had one more task to fulfil: The Polar Bear Swim in Bow Lake! The bravest among us got ready to be cooler than they’ve ever been before. Of course, you’ve always been cool, guys – but I think you know what I mean. So, to visualize it: 20 crazy INTERNeX-people running into ice-cold water, screaming at the top of their lungs and cheering with the kicking-in of adrenalin. FUN! Great job to those who did it! I really enjoyed it and can only recommend doing it.

Back in the bus, we were all looking forward to making it to our accommodation for the night in Banff: a cute, beautiful little village. We spent the evening having dinner, shopping souvenirs and getting ready for our night out. And besides celebrating the great group and the new friendships we made, we also had a special anniversary that night: Henrike turned 19! Happy birthday, again. I hope you had an unforgettable night. I walked back to the hotel at around 1am, I did not want to be too tired the next day.

To not overwhelm you with everything, I will tell you about the last two days tomorrow. Make sure you don’t miss out on the blog post!

I hope to see you tonight for PuB NiGHT at the Beaver Bar.

– Elisabeth

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

Get ready for the Rocky Mountains

Over the past few weeks, there seemed nothing but one topic: The big trip to the Rocky Mountains. And now it is time to pack your bags, because the trip is approaching fast. On Saturday, 28 of us will already be sitting on the bus, filled with excitement and joy. It’s gonna be a great trip. Take me at the word!

Now follows some important information for you:
We meet on Saturday, the 4th of August, at 6.45am in front of Waterfront Station. I am aware that the first Skytrains might not bring you there on time, if that’s the case please let us know. At Waterfront station we’ll board the West Trek coach, which will take us to the Rockies, through the Rockies and back to Vancity.

Once aboard, we will make our way to Hope and later Kamloops, where we will have time for lunch. Further down the road we will stop in Revelstoke to buy some snacks for the hungry ones of you. Then, we will finally arrive at the Mountain View Cabins, where we spend the night. Here we’ll enjoy a campfire including a BBQ and s’mores. Time to enjoy nature to its fullest and get to know the entire group better.

Sunday morning, we will depart from the cabins at 8.30am. Of course, after a good breakfast that will give us strength for another long day. In Golden we will have a stopover for those who did not book the lunch buffet & Gondola at Lake Louise and need to buy lunch. We’ll drive on to Emerald Lake where you might get the chance to rent a canoe. Shortly afterwards, we are driving to Lake Louise where we will have some hours to spend. In the afternoon, we’ll pay a visit to Moraine Lake and head to Banff where we’re going to spend the night. In the evening we’ll go out to a pub – good news for the minors: We’re in Alberta, so you are also an adult now. 😉

On Monday, we’re going to see Lake Minnewanka and the Two Jack Lake (which are kind of one big lake altogether). For the bravest among us, we will make a stop at Bow Lake, where you get the chance to have a Polar Bear swim. It’s freezing cold – don’t tell me I did not warn you! It’s also time for lunch. Lunch with a view, I promise. On the way to our hotel in Valemount, we will have some more stops at Peyto Lake, the glacier, Athabasca Falls, Jasper and Mt. Robson. A lot to take in – but I bet you’ll enjoy it. In Valemount we will have dinner together and then enjoy an easy evening around a campfire.

On Tuesday, we’ll already be heading back home. We will depart early in the morning, have a stopover at Spahats Falls and Kamloops and will then be back in the Vancouver at approximately 6.15pm.

So, big plans for just four days, right? But what to bring? Here is a list of what you should NOT forget:

• Money for 3 lunches and 1 dinner, snacks and a night out in Banff
• Mosquito repellant
• Sunscreen
• ID (2 pieces)
• Towel and bathing clothes
• Hiking shoes or similar
• A good mood that lasts the entire trip

I look forward to seeing you latest Saturday at 6.45am, or for PuB NiGHT on Wednesday at the Lennox Pub!

– Elisabeth

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

Keep Portland Weird!

It’s finally time again: INTERNeX’s next monthly trip is taking place! In 2 days, we’ll all be sitting in a bus. And not only are we going away, we are going out of the country! Goodbye Canada and hello USA. Portland is our destination.

We’ll meet on Thursday, June 7th, at 6:15pm in front of the Pacific Central Station. From there, we will take the bus. A super exciting and fun 11-hours bus ride is ahead of us! The perfect time to talk to your seat neighbour, to listen to your favourite music, to read a fascinating book, to have a good night sleep, etc.

Rise and shine, it’s 6am and it’s a new day. Welcome to Portland Ladies and Gentlemen. We’ll go to the hotel directly to store our luggage (because check in is not open until 4pm). And because it’s so early and we’re all most likely starving, we’ll fill our bellies at the hotel buffet. At 10:15am, we’ll gather in front of the hotel. Time to go to downtown! A 2-hour walking tour will give us a first impression of Portland. Afterwards, you’ll have the chance to discover Portland on your own for 3 hours. At 4pm, we’ll meet up again so we all find our way back to the hotel. At last, we can check in! And now that you’re finally in your hotel room, you can rest for a while and freshen up! The next meeting time is 6pm, where we’ll gather in front of the hotel (once again). We’ll go for a delicious dinner in a restaurant. We’ll end the evening relaxed by chilling in the hotel. Games, laughs and talks included!

Good morning dear candidates! It’s for you to decide at what time you’ll enjoy breakfast. As long as you’re in front of the hotel at 10am, it’s all good. On Saturday, everyone gets to choose an activity (the choices are: the Chinese Garden, Pittock Mansion or the USS Submarine). After the activity, everyone has free time, the whole afternoon. Try to plan in some time to get snacks and drinks for the bus ride the next day. We’ll meet at 6pm at a restaurant in downtown (which will be announced at a later time). After our tasty dinner, we’ll head to another activity. It’s for you to decide whether you’d like to go roller skating or play mini golf in blacklight. After that, the 21+ people have the chance to discover Portland’s nightlife. Yay!

On Sunday, it’s time to go back to Vancouver. It’s up to you again at what time you want to eat breakfast. Check out time at the hotel is latest 11am. We will also meet at that time to go to the Greyhound station, so make sure you’re ready on time! This time, an ‘only’ 9.5-hour long bus ride is ahead of us! We arrive back at the Pacific Central Station at 10pm.

Don’t forget to bring:

• Passport (must be valid)
• $6 USD in cash to cross the border
• Your documents to re-enter Canada (work permit etc.)
• Umbrella or rain jacket (unfortunately, the weather forecast doesn’t seem great)
• Your bikini / swim shorts (there is a pool we could use)

So, Keep Portland Weird! (That’s the unofficial motto of the city, by the way) And I’ll see you tomorrow for our PuB NiGHT at The Relish or latest on Thursday at 6:15pm!

– Nadine

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