{"id":9543,"date":"2019-12-20T10:31:08","date_gmt":"2019-12-20T17:31:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ozapato.com\/mx\/oh-canada\/"},"modified":"2019-06-20T11:05:07","modified_gmt":"2019-06-20T17:05:07","slug":"oh-canada","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ozapato.com\/mx\/oh-canada\/","title":{"rendered":"Oh, Canada."},"content":{"rendered":"
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[English below]<\/p>\n

Dejamos atr\u00e1s Everett<\/a> el pasado 28 de agosto y cruzamos la frontera a Canad\u00e1 con un sol radiante. Probablemente esta fue una de las fronteras m\u00e1s r\u00e1pidas y sencillas que cruzamos en todo nuestro viaje, \u00a1despu\u00e9s de 5 minutos en la ventanilla -y sin bajar del carro- ya est\u00e1bamos listos!<\/p>\n

Nuestra primera parada fue Vancouver. Ciudad conocida por ser considerada como una de las ciudades con mejor calidad de vida del mundo, as\u00ed como una de las m\u00e1s seguras, con una muy baja tasa de criminalidad.<\/p>\n

All\u00ed pasamos 4 d\u00edas. Tuvimos suerte con el tiempo y aprovechamos de los d\u00edas soleados para conocer el centro, caminar tranquilamente por el paseo mar\u00edtimo, Gastown, North Vancouver, comprar un spray para osos para la siguiente parte del viaje\u2026 Est\u00e1bamos estacionados en un parque muy tranquilo en la parte norte de la ciudad, pegado a un parque para perros, con lo que est\u00e1bamos bastante c\u00f3modos. Nos gust\u00f3 bastante Vancouver la verdad, nos pareci\u00f3 una ciudad con mucho que ofrecer.<\/p>\n

Tras hacer un peque\u00f1o plan para los siguientes d\u00edas, pusimos rumbo a las Monta\u00f1as Rocosas, Patrimonio Mundial de la Unesco. Cabe destacar que a pesar de que hab\u00edamos salido de Estados Unidos, los 3 meses de ESTA que hab\u00edan comenzado a contar al cruzar a Arizona no pararon por haber entrado a Canad\u00e1. No consideran salir a Canad\u00e1 o M\u00e9xico como haber salido del pa\u00eds, y el tiempo sigue corriendo. Con esto quieren evitar que la gente salga durante unas horas\/d\u00edas a los pa\u00edses vecinos y vuelva a entrar para extender su permiso.<\/p>\n

Nos encontr\u00e1bamos en plena ruta hacia las Rocosas cuando tras una breve parada en un supermercado en Kamloops, regresamos al camper y descubrimos que Tikla hab\u00eda ingerido unas 3 o 4 pastillas de ibuprofeno. Meli estaba resfriada por el fr\u00edo que estaba haciendo y a\u00fan no \u00e9ramos conscientes de que Tikla era capaz de subir al sof\u00e1 del camper. Sab\u00edamos que aquello pod\u00eda ser peligroso, y tras leer en internet lo t\u00f3xico que puede resultar para un perro ingerir media pastilla, pusimos rumbo apresuradamente hacia el veterinario m\u00e1s cercano. Por suerte reaccionamos muy r\u00e1pido y tras inducirle el v\u00f3mito con una pastilla que le metieron por el ojo (pobre Tikla) y pagar una factura estratosf\u00e9rica (era domingo y cobran caro el servicio de urgencia), est\u00e1bamos listos para continuar. Nos comentaron que el ibuprofeno es tan t\u00f3xico para las mascotas que de no habernos dado cuenta tan r\u00e1pido, podr\u00eda haberle creado da\u00f1os irreversibles e incluso la muerte a nuestra peque\u00f1a Tikla. Tendr\u00edamos que darle seguimiento a su estado en los pr\u00f3ximos d\u00edas, pero en principio hab\u00edamos tenido suerte<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Volvimos a la carreta a\u00fan con el susto en el cuerpo y manejamos hasta que llegamos al Parque Nacional de Yoho, ya dentro del \u00e1rea de lo que se consideran las Monta\u00f1as Rocosas.<\/p>\n

All\u00ed encontramos un lugar magn\u00edfico para dormir justo antes del parque, con unas vistas de un r\u00edo y unas cascadas impresionantes. El lugar era bien especial y no era sencillo encontrar un lugar para estacionarse, pero las vistas merec\u00edan la pena pasar. Nos encontr\u00e1bamos hablando con los vecinos viajeros cuando nos dimos cuenta de que Tikla no regresaba. Segu\u00eda siendo bastante joven y est\u00e1bamos tratando de ense\u00f1arla a estar suelta cerca de nosotros. Nos llevamos un buen susto (de nuevo), pero por suerte despu\u00e9s de buscarla y llamarla durante lo que pareci\u00f3 una eternidad (\u00bf10 minutos tal vez?), la peque\u00f1a apareci\u00f3 entre los \u00e1rboles unos 500m m\u00e1s all\u00e1 de donde est\u00e1bamos. \u00a1Se hab\u00eda ido a explorar monta\u00f1a abajo! Sentimos un gran alivio cuando escuchamos su cascabel entre la maleza. La idea de tener a Tikla explorando sola en una zona de osos no era precisamente tranquilizadora.<\/p>\n

Despu\u00e9s de hacer noche a las afueras del parque, al llegar a la entrada de \u00e9ste y al igual que hicimos en Estados Unidos<\/a>, compramos un pase anual (Discovery Pass<\/a>) v\u00e1lido por 12 meses que da acceso a todos los parques nacionales, \u00e1reas nacionales de conservaci\u00f3n marina y lugares de inter\u00e9s nacional hist\u00f3rico que administra Parks Canada<\/em>. Muy recomendable si se pretende visitar varios parques nacionales en Canad\u00e1.<\/p>\n

Ya en el parque, visitamos el bonito Emerald Lake. Lo cierto es que \u00edbamos algo asustados por el tema de los osos. No s\u00f3lo hab\u00eda carteles avisando del peligro, sino que la gente nos hab\u00eda insistido mucho en ser cautelosos y hacer los hikes siempre en grupo y con un spray de osos a mano. Nosotros \u00edbamos solos, con Tikla y con el spray a mano. Adem\u00e1s cuando llegamos a Emerald ya se empezaba a hacer tarde y no hab\u00eda tanta gente caminando alrededor del lago\u2026 Por suerte no tuvimos ning\u00fan susto.<\/p>\n

Dejamos atr\u00e1s la Columbia Brit\u00e1nica y cruzamos al estado de Alberta para seguir explorando las Monta\u00f1as Rocosas durante los pr\u00f3ximos siete d\u00edas.<\/p>\n

Visitamos el Lago Louise, uno de los m\u00e1s conocidos del pa\u00eds debido al incre\u00edble color de sus aguas, y es que el polvo de roca que llega hasta aqu\u00ed con el agua derretida de los glaciares, hace que este lago tenga un color \u00fanico. Llegamos al amanecer para ver el reflejo de la monta\u00f1a en el agua, y despu\u00e9s de un rico desayuno caliente, hicimos un hike de varios kil\u00f3metros subiendo por un lado de la monta\u00f1a hasta un punto alto desde donde poder disfrutar de las vistas.<\/p>\n

Pasamos tambi\u00e9n por el peque\u00f1o pero encantador pueblo de Banff, donde aprovechamos para alquilar una piragua y disfrutar de un agradable paseo por el r\u00edo. En esta ocasi\u00f3n tampoco vimos ning\u00fan oso desde la seguridad de nuestra peque\u00f1a embarcaci\u00f3n, pero s\u00ed vimos una nutria disfrutando de los \u00faltimos rayos de sol del d\u00eda.<\/p>\n

En las noches aprovechamos que como era temporada alta y los campings estaban llenos, hab\u00edan abierto un estacionamiento enorme \u201coverflow parking\u201d para viajeros en furgo\/camper\/autocaravana. No permit\u00edan gente en tiendas de campa\u00f1a porque estaba en pleno territorio de osos. Quedaba relativamente cerca de todo as\u00ed que result\u00f3 muy pr\u00e1ctico.<\/p>\n

Regresamos al veterinario, esta vez en Canmore, para hacerle unos an\u00e1lisis de sangre a Tikla y ver si hab\u00eda sufrido alg\u00fan da\u00f1o por la ingesta del ibuprofeno. Por suerte los resultados salieron negativos, nuestra peque\u00f1a peluda no tendr\u00eda ning\u00fan tipo de efectos secundarios. YES!<\/p>\n

Ya m\u00e1s tranquilos, visitamos el famoso Lago Moraine. Tratamos de despertarnos muy temprano pero hac\u00eda tanto fr\u00edo que no era f\u00e1cil en el camper. Llegamos al punto que daba acceso a la carretera del lago y nos la encontramos cerrada por los guardaparques. Sin embargo paramos para preguntarles c\u00f3mo pod\u00edamos llegar, y en cuanto Tikla sac\u00f3 su cabecita por la ventana para saludar, \u00e9stos nos explicaron que como ten\u00edamos un perro y el transporte alternativo (autob\u00fas del parque) no aceptaba mascotas, a nosotros s\u00ed nos iban a permitir pasar. De nuevo la peque\u00f1a Tikla abri\u00e9ndonos puertas \"\ud83d\ude00\"<\/p>\n

El lago nos fascin\u00f3. Curiosamente no hab\u00eda que caminar nada para llegar, el estacionamiento estaba pegado a \u00e9ste. Para cuando llegamos ya hab\u00eda en las rocas m\u00e1s de 50 personas, seg\u00fan nos comentaron hay mucha gente que llega al lago en la madrugada, para no perderse ni un segundo del amanecer.<\/p>\n

Seguimos avanzando rumbo noroeste por el Icefields Parkway<\/em>, tramo de carretera que conecta Banff y Jasper. Probablemente uno de los m\u00e1s bonitos que manejamos en el viaje. En esta ruta visitamos el Lago Peyto, donde hicimos otro peque\u00f1o hike para disfrutar de su vista, paramos un mill\u00f3n de veces para hacer fotos de los paisajes, caminamos hasta la lengua de un glaciar, vimos multitud de alces\u2026 Y finalmente llegamos a Jasper.<\/p>\n

En este peque\u00f1o pueblo en medio de las Rocosas, alucinamos con la cantidad de alces salvajes que hab\u00eda pastando tranquilamente por todas partes. Desde all\u00ed aprovechamos para visitar el cercano Lago Maligne, conocido tambi\u00e9n por toda la fauna que habita en sus alrededores.<\/p>\n

Esta parte de Canad\u00e1 nos encant\u00f3. Los paisajes que tuvimos la oportunidad de admirar nos dejaron sin palabras, sin duda se trata de un \u00e1rea muy recomendable para cualquier amante de la naturaleza. El tiempo apremiaba -c\u00f3mo no- as\u00ed que seguimos en nuestra ruta, poco a poco nos \u00edbamos acercando a Alaska.<\/p>\n

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We left Everett<\/a> on the 28th<\/sup> of August on a sunny morning as we crossed the border to Canada. This was probably one of the easiest and fastest borders we\u2019ve crossed in all our trip, after only 5 minutes by the window and without even stepping out of the car, we were ready to go!<\/span><\/p>\n

Our first stop was Vancouver. A city that\u2019s known due to the high quality of life of its inhabitants and known as well for its low criminality rates, making it one of the safest large cities in the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

We spent four days there. We had luck as to the weather and we enjoyed the sunny days to visit the city center, walk around by the shore, through Gastown, North Vancouver, we bought a bear-spray that we would need for the next part of our trip\u2026 We were parked in a very calm area in the Northern part of the city, close to a dog park so we were pretty comfortable. Truth is we liked Vancouver a lot, it seems like a city with lots to offer.
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After coming up with a plan for the next days of traveling, we headed towards the Rockies, declared World Heritage Site by the Unesco. It\u2019s important to specify that the three-month limit that we had with the ESTA and that had started when we entered the US through Arizona still applied even though we had crossed to Canada. The government doesn\u2019t consider crossing to Canada or Mexico as leaving the territory. It\u2019s a rule that allows them to prevent people from crossing the border for a few hours\/days just to renew their visa.<\/span><\/p>\n

We were in the middle of our route towards the Rockies when, after stopping to buy groceries at the supermarket in Kamloops, we went back to the camper only to realize that Tikla had swallowed about 3 or 4 ibuprofen pills. Meli was sick because of the cold and we weren\u2019t totally aware of the fact that Tikla could go up the sofa of the camper and snatch the pills on the table. We knew this could be dangerous, and after reading online how dangerous only half a pill could be for a dog her size, we went to the nearest vet as fast as we could. Luckily, we acted fast and after forcing her to vomit by introducing a pill in her eye (poor Tikla) and paying an astronomical bill (it was Sunday and the pet Emergency services aren\u2019t cheap) we were ready to move on. They told us that the ibuprofen is so toxic for dogs that if we hadn\u2019t reacted quickly, she could have suffered from irreversible damage and it could have even provoked our baby Tikla\u2019s death. We were going to have to follow up on her health later on but we had been lucky<\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

We went back on the road still a little bit scared, and we drove until we reached Yoho National Park, which is part of the area known as the Rockies.<\/span><\/p>\n

There, we found an incredible spot to camp right before the entrance to the park with impressive views of a river and waterfalls. This spot was special and it wasn\u2019t easy to find space to park, but the views were worth it. We were talking to our traveling neighbors when we realized that Tikla wasn\u2019t coming back. She was still so young and we were trying to teach her how to be off leash and stay close to us. We got scared (again) but luckily, after looking for her and calling out her name for what seemed like eternity (maybe 10 minutes?), the little one showed up in between the trees about 500 meters away from where we were. She had gone to explore the mountains down below! We were relieved when we heard her little bell between the bush. The idea of having Tikla wandering alone in a bear zone wasn\u2019t very nice.
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After sleeping outside the park, we did the same thing we did in the <\/span>United States<\/span><\/a> as soon as we reached the entrance: we bought an annual pass (<\/span>Discovery Pass<\/span><\/a>) valid for 12 months that allows access to all the national parks, national marine conservation areas and any other place of national historic interest that Parks Canada <\/i>administrates. We recommend doing the same if you plan on visiting multiple parks in Canada.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once in <\/span>the park, we visited the beautiful Emerald Lake. The truth is we were a little bit scared of the bears. There were signs everywhere announcing the risks and dangers and many people had told us to be really careful and to always do the hikes in a group and with a bear-spray on hand. We were alone, with Tikla and with our bear-spray within reach. Furthermore, when we got to Emerald Lake, it was already getting late and there weren\u2019t a lot of people walking around the lake\u2026 but luckily we didn\u2019t have any encounter with a bear.
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We left British Columbia and crossed to Alberta to continue exploring the Rockies for the next seven days.<\/span><\/p>\n

We visited Lake Louise, one of the most famous lakes of the country due to its incredible color. The dust from the rocks that comes with the glacier water from the mountains gives a unique color to the lake. We got there around dawn to see the reflection of the mountain in the water and after a warm and delicious breakfast, we did a hike going up a few kilometers on one side of the mountain to a high point from which to enjoy the views.<\/span><\/p>\n

We also went through the small but cute town of Banff where we rented a canoe to enjoy a ride through the river. We didn\u2019t see any bears neither there from our little canoe but we did see an otter enjoying the last rays of sunshine of the day.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since it was high season and all the camping sites were full, the rangers opened a parking lot known as the \u201coverflow parking\u201d for travelers in vans, campers and motorhomes. They didn\u2019t allow people in tents because the improvised camping was located in the middle of bear territory. It was relatively close to everything so it was very convenient for us.<\/span><\/p>\n

We went back to the vet, this time in Canmore, to have Tikla take a blood test to see if she had suffered any damage from digesting the ibuprofen. Luckily, the results were negative and our little puppy wouldn\u2019t have any type of secondary effect.<\/span><\/p>\n

More relaxed, we visited the famous Moraine Lake. We tried to wake up super early but it was so cold that it wasn\u2019t easy in the camper. We made it to the road that allowed people to access the lake and it was already closed by the rangers. We stopped and asked them if there was any other way we could visit the lake but as soon as Tikla popped her little head out the window, they told us we could go on because the other alternative was to take a bus and dogs weren\u2019t allowed on them. Once more, our little Tikla was opening doors for us \"\ud83d\ude00\"<\/span><\/p>\n

We were fascinated by this lake. It was right next to the parking lot and so, it wasn\u2019t necessary to walk a whole lot to enjoy the views. When we got there, there were already about 50 people on the rocks. Apparently, some people go there at dawn, to be sure they catch every little bit of the sunrise.<\/span><\/p>\n

We continued moving forward towards the Northwest through the Icefields Parkway, <\/em>the road that connects Banff and Jasper. It\u2019s probably one of the nicest roads we\u2019ve driven on our trip. We stopped to visit Peyto Lake, where we did a small hike to enjoy its breathtaking views, we stopped thousands of times to take pictures of the landscape, we walked to the foot of a glacier, we saw many many elks\u2026 and we finally made it to Jasper.<\/span><\/p>\n

In this small town in the middle of the Rockies, we hallucinated with the number of wild elks there were calmly grazing. From there, we visited Maligne lake, known for the fauna that lives in its surroundings.<\/span><\/p>\n

We loved this part of Canada. The landscapes we had the opportunity to admire left us speechless, without a doubt we would recommend this area to anyone who loves nature. Time was going by fast \u2013as always\u2013 so we continued our drive North, bit by bit we were getting closer to Alaska.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n