Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada was named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, fourth daughter of Queen Victoria. The lake and its backdrop, the Victoria Glacier at the foot of snowcapped Mount Victoria, is the most photographed scene in the Canadian Rockies. It freezes completely in the winter months and thaws during the summer, revealing a deeply enchanting emerald color. It is surrounded by mountains, glaciers, trees and the stately Chateau Lake Louise, an imposing luxury hotel, which first opened its doors in 1890. It sits on the banks of the breathtaking lake with the majestic Rocky Mountains providing an astounding backdrop.
On our drive to the hotel, we happened by several parked cars by the roadside. A cluster of people gathered around a patch of prairie clearly keeping vigil over something we couldn’t see from the car. Ever the usiseros that we are, we stopped and jumped out. And to our surprise it was a pack of bears they were gawking at: one mama bear and two cubs some hundred yards away. To be standing still and in complete silence, being privy to bears in the wild as they go about their business, is an incredibly moving experience. There is this primal feeling that is stirred up inside of you as you marvel at these fierce creatures of nature roaming freely in their habitat.
We stayed in Lake Louise for two days, the highlight of which was our four-kilometer-trek on the fringes of the frozen lake. The solitude, the quiet—hearing only bird calls and occasional gusts of wind—was a radical departure for us, city folk. We, of the Manila mall culture, were astounded by this intimate encounter with nature--the outdoors under the open skies.
On our drive to the hotel, we happened by several parked cars by the roadside. A cluster of people gathered around a patch of prairie clearly keeping vigil over something we couldn’t see from the car. Ever the usiseros that we are, we stopped and jumped out. And to our surprise it was a pack of bears they were gawking at: one mama bear and two cubs some hundred yards away. To be standing still and in complete silence, being privy to bears in the wild as they go about their business, is an incredibly moving experience. There is this primal feeling that is stirred up inside of you as you marvel at these fierce creatures of nature roaming freely in their habitat.
We stayed in Lake Louise for two days, the highlight of which was our four-kilometer-trek on the fringes of the frozen lake. The solitude, the quiet—hearing only bird calls and occasional gusts of wind—was a radical departure for us, city folk. We, of the Manila mall culture, were astounded by this intimate encounter with nature--the outdoors under the open skies.
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