etna.....

alright alright it's no etna or everest but that (big?) hill in the background was our challenge for the day. anything to get the fingers and toes warmed up in chilly northern laos....

a few thousand kip lighter we bagged ourselves a barefoot guide (his choice not ours), water and the obligatory oreo or 2 for energy and off we trotted , scrambled and climbed. within minutes the sweat was dripping from every pore whilst the guide skipped ahead chuckling all the while at our lack of fitness.

an hour or so later, we reached the top and the most spectacular views of town and valley beyond....winner

dinner with whiskey ted