We are staying at Khun Sathan Homestay at 1377 meters at the National Park of the same name. Our hosts are a Hmong family who have welcomed us as honoured guests. The spreads of food that they have prepared for us are large even for calorie deficient cyclists!

We have a very rustic bungalow that is more like camping than anything else. We will have power when the generator is turned on at 6:00 PM. Hopefully the thin walls will hold off some of the remaining wild tigers and bears in the area.

I should confess that today’s climb was done in a truck rather than by our own power. Even if I am She Beast the Intrepid Hill Climber, some hills are just a bit too steep and high.

Gord has that particular sparkle in his eye that comes with certain elevations and vistas. I think I need chocolate to achieve the same level of euphoria. In the afternoon he headed up into the jungle with a mackerel hanging around his neck and calling, “Here kitty kitty.”  While he may not have had an opportunity to sink his hands into the soft belly fur of a tiger kitten, he did climb the highest peak in the area at 1728 meters.