Unsettled night but managed to get enough sleep I think as don’t feel too bad this morning.  It’s 0645 and we are just heading into Vadso, small place but there’s cars and movement even at this hour.

Dock at 0900 in Kirkenes and then we take our dog sled ride.  Hope it’s great.  But breakfast first at 0730.

Off at 0915 to the buses to take us to the dog sledding located about fifteen minutes from the dock.  Pleasant trip, the coach driver was excellent in such trying conditions.  What a great day for dog sledding the sun was out and the sky as clear.  Kel and I were in group 1 and Pauline and David were in group 3.  We had the last dog sled team and our driver was David, who was most informative and spoke excellent English. He was from Slovakia and had been working there for around two years and loved it.

The dog sledding was fantastic, such a buzz.  We had one of the fastest dog teams and it showed, they loved running.  So glad that we did it.  We also got to see the Ice/Snow Hotel which has 26 rooms, which are all different and had marvellous ice/snow carvings in them.  Got lots of pictures of the room and the reception area.  From what the guide Mark said the rooms are around $350 per night and the temperature is a steady -4 degrees at all times.  He told us that they use artificial snow for the main two foot of the snow carvings and the hotel is rebuilt each year.  What a job.  It takes 320 solid blocks of ice also.

We also visited the reindeers and huskies in their compounds.

Today was a pinnacle day and it was certainly worthwhile doing.  Loved it and has made the trip much more interesting