Hello friends!!

I hope you are all well back home! Sorry to live up to the stereotype of the typical Brit and harp on with unending fascination over the weather, but this region of Argentina really does nurture that obsession. The clouds are pretty low today and they've brought the most beautiful sparkly dust that's settling on the trees and hovering a couple of meters above the lake that I'm currently over-looking whilst I write this. The sun should dissolve these snow clouds and before you know it, it's a bright blue sky and when you look back at the lake it's hard to tell where the mountains start and the lake ends. The reflection is a perfect shining mirror. It's absolutely beautiful here and all the changes in the weather just add another dimension to it.

Chris and I crossed the border from Chile a few day's ago. We took a guided tour on boats and coaches through the Andes lakes and forests to finally arrive 2,000m up a part of this mountain range, home to the ski resort of Catedral. I should mention, at this point, that friends of ours whom Chris and I had been discussing our trip with prior to leaving will know that I was most concerned about how my stomach would fare against all the different cuisines it was to be exposed to. In fact, I think Chris had even considered a sweep stake with my family on how long before I got my first runny tummy! (Ever sympathetic, huh?) Well, on our last night in Chile, a certain very proud of his invincible temple of a body Avent, came down with a bout of "food poisoning". Ayla and my Mum will be very proud of the way I was hopping on and off coaches and boats to take pictures and then tend to my poor boyfriend with sympathetic tummy rubbing, forehead temperature feeling and supplying of various drug remedies!! (I'm afraid I can't quite describe the sounds that came from that boy's digestive system! But you'll be pleased to hear, he milked it for as long as possible before admitting he was now feeling better and belching for the fun of it!)

So I hope you like the pics from our crossing. We're settling here in Catedral for a week now to do some skiing, some golf (yes, they let you play in the snow - with bright orange balls!) lots of jacuzzi and sauna relaxing and we're planning on taking a trip on the ski-mobile things (James Bond style) up to a fondue restaurant at the top of the mountain. I'm hoping it's all well lit as I don't fancy ski-mobiling my way down a dark mountain at 11pm!! I'll let you know how that one pans out!!

Thanks again for keeping in touch with us. I can't describe how great it is to share all this with you, it's like you're all here with us!

Lots and lots of love, and missing you!
Emma (and Chris) xxxxxxxxxxx