Hi everyone! Greetings from Los Glaciares! The Martial Glacier in Ushuaia may have been "an unimpressive patch snow" but what we have seen here in Parque National de los Glaciares has been utterly mindblowing. Originating from the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, the centuries have turned these glaciers wonderful shades of blue, ranging from turqouise to navy, as the snow has been compacted on its journey down through the Andean mountains. On arrival in El Calafate, we signed up for a couple of full day trips to visit the main glaciers of the national park. The first of these was to Perito Moreno Glacier, the most popular excursion, and having done it, we could see why. Perito Moreno is one of the few glaciers on the planet that is not receding, advancing approximately 20m each winter, and shedding an equivalent amount each summer. Being there at the end of the summer, we were lucky enough to see huge chunks of its blue ice break free - an awesome sensory experience. It began with a soft creaking, progressing to a thunderous rumble; At which point our eyes darted along the glacier, hunting the section about to tumble; Once located, we witnessed it crash Down into the icy waters with an almighty splash! (how poetic!!!) Our tour was organised by Hostelling International, and our friend Nadine from the Ushuaia hostel was also booked onto it. Amazingly, we also bumped into Brian and Susan (ex Ushuaia) whilst enjoying the spectacle from one of the viewpoints. As part of the tour, we explored the balconies overlooking the glacier, were taken on a short hike down to the shores of the milky blue glacial lake, and went on a boat trip right up to and along the face of the glacier. The guide was excellent, providing an informative explanation of the geology of the area, which added to our overall appreciation of this natural wonder. The other excursion we went on was a 10 hour boat trip taking us to (amongst others) the Spegazzini Glacier, at 135m high, the tallest in the park, and the Upsala Glacier, the largest in the park, covering an area of 595km2. On our journey, we cruised past hundreds of icebergs, provoking several "Titanic" quotes, most notably "Oiceberg......dead ahead!!!" - managed to miss them all though! It was a thoroughly enjoyable day, not only thanks to the wonders of Mother Nature, but also thanks to a most entertaining crew on board and befriending Stephanie, another English girl travelling on her own. Whilst El Calafate was a fantastic town for organised tours to the glaciers, the village of El Chalten, four hours north via a bumpy gravel track, was the ideal place to base ourselves to go walking in the National Park, thanks to its wealth of hiking trails and spectacular mountain scenery. Our plans to head out to the mountains the moment we arrived in El Chalten were foiled due to lashing rain and howling winds. Having run into Stephanie again on the bus, we spent the afternoon together camped out at her hostel right next to the bus station until the storm passed, not keen to brave the elements and walk to ours. The next day, the weather had brightened up so we decided to hike the first part of the Fitz Roy trail to Lago Capri. This was a wonderful place to stop for our picnic lunch (and compose our Ushuaia postcard) and afforded us stunning views of the Fitz Roy moutain range. 20kms later, we returned to the hostel exhausted, but elated. We were grateful for the chance to rest the following day when the rain clouds reappeared - a perfect opportunity for chilling and further trip planning. Fully recovered and eager for more, we spent our last day in El Chalten hiking the mountain trail to Laguna Torre and Glaciar Grande. While taking a well earned rest half way up the trail, our Ushuaia past caught up with us yet again. Richard, another Cruz del Sur inmate stumbled across us (not literally!) and accompanied us to the trail end, before heading on another more strenuous trek, while we ambled back to El Chalten - 22kms is enough for us in one day! The best route onwards from El Chalten had been the subject of much discussion. Our original plan was to cross the Andes and head up to the Lake District via Chile - this would involve bus, boat, horse and potentially tractor transportation. The most common route is to continue north along the bumpy gravel track that is Ruta 40 for 24 hours. The cheapest method is a 40 hour bus trip containing several changes of bus. The fastest way is to take a two hour flight. So what did we choose??? What type of girls do you think we are - original, common, cheap or fast??? Answers on a postcard....or even better, leave them on our message board (keep it clean if you can!). Correct answer and our favourite response will be announced in the next postcard! Hope you are all well and have had a good Easter break! love, Zena & Kirstie