Hi everyone! Here it is..the moment you have all been waiting for...we are in the very south of Argentina and have been experiencing temperatures colder than yours back home! We took a 4 hour flight more than 3000km south of Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, the southern-most city in the world. Our good fortune with the weather came with us and, despite predictions of rain for our whole stay, it remained dry until the day we left. Obviously we had no idea this would be the case when we arrived, so the moment we got to the hostel, we headed straight out to make the most of the fact it wasn't raining! Being used to more tropical climes, the cold and wind came as a bit of a shock to the system and we were wrong in thinking just one jumper and coat would be enough to keep us warm! Adamant not to make the same mistake again, the following day we wrapped up in almost the entire contents of our backpacks (or so it seemed!) and set off up the mountain behind Ushuaia to the Martial Glacier. It was still cold, but the previous day's winds had died down, the sun was out and we soon began peeling off the layers! At one point, we found ourselves carrying five fleeces of various sizes and colours between us, while still wearing both short and long sleeved T-shirts and weatherproof jackets! Better to be safe than sorry...and we were glad of them all when wandering around at snow level. The glacier itself wasn't much more than a patch of snow and not that impressive...what was impressive, however, was the wonderful view down the valley to the town and Beagle Channel below. We experienced more amazing scenery the next day as we hiked the coastal path in the Tierra del Fuego National Park. Every corner we turned delighted us with astounding views over snow-capped mountains and crystal-clear waters of deserted bays surrounded by lush green forests...and what's more, all under a clear blue sky...(ahhh....)...still cold though!!! Having enjoyed views of the Beagle Channel from the Martial Glacier and the National Park, what remained was a boat trip on it. We booked onto a 6 hour cruise along the Channel which took us to both a sea-lion and penguin colony. We found ourselves on the same boat as Frank, a German guy from our hostel and had great fun together. He was fascinated to find two English girls who not only spoke a wealth of European languages but who could also apparently converse with the local fauna...by the end of the trip he too had mastered the sea-lion and penguin dialects and joined in the animated conversations! Our student was so keen that he was heard and seen talking the talk and walking the walk in the hostel that evening, even teaching his new-found skills to others!!! In addition to the fabulous scenery and wildlife we experienced in Ushuaia, the Cruz del Sur hostel was itself a major highlight. Run by an Italian, an experienced traveller, it was undoubtedly the friendliest place we have stayed in so far. There was a great crowd of people staying there at the same time as us and every evening was spent gathered round the large dining table sharing food, wine and stories - a fantastic way to end each day. The rain finally came the day we departed, but we nevertheless spent a pleasant morning visiting the local museum with Nadine and then had lunch and shared a taxi to the airport with Brian and Susan (all new friends from the hostel). We were all heading to El Calafate to visit Los Glaciares National Park and made plans to meet up...more on our adventures there in the next postcard! Hope all is well with you. Happy Easter! love Kirstie & Zena