Bienvenidos de Bariloche

Well we made it! Almost got stuck in a stop over called Neuquen. We didn't know there was a stop over, so we got off the plane. As we waited for our luggage, a gentleman came into the area and asked who was going to Bariloche. When we replied, he said we weren't supposed to leave the plane. Well, we got back on after putting our hand bags through the X-ray machines (they require exiting passengers to do that in Argentina).

But we're here now. We're staying at the Panamericano which is rated a 5-star hotel, but it's not quite a 5-star by our standards. The room is nice, but not top rated. The view, however, is spectacular. We're overlooking the lake! My first impression is it looks like Lake Tahoe. The lake is surrounded by snow-covered mountains. There's an island in the middle.

Tomorrow is Christmas Day, so we say Feliz Navidad from San Carlos de Bariloche. We're thinking of taking a tour of Trounador tomorrow (the black glacier). I'll certainly write about any day tours we take. One of the receptionists recommended Cerro Campanario; it has great views of the area.