Heading for Bariloche

Today we are heading to San Carlos de Bariloche, or Bariloche for short.  This is a two page spread in my 7 Continents altered book (AB).  Not sure why I had to pick such a cold region of Argentina, but it may be because we finally got above freezing for the first time in over a week.
Bariloche is located in the Argentinian portion of Patagonia, in the Province of Rio Negro. It is on the south end of Lake Nahuel Huapi, inside the Nahuel Huapi National Park. 

Not only a southern part of Argentina, Bariloche also sits near the border of Argentina and Chile.

Taken from an old geography book, this photo shows the Christ of the Andes statue.  After a conflict between Chile and Argentina that threatened war, a peaceful negotiation was achieved and this statue was created to symbolize that lasting peace.   The statue, dedicated in 1904, has a compelling back story.  The Christ was moved in pieces, first by train, then raised up the mountains by mule through the Uspallata Pass that is only accessible in summer. Once completed, it was erected with the figure facing the border between the two countries.  The imposing statue of Christ is standing on a globe in which South America shows prominently at the bottom of his robes.  The Christ's left hand holds a cross and his right is raised in, what looks to me like a welcoming gesture.

I couldn't believe how fortunate I was to find two different pictures in two tourist magazines of Hotel Llao-Llao from different views.   With my curiosity piqued, I learned the original hotel was built in 1939, but was soon destroyed by fire.  Rebuilt from concrete and stone, it closed due to financial problems in 1976, where it fell into disrepair through neglect and vandalism.  Although bought and sold several times over the next few years, a consortium purchased, renovated, and reopened it in 1993.  Since then it has won several awards of excellence.

These pictures show the famous hotel at the foothills of the Andes on a hill between the Moreno Lake and Nahuel Huapi, 

the lake shown on side two of my Bariloche AB page.

Known as "Switzerland of South America," Bariloche is famous for its architecture, tea houses, mountain backgrounds, and stunning lakes, including Nahuel Huapi Lakes.   These all sit inside Nahuel Huapi National Park

also known as the Lake District.

Thanks again for your continued support and kind comments during AEDM. This is Day 20, and I shared a two page spread featuring Argentina in my 7 Continents AB.