The real Patagonia

I guess by most definitions I have been in Patagonia during the majority of my trip. Even the island of Chiloe is considered Patagonia in a strict geographic sense. But not until I drove over the Andes yestereday did I really feel like I was here. The simple bus ride up and over the Chilean side and into the Argentinian side was amazing. I took tons of pictures from the bus window! I luv the digi cam JV and CJ!! I am currently in Bariloche which is another resort town on a lake. It is gorgeous. To the east is dryish shrublands due to the rain shadow but huge mountains are immediately to the west. I keep making annoying California comparisons, but seriously it is a lot like driving over Tioga pass and ending up on the East side of the Sierra Nevada.
People were right about it being cheaper. I had a big meal of pasta, a big salad and half a bottle of wine for dinner which came to about $5.
The only bummer is that they had a huge snow year. They are no longer skiing but there is too much snow still around to hike to some of the peaks nearby. Rafting and such summer activities will be in full swing in a couple of weeks. It actually snowed for a few minutes last night. I now look like an idiot wearing my brand new 'Bariloche' sweatshirt in Bariloche. Kind of like Tim buying a Rolling Stones t-shirt and throwing it on over his other clothes at the concert last week :)
Today I am going by boat to the other end of Lake Nahuel Huapi and then hiking around to another glacial lake. All of this, including the town of Bariloche, is in Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi.
I am meeting more Americans here than I had been in Chile.
Bush is here too, so apparently this country is a fave for all sorts of Americans.
Most everyone I meet understands that those of us that travel abroad in such a manner as I am tend to like the man about as much as they do. So mom you need not worry about anti-Americanism directed towards me in the next few days. And you also don't need to worry that I will be joining the protest because the Summit is a good 1000km from here.