My last day in Bariloche. I want to visit Llao Llao, a luxury hotel in a prime location in the neighboring mountains. It is situated about 20km west of San Carlos de Bariloche, in the foothills of the Andes. The original hotel was designed by Alejandro Bustillo, an Argentine architect and painter. Shortly after its completion in 1939 the hotel, almost entirely constructed of wood, was destroyed by a fire. Bustillo built a new one but this time out of solid concrete and stones. But the hotel wasn`t really stroke by luck and was closed in 1976 due to mismanagement. In the following years it suffered a lot because of weather, vandalism and robbery. But finally in 1993 it was renovated and reopened again as a Luxury-Hotel. Nowadays it offers 205 rooms, 32 suites, four restaurants and bars, a golf course and a Spa & Healtclub in an extraordinary location close to Lake Nahuel Huapi.

I take the public bus from the long-distance bus terminal out to the hotel, on the western edge of the city. From a distance I see the building on a hill majestically situated. I get off the bus at the lakeshore and walk the 500m up to the car park, just in front of the swiss-looking building. Shyly I ask the doorman, if I could enter the property taking a few pictures. If you don`t go into the hotel, you can take  pictures, only the side with the privat suites, are not accessible to non-guests, he answeres kindly. I take a few shots and then walk back to the exit, as a group of tourists come up the street. They stop at the entrance board and ask me if I could`t take a picture of them with the board in the background. I take the camera, ask them to smile and take a few pictures.

They ask me where I come from. From Germany, I reply. I have ancestors from Germany, one answers. After a small talk, I want to say goodbye, because my plan was to visit the lake as well. Quite unexpectedly, they asks me if I don`t want to drink a beer with them at the hotel. After a few seconds of thinking, I agree and together we walk up to the hotel. At the reception my new companions ask for a place for lunch and something to drink. It takes a while, but then they prepare us a table on the terrace, with a breathtaking view down to the lake. I admire these Americans for their self-confidence and self-assured appearance, as I still feel like a  wallflower.

Outside, a German-speaking waiter is serving us. He is actually from Cordoba, but could not find any work there and finally moved to Bariloche and lives here with his relatives. This guy seems to be very happy to speak German with me. Anyway, his beer recommendations are definitely good. The Americans eat burgers and other snacks, I go for the recommended Kunstmann Craft Beer instead: First the red, then the black one.

We start chatting about our homeland and our travels, but finally we end up with politics. In the meantime they are eight now and not only because they outnumber me by far I feel a bit like the greenhorn from Germany who is thoroughly enjoying himself.

All but one agree that the new President of the United States might not necessarily be a blessing to the country. We joke, discuss and tell stories and anecdotes about our politicians, parties, economic problems and about extremism.

As we don`t have any sun shade  and are not using any suncream and the terrace is very sunny, it`s getting very hot after the second bottle of wine and a bottle of champagne. Nevertheless we keep on talking and laughing. They ask me about the situation and chances of Mrs. Merkel after the „refugee year“ and whether she could be reelected next year. I utter my concerns about the new President of the United States of America. They emphasize, that they didn`t vote for him – except for one person telling me that they don‘t really know how this could happen, but as convinced Democrats  they also blame the Democrats under Clinton and Obama because they never found the right arguments in their election campaign and instead simply urged everyone, not to vote for Trump.

After dining and drinking, we take a farewell photo on the terrace. I – slightly drunk and already with a sunstroke  – and my American friends – in a good mood –  walk  through the huge hotel area together. After a while we sit down again on a meadow with a great view to Lake Moreno.

It is already late in the afternoon, when I say good-bye to my new friends and take the bus back to the bus station. To get my head clear again, I walk the last kilometers back to my accommodation.

This was another very special day on this very special journey.