During the night there was torrential rain - thunderstorms. By 5.15am we were standing outside the apartment trying to find a taxi in the rain. Finally we found one. We expected it to be quiet on the roads but found completely the opposite – hundreds of people everywhere, coming out of the discos! Many walking barefoot - everywhere was flooded (rain and high tide don’t mix well!). Cars were stuck in the flooded roads – the taxi had to take a detour to avoid flooded roads.
Not surprisingly, the airport was a mess. No flights could leave due to the floods and the check in systems were all down due to no electricity. People were laying everywhere:
2 hours after we were due to take off - sitting waiting ……. the screens all say (in Spanish) "ask an Agent" - but there were no agents to be found anywhere! - everyone is just walking around aimlessly wondering what an earth is happening. We couldn't understand anything of the limited announcements also. Charlotte managed to hook up playing DS Mario brothers with a 10 year old Swedish girl, each on their own DS – its always great to see how well children can communicate even though they don’t speak each others language (although we are getting very used to this now!).
3 hours after we were due to take off, the screen suddenly shows a different departure gate - we run to the other end of the airport with many others - they start to load us on a plane and soon we are off! - I have no idea if everyone on our flight made it......
2 hours later we are in Bariloche - it's beautiful.
Unfortunately the hotel can't find our reservation.... - turns out I had booked it for 20-24th March!! and they are full! - finally they manage to fit us in but we have to switch rooms twice during a 4 night stay!
While they are trying to sort out and clean a room for us, we take Charlotte iceskating close by
We finally get a room, the view from our room of Nahuei Huapi Lake is fantastic and worth the wait:
