Fishing the Middle section of the Limay was a blast, but I
was happy to be back in the mountians...a relief from the desert sun and
dry-dusty wind!
As you can see from the picture below, all is well and I am
having a good time enjoying myself with friends. Pictured on the right in
Miguel Terassani. He has been a park ranger and hunting guide for over 30
years. Earlier in the day, I spent the afternoon at his house, talking
hunting stories and viewing 100's of pictures. The photos were taken in
parts of Argentina, but it's safe to say that if it flies, walks, or swims, he
has killed it! Now days, Miguel is the president of the national park
system and a guide for red stag. I liked Miguel a lot. I told him
that I have hunted deer, moose, pheasant, grouse, and ducks; but, I have
not hunted for years. Regardless, he invited me to go hunting for red
stag in March and April. I am busy the entire moth of March with clients,
but I hope I can tag along in April!
Seated next to Miguel is Gustavou, a psychologist from Sante
Fe, Argentina. As it turns out, when they were teenagers, Gus and Miguel
went to school together. This is the firs time they have seen each other in +30
years! Gus is neither a hunter or a fisherman, but is a very nice man
and would soon be a friend in need.
At the end of the table is Herbie, he owns the house.
When I was managing a lodge in Junin de los Andes, I hired Herbie
to be one of many guides. Initially, I was not impressed with him.
Actually, he was a pain in the ass, but once on the river, he was a fantastic
guide, a good oars-man, and clients loved his high-energy, albeit it a
bit crazy at times. In the end, as crazy as he was, Herbie always kept it
real; he never hid behind a false character, and he always took every measure
to ensure that clients had a good time and caught lots of fish. For that
I respected him and we have since become good friends.
Moving back towards me, we have Matteo and Roberto (son and
father). Not seen in the photo is Matteo's beautiful wife and one year
old daughter. Roberto works at a vineyard, one of the best in all of
Argentina, called Cartena Zapata (look for this label in the USA...it's really
good). Matteo, drives a semi-truck back and forth to Chile, filled with
wine from Cartena Zapata.
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| In Argentina, dinner time ranges from 10pm to 1am |
Well, shortly after having an amazing dinner, the
conversation focused on American films and in general, the violent nature of
our culture. I love traveling for many reasons, but hearing what other
cultures/people think of the USA, is one of my favorites. As you would
expect the violent movies discussed were Stallone and Schwarzenegger.
Current affairs focused on the recent shootings in Newtown, Connecticut.
Everyone was extremely bothered by this and the many others like.
They asked me how it's possible for so many people to easily obtain guns
(legal or illegal) in the USA. I did not have an answer. Roberto
explained to me that in Argentina, it takes a minimum of two years to get a
permit for a gun (a hunting rifle/shotgun only). After this conversation
faded, some how, Mateo asked me to arm wrestle...like the Stallone movie
"Over the Top." It was late, I was tired, so I politely
declined, yet I offered him to thumb wrestle. We thumb wrestled for a
bit, but he did not seem overly interested in this. Upon our last thumb
wrestle, he wanted to show me another way; a way they do it in Argentina, with
your middle finger. Not thinking much about it, I innocently reached out with
my middle finger, and he grabbed it. He firmly squeezed my finger and
before I knew it, he twisted it so fast, so hard, it broke! Actually, the
second after it happened we both looked at each other wondering what had
happened. You see it happened so fast that there was absolutely no
pain...only the sound of bones cracking...but, who's bones. As we pulled
our fingers apart, it was clearly obvious that it was my finger. We were
all stunned and in disbelief. So, off to the San Martin de Los Andes
hospital I went, at 1:30am.
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| Looking pretty chipper for a fly fisherman with a broke finger on his casting hand! |
As it turns out, after X-Rays an a brief visit
with the surgeon, I learned that my finger was broken in three places. I
was also told that if I did not have surgery that I would lose full use of my
hand, within 3-5 years. Also, I was told that I would not be able to use my
hand, for up to 2 months! When I heard this, I felt completely destroyed...my
heart, mind and body, felt a new low!
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| Time to fish with my left hand! |
Surgical Options?
The surgeon told me that they could not perform this type of operation in this hospital (small regional hospital without the necessary supplies for this type of surgery). In others words, I needed to find a hand specialist, either in San Carlos de Bariloche or Buenos Aires. Barilcohe is a quick three hour drive. Buenos Aires is either a 20 hour bus ride or a 2.5 hour flight. Health care is nationalized in Argentina, so if I went to a large hospital in either city, I could probably pay zero, or very little (FYI, there was no bill for X-Rays and consultation at the San Martin hospital). But, the question then becomes a matter of quality. If I opted for a private surgeon (hand specialist), I would have to pay cash. In the end, to make a long story short, I have health insurance in the USA, I did the math (time + $$),so I flew back to the USA. I paid $3,000 USD for my flight, but 24 hours later, I was in my doctors office scheduling surgery! As it turns out the original diagnosis, San Martin de Los Andes, was spot on! I had surgery on February 6th...I have a few wires and screws in m finger now, and my cast is due to come off on March 6th.
I can't begin to tell what an emotionally challenging experience this has been. For a short while I was really depressed. Truth be told, as crazy as this sounds, I felt a bit guilty for feeling sad and depressed. You see, I don't let little things get in my way of my dreams and goals. But, picture yourself planning a five month trip, shipping your truck to Chile for $4,000 USD, add in a few 'minor' issues with your vehicle truck, a stolen laptop that cost $1,500 USD, and now a broken finger...what next? Please...I came to Argentina to fish, rest and relax!
Well, to end on a more positive note, I was home in the USA for a 21 days. I got to see a family and friends, and now I am back in Argentina. My spirits are up and the hand/finger is doing just fine. There has been an obvious lapse of communication on my part...any recent post were done with only the use of one finger. I bought a new laptop in the USA and it comes with voice recognition and dictation. I have been using the dictation software, but its slow and inefficient. So, a message to my followers, I will due my best to post updates, but between my finger and now my busy schedule with clients, expect some significant delays.
Thanks.
Mark
PS. For all of you who have helped me get through this experience, a big THANK YOU! And to my clients who are reading this and perhaps wondering WT-Fudge..."how is he going to work/host/guide us?" Please don't worry, my broken finger will not effect your trip in any significant way! In fact, if anything you'll be able to say that you caught more fish than the guide!