If mountains + music = your idea of a good time and you fancy a bit of high-brow Argentina culture at the foothills of the Andes, then head to Bariloche in October for the annual Semana Musical Llao Llao, one of the largest international classical music events in Latin America.
Millions of years ago the Highlands of Scotland were as high as the Himalayas until steadily worn down by winter snow, ice and rain. Today they peak at a modest 4,409 feet in the shape of Ben Nevis whose summit is a relatively easy climb that does not require oxygen. Still it’s more impressive than Holland’s highest point which is apparently somewhere in the middle of a supermarket car-park. If you live in a comparatively flat country like Britain, it is hard to really imagine the effect of altitude, unless you travel. For me it hit home when back-packing through Bolivia years ago. I will never forget…
Many people talk about fly fishing and Argentina in the same breath, often conjuring up images of big sea trout fishing in Tierra del Fuego or Dorado in the North. But here in Mendoza, there is fantastic fishing right on the doorstep. When I decided to visit Argentina, I knew I wanted to fly fish, but I couldn’t quite fit Patagonia into my itinerary. I need not have worried – I had an awesome day fishing near a village called El Manzano Histórico, about 1.5 hours outside Mendoza. I am relatively new to the joys of fly fishing, and this day out has me totally hooked on the pastime!…