As fly fishermen, many of us dream of heading to South America to fish for trout in those crystal-clear waters. However, getting to these spots is quite a challenge. It takes many hours of driving, and usually not in our little cars, which can’t handle the rough roads very well. No, we’re talking about 4x4s that can climb anywhere. Sometimes, if you want to be a little less traditional, you can certainly ride a horse and cover long distances like a “gaucho.” The adventure will be all the more beautiful for it. But if you’re like me and have had a bad experience on horseback or simply don’t like it, it’s perfectly possible to hop on your trusty two-wheeler.
About twenty years ago, I went for a horseback ride in the mountains. At first, everything was going great—our horses were trotting along, we were taking in the scenery, we were laughing… it was pure bliss. But suddenly, for some reason, my horse broke into a gallop without me giving the command. He had become uncontrollable. Even so, I was still confident, telling myself that I’d manage to stop him somehow. But no such luck—no matter what I did, nothing worked. The people with me tried too, but they couldn’t do it either. I started to really panic when I saw that the horse had completely lost control on the downhill slope. Luckily for me, the horse suddenly skidded to a halt on its hooves to graze on the grass. As soon as it stopped, I hopped off without a second thought and finished the ride on foot, leading my horse. It’s much safer that way. Since then, I’ve never gotten back on a horse; I much prefer a bike. At least that way, I’m the one in control behind the handlebars.
In this video, I really love the idea of setting off on the trails by bike. The desert landscapes of the Andes are stunning, the water is gorgeous, and the fish are magnificent. What I also think is great is the part in the unmanned cabin (there are some like that in France, too!). It has a bit of a Blair Witch Project vibe to it, which is pretty cool.
On the other hand, sorry, but there’s no way to add subtitles, which adds even more of a sense of being in a different world and charm to this film.