Los Ombues Lodge

A delight to be here again. Los Ombues Lodge is where I landed for my first Argentine experience in year 2000. I have enjoyed it eight times previously and now Lynnette is here for the first time.  She feels this place harkens back to a potentially simpler time in the human existence. An elemental feel. 

We’re surrounded by nature and ensconced by an old, ancient culture of Argentina. Little is changed in 20 years. The gauchos are still trotting the road on horseback accompanied by their dogs, except now I caught one looking at an iPhone today as we passed. 

In the last four days we have stayed here we’ve basically finished outfitting the vehicle, enjoyed the peace and quiet of nature and we also partook in what this lodge is about: wild bird shooting.  In the various seasons of the year Los Ombues Lodge offers Dove shooting, partridge shooting over pointing dogs and fantastic duck shooting. The duck shooting offers a variety of species found only in South America.  Right now it’s dove shooting season. We went out for an afternoon shoot with a party of five guests booked here. The skies are filled with doves in some surreal scene out of an Alford Hitchcock movie. A veritable swarm. While Lynnette watched I shot a case of shotgun shells and brought down scores of doves. A special treat was a couple of local children coming into our blind to help us collect the birds after the shoot, laughing as we searched the field and bagged the downed game.  Free protein, I hope they have several good meals.

Today we tried our hand at fishing. We launched a couple boats with the other guests and the guides drove us out into the Parana River with hopes of catching a Golden Dorado, the meanest freshwater fish I’ve ever encountered. It rained like tarnation a couple days ago, so the river was very muddy no luck for me throwing a fly. But the other guests managed to catch a few piranhas on their offerings of dove meat suspended below bobbers. Lynnette and I were content to be driven around in the boat to observe the rich variety and number of marsh birds.

Thank you Carlos, Juan Pablo, Augie and the wonderful staff of Los Ombues for allowing us to crash here at this rusticly luxurious lodge and be washed with your enthusiastic hospitality as we we prepared to launch.

Córdoba Provence and the mountains beyond beckon tomorrow.