Detained in Colombia!

I bet that when you read "Detained in Colombia" you thought of guerrillas, drug barons or corrupt police. Well we have been detained for an extra day by the kindness of Santiago and his family. They are all determined to correct the negative image of Colombia that nearly everybody (ourselves included) has. And they are succeeding!

Whilst nobody denies that Colombia has its share of problems, there are also lots of wonderful and safe places to visit and to stay, with stunning scenery and friendly people. To prove his point, Santiago invited us to visit Bambusa Hotel near the town of Armenia (one hard days drive for us, about 350km from Bogota and on our route to Ecuador).

We are currently parked round the back of the Bambusa Hotel, situated amidst a plantain plantation and cattle ranch, enjoying the hospitality of Santiago and his family. The recently opened hotel is built from a type of giant bamboo grown in Colombia. The gardens are beautiful, the birds brilliant, the decor stylish and the food wonderful.

So if you are looking for somewhere very different for a quiet week in the country (with everything from horse riding and paragliding to canopy zip lines and kayaking) this is the place to try, before everybody else discovers what they have been missing in Colombia. Or alternatively you could book the whole place for a family reunion or business conference with a real difference!

Those of you have been following our trip from the start may remember that we are to be joined by Mick and Mo in Ecuador. Although we don't have all the details yet, we do know that Mick and Mo have finally got Mel (their campervan) out of the clutches of the port authorities at Guayaquil in Ecuador. We are expecting to meet up with them near the Colombia-Ecuador border in the next few days. More details of their adventures then.

Sorry M&M, we are going to be a day late! Just look at the photos and ask yourself if you could leave after only one night? We couldn't!