 1 Welcome to Colombia the "Tierra Querida."
|  2 Mi amigo y guía turístico, Richi Mantilla.
|  3 What a view... Ruitoque Launch.
|  4 I gotta layout my wing on this stuff!
|
 5 Las Águilas Launch, Ruitoque.
|  6 The club house.
|  7 1st Flight in Colombia.
|  8 Peter building a wall.
|
 9 Off he goes.
|  10 Hey buddy, want to race?
|  11 Peter and Chulos
|  12
|
 13 The Campestre Resort in Floridablanca has 4 wireless routers.
|  14 Uno, dos, tres salto!
|  15 Bring your swim gear.
|  16 Terrific accommodations.
|
 17 Me, Annie, Peter, Richi, Morgan and Russell in front.
|  18 Campestre Lobby
|  19 Campestre entrance to diningroom.
|  20 Ruitoque - Floridablanca
|
 21 Bucaramanga in the distance.
|  22 Main LZ - center field.
|  23 Alt LZ - knoll in front of white roofs.
|  24 Lots of lift!
|
 25 Looking east
|  26 Local pilots show up.
|  27
|  28
|
 29 Local pilot.
|  30 Local launching.
|  31
|  32 Another local. These guys got up to the west and disappeared!
|
 33 Bye
|  34 Bye, bye!
|  35 Up, up and away.
|  36 Russell - from Alaska.
|
 37
|  38
|  39
|  40 Richifly.
|
 41
|  42
|  43
|  44
|
 45 Local pilot.
|  46 Morgan -from San Francisco- launching.
|  47 Locals Dianna and Jimmy.
|  48 Russell pulling up.
|
 49 Richi.
|  50 Peter pulling up.
|  51
|  52
|
 53 Getting high!
|  54 Ant coliseum.
|  55 Keeps water from flooding their tunnels.
|  56 Empanadas, ahi and limon - every day for lunch. $1.50 US
|
 57 Gas is sold by the gallon - $2.50
|  58 Tienda on the way to La Mesa de los Santos.
|  59 Arrival at Richi's and Annie's.
|  60 Richi's mom and aunt were there to greet us.
|
 61 Looking up the entry road.
|  62 The entry gate.
|  63 The grounds...
|  64
|
 65
|  66 Beautiful Spanish moss.
|  67 The Ranch.
|  68
|
 69
|  70
|  71
|  72 The caretaker's house.
|
 73 Beautiful pine tree.
|  74
|  75
|  76
|
 77
|  78
|  79
|  80
|
 81 Sliding doors into the house.
|  82 Too many cooks? Not at all.
|  83 Libia (Richi's mom), Richi and Annie.
|  84
|
 85 My room - complete with bathroom.
|  86 Entry way.
|  87 Hallway to my room.
|  88 Dining area. Many a good meal was shared here.
|
 89 Peter's room.
|  90
|  91 Richi and Annie's room.
|  92 Beautiful hardwood ceilings.
|
 93 TV room.
|  94 Stables.
|  95
|  96
|
 97 Used to chop elephant grass for the non-existent horses!
|  98 Small lake behind the stables.
|  99 Looking back toward the caretaker's house.
|  100 Peppers!
|
 101
|  102 Bees everywhere.
|  103 Neighbor's up the street...
|  104
|
 105 The gatekeeper's house.
|  106 Sole job is to tend the gate.
|  107 "The Lookout"
|  108 The Gatekeeper.
|
 109 Libia driving me to the tienda.
|  110 Tiendas are everywhere - several can be found on one block in populated areas.
|  111
|  112 Heading down to the waterfall.
|
 113
|  114
|  115
|  116 Cave of the owls.
|
 117
|  118 Don't write on the rocks!
|  119 But jumping is okay. The locals called Russell "El Flaco" - skinny.
|  120 Looking for owls.
|
 121 Whoooo...
|  122 La luna.
|  123
|  124 The spring that supplies the falls.
|
 125 "Hello!"
|  126
|  127 Old horse turned out to pasture.
|  128
|
 129 Someone is creating a garden.
|  130
|  131
|  132
|
 133 The Falls.
|  134
|  135
|  136 It's slippery!
|
 137
|  138
|  139 Richi hiked down below the falls.
|  140
|
 141 See the face?
|  142 Trees used to shade coffee plants.
|  143
|  144
|
 145 The Chicamocha Canyon...
|  146
|  147
|  148
|
 149
|  150
|  151 No wind to slight down wind launch.
|  152 The edge!
|
 153
|  154 Run down the hill - fast!
|  155
|  156 Go Morgan!
|
 157 Slope angle.
|  158
|  159 Headed to cloud base.
|  160
|
 161 Go Peter!
|  162
|  163
|  164 Richi on the run!
|
 165
|  166 Run Russell!
|  167
|  168
|
 169
|  170 Everyone at cloud base.
|  171
|  172
|
 173 $4.50 US calling card!
|  174 Richi and Annie's lot (through the brick portal).
|  175
|  176 The current launch.
|
 177 Tienda at the bottom of the canyon.
|  178 What a clown!
|  179
|  180
|
 181 Even the moths here can thermal!
|  182
|  183
|  184 Flying tandem with Richi.
|
 185 My first tandem.
|  186 Crazy pilot...
|  187 Back at Ruitoque.
|  188 Bucaramanga.
|
 189 2g spiral.
|  190 Coming around.
|  191 3g spiral. Grunt, grunt. "Spiral with a trimed parag..." View Comments...
|  192 Vuelo Libre Launch, Ruitoque
|
 193
|  194
|  195
|  196
|
 197 Let's sneak up on Russell...
|  198
|  199 Busted!
|  200
|
 201
|  202
|  203
|  204
|
 205 Above Vuelo Libre launch - Ruitoque. Afternoon ridge site.
|  206
|  207 My first top landing.
|  208
|
 209
|  210
|  211 Nine thermal markers, or just one?
|  212 There's a waterfall in there somewhere.
|
 213 Peter.
|  214
|  215
|  216 Mowing the lawn with a weedeater!
|
 217 Russell.
|  218 Richi getting ready to fly Hugo, our driver.
|  219
|  220
|
 221 Morgan.
|  222
|  |