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Welcome to Colombia
the "Tierra Querida."
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Mi amigo y guía turístico, Richi Mantilla.
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What a view...
Ruitoque Launch.
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I gotta layout my wing on this stuff!
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Las Águilas Launch,
Ruitoque.
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The club house.
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1st Flight in Colombia.
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Peter building a wall.
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Off he goes.
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Hey buddy, want to race?
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Peter and Chulos
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The Campestre Resort in Floridablanca has 4 wireless routers.
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Uno, dos, tres salto!
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Bring your swim gear.
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Terrific accommodations.
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Me, Annie, Peter, Richi, Morgan and Russell in front.
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Campestre Lobby
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Campestre entrance to diningroom.
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Ruitoque - Floridablanca
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Bucaramanga in the distance.
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Main LZ - center field.
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Alt LZ - knoll in front of white roofs.
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Lots of lift!
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Looking east
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Local pilots show up.
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Local pilot.
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Local launching.
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Another local. These guys got up to the west and disappeared!
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Bye
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Bye, bye!
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Up, up and away.
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Russell - from Alaska.
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Richifly.
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Local pilot.
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Morgan -from San Francisco- launching.
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Locals Dianna and Jimmy.
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Russell pulling up.
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Richi.
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Peter pulling up.
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Getting high!
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Ant coliseum.
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Keeps water from flooding their tunnels.
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Empanadas, ahi and limon - every day for lunch. $1.50 US
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Gas is sold by the gallon - $2.50
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Tienda on the way to La Mesa de los Santos.
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Arrival at Richi's and Annie's.
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Richi's mom and aunt were there to greet us.
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Looking up the entry road.
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The entry gate.
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The grounds...
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Beautiful Spanish moss.
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The Ranch.
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The caretaker's house.
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Beautiful pine tree.
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Sliding doors into the house.
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Too many cooks? Not at all.
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Libia (Richi's mom), Richi and Annie.
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My room - complete with bathroom.
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Entry way.
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Hallway to my room.
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Dining area. Many a good meal was shared here.
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Peter's room.
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Richi and Annie's room.
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Beautiful hardwood ceilings.
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TV room.
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Stables.
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Used to chop elephant grass for the non-existent horses!
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Small lake behind the stables.
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Looking back toward the caretaker's house.
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Peppers!
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Bees everywhere.
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Neighbor's up the street...
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The gatekeeper's house.
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Sole job is to tend the gate.
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"The Lookout"
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The Gatekeeper.
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Libia driving me to the tienda.
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Tiendas are everywhere - several can be found on one block in populated areas.
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Heading down to the waterfall.
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Cave of the owls.
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Don't write on the rocks!
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But jumping is okay. The locals called Russell "El Flaco" - skinny.
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Looking for owls.
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Whoooo...
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La luna.
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The spring that supplies the falls.
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"Hello!"
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Old horse turned out to pasture.
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Someone is creating a garden.
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The Falls.
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It's slippery!
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Richi hiked down below the falls.
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See the face?
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Trees used to shade coffee plants.
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The Chicamocha Canyon...
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No wind to slight down wind launch.
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The edge!
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Run down the hill - fast!
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Go Morgan!
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Slope angle.
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Headed to cloud base.
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Go Peter!
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Richi on the run!
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Run Russell!
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Everyone at cloud base.
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$4.50 US calling card!
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Richi and Annie's lot (through the brick portal).
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The current launch.
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Tienda at the bottom of the canyon.
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What a clown!
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Even the moths here can thermal!
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Flying tandem with Richi.
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My first tandem.
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Crazy pilot...
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Back at Ruitoque.
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Bucaramanga.
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2g spiral.
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Coming around.
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3g spiral. Grunt, grunt.
"Spiral with a trimed parag..."
View Comments...
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Vuelo Libre Launch,
Ruitoque
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Let's sneak up on Russell...
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Busted!
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Above Vuelo Libre launch - Ruitoque.
Afternoon ridge site.
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My first top landing.
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Nine thermal markers, or just one?
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There's a waterfall in there somewhere.
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Peter.
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Mowing the lawn with a weedeater!
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Russell.
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Richi getting ready to fly Hugo, our driver.
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Morgan.
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Chao, Hugo!
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Cleared for launch...
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Great evening light.
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Richi y Hugo.
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Fans.
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Local.
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This guy owns a "love motel" in Bucaramanga.
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Morgan.
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Richi y Aguila
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In a hover riding the wave - held position for 30 seconds.
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Off into the sunset...
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Richi, Russell and Morgan.
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The lights come on in B/manga
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Morgan landing at the golf course on the mesa at Chicamocha.
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Fore.....
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Brand new calf. The chulos clean up.
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Chicamocha Canyon LZ.
4100' vertical.
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Monument across the valley from the mesa launch.
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Beautiful park in San Gil. Richi's mom, Libia, was born and raised here.
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San Gil is the red dot by Richi's thumb. We are headed to Barichara. Richi planned to fly to Villanueva. B/manga is up the blue road by Jordan Sube text.
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Peter with a chulo feather in his cap.
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Take off your shoes and walk across.
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A Grandfather of a tree.
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On to Barichara...
Aguila Beer is like Bud in the States...it's everywhere. Tastes good too.
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Our home in Barichara for two days and nights.
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The road to launch.
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The lookout.
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The small church with the graveyard.
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Mission Santa Barbara
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Common Renault.
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Smokin' a cigar in the tienda.
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If he only knew the truth about Richi!
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The Cali, Colombia footbol team logo.
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The workshop of dreams. Don Quijote.
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Preschool
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The "booga-booga land" LZ. You don't want to go there, the trees have thorns the size of your little finger.
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Contemplating booga-booga land.
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Launch...it ain't much!
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Go Russell.
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Richi sinking out!!!
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Everyone's worried...
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He finds a friend.
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Chulo, chulo in the sky
Find me lift and take me high.
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Russell holding his own.
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Richi and Russell are back over launch and the crowd goes wild.
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Richi went XC, had to helicopter in to avoid a b/wire fence spotted on short final. He broke three metatarsels.
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Futbol on the edge of a cliff!
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Launch helpers!
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The Chiflas launch - across the Chicamocha river from the Mesa launch.
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They're building a hotel and tram system below Chiflas. The tram will decend to the river then back up to the Mesa de los Santos on the other side.
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The mesa launch is just left of center.
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Follow the river to B/manga.
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Peter's off and headed to the river.
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Morgan, ditto.
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Russell got up, crossed the valley to the mesa and landed on the golf course. Some guys...
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Richi's sister's place.
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Richi showing off his cast. Notice that Libia doesn't look too pleased with her son. I've seen the same expression on my mom's face!
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Richi's sister, niece and nephew.
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Back at Ruitoque getting ready to fly!
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Only got pics of me because Richi couldn't fly!
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It doesn't get any better than this.
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Well, maybe this...
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Peter and I top landed before dark.
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Morgan stayed up, landed down in the LZ, packed up by the light of the moon and hitched a ride back to the tienda with the locals.
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Jerry... What a talker!
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The ride to Bogota.
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They're getting ready to pave the road to the Ruitoque launches.
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Cloud base!
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Good beef!
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Peter above me.
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Vuelo Libre launch at Ruitoque.
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