[Gaviotas] Visit?

[Ixent Galpin]

> If you travel independently and are more risk-tolerant, you
> could just show up and would not be turned away. But please
> don't expect the Gaviotas Bogotá office to give you
> directions and help you get there, as they don't want to
> play a part in putting you in danger.

I've always been tempted to try this.  My understanding is that from Villavicencio bus terminal there is a bus to Santa Rita which follows the route Puerto Lopez->Puerto Gaitan->Las Gaviotas->Cumaribo->Santa Rita.  

It's bound to be a **long** trip (20 hours?) over dusty/muddy (depending on the time of year) Llanos, on a hot, uncomfortable bus.  It involves crossing the departments of Meta and Vichada, two departments in the 'zona roja' (red zone), where guerilla activity is rife.  This threat is not to be taken lightly; Ingrid B. was kidnapped for 6 years, and there are Colombian army officials who remain in captivity after 11 years, so it's certainly worth thinking twice before embarking on such an adventure.

If anyone has done this, I'd be interested to hear about it though.

Ixent