"TOM Hart Dyke... writer, explorer, conservationist... former hostage... ... nine months... spent in captivity in Central and South America under the guard of suspected [could not find out during all that time ?] FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia) guerillas. ... Tom, 30, was on the hunt for a new type of orchid, which he intended to name after his grandmother, when he was captured in the swampland and forest of the Darien Gap, Panama, on March 16, 2000.
He was aware of the dangerous territory he and his adventuring pal, Paul Winder, had wandered into, but the importance of his mission blurred his judgement [nicely put / smile...]. Tom... said: "Over the space of nine months we must have walked about 1,000 miles, moving from camp to camp in Panama and Colombia [knowing where he was but not by whom he was kept hostage...]. "We were treated reasonably well. A woman occasionally beat us up [!], but it wasn't too bad." ... Tom returned to Lullingstone Castle in Kent, his family's ancestral home... His subsequent adventures turning his vision into a one-acre reality [garden] were captured on the BBC 2 series Save Lullingstone Castle. A new series, Return to Lullingstone Castle, starts on March 5. Early signs are the garden is a huge success, with 19,000 visitors last year compared with 2,000 in 2004" article URL : http://www.hertsessexnews.co.uk/lifestyle/leisure/2007/02/22/the%20orchid%20hunter%20on%20the%20scent%20of%20adventure.lpf ************ Regards, VB _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
