I led four Victor Emanuel Nature Tour trips to Colombia this year (2009), our first trips since 1986, and Luis Eduardo co-led all of these trips with me. Just having the opportunity to return to Colombia and get into the field again was terrific, but having Luis Eduardo along as a co-leader was absolutely marvelous. His youthful energy, great eyes and ears and spotting ability, and eagerness to help everyone see the birds, and to look after their comfort, was invaluable.  Equally impressive was his ability to handle an array of complicated logistics flawlessly, including  meal and picnic arrangements, hotels, rounding up 4-wheel drive vehicles, horses, or whatever the situation required.  Furthermore, Luis and his trusty cell phone (his list of contacts looked like a small phone directory), were able to overcome all the inevitable little emergencies that arise when traveling in remote regions.  And best of all, he seemed never to have met a stranger, mingling perfectly with rural and urban countrymen alike, and always staying up-to-the-minute on issues ranging from security (important in Colombia) and road conditions to the best birding spots.

I certainly plan to have Luis co-lead with me on future VENT trips— and what better recommendation is there than that?