I hope you have realized that in a couple of places, like the link above for instance, that you have spelled Colombia wrong. You spelled it "Columbia". Also, reading this article, I am nervous to find out how you described Colombia mostly because the rebels. My husband to be is a citizen of the country, as well as his family all being born and raised there. I understand Colombia is a dangerous place, especially for Americans. I just hope that you described the "guerrillas" as the rebels, and separated them from the hard working and respectful Colombians, that suffer from the everyday wrath of the guerrillas.

HEY THE GEOGRPHICAL CHANNEL ROCKS OUT LOUD

Want to start your private office arms race?

I just got my own USB rocket launcher :-) Awsome thing.

Plug into your computer and you got a remote controlled office missile launcher with 360 degrees horizontal and 45 degree vertival rotation with a range of more than 6 meters - which gives you a coverage of 113 square meters round your workplace.
You can get the gadget here: http://tinyurl.com/2qul3c

Check out the video they have on the page.

Cheers

Jacob Roder

After watching Glen's story on National Geographic I seriously beleive I will not ever leave this country. As a 42 year old Native American Woman, I beleive my path of travel is my own back yard. There is enough beauty here in the U.S. for me to see.

I was really impressed with how you handled the situation - you're a clever guy. I'm glad you made it out okay.

Larry -

The show will be re-airing this Saturday at 4pm. Enjoy!

I missed the first two airings of the show. Any plans to air it again?

There's some special secret Sale link on Amazon, EBay, etc. where you can find very good discounts:

http://bargains-hunter.blogspot.com

I've seen discounts there as low as 75% off sticker Price.

Hey, Gringo!
GET BACK HERE OR I CHOOT JOU.....

Diego
ELN Rebels

Diego X - como latina me aveguenza tu posting

The locked up abroad specials were absolutely excellent, from the directing to the editing, the whole re-creation it was amazing. Please tell me how to receive the episode of the girls in peru. I can't find it on itunes, please make that available to the public.

I consider myself this drama show or documentary the rudest and vulgar show I ever seen.
Im American Citizen and I lived in Colombia for many years. I got to know the wonderful people that live there very well.
As an american I consider that Glen Heggstad is a fibber and prevaricator. During the documentary he show himself as a victim that he wasn't. I can't consider I trustful person someone that reconized that he lied,and kept an agressive attitude with people that could kill him insted of respect them because his life was at risk.

He felt and feels greater that anyone. He thinks that because he is the blond amreican, he is the only important person. In the drama show, Glen took advantage of the opportunity of being a famous victim and he added many parts of the story that didn't happen.
This documentary is a complete fake.

i liked the show, it was pretty messed up on how he had to suffer through all of that gruelling mental anguish but thankfully he got out ok.

How much fact checking was done for this story.

Glen,
I am currently watching the documentary. I am a Colombian and I am really sorry this happened to you or all the other 800 people that are currently held kidnaped in Colombia.
It is a real sad story that our country has to live with everyday.
I am sorry you didn't get to see the real beauty of my country and get a better impression.
Feb 4, 2008 is the day that we - all the good Colombians - are going to change history and show the world we are great people. We will walk - peacefully - everywhere we are to show the world we don't support the guerillas and what they have done with our country. We want them out of there and we want the freedom for every single person that is still there.
Maybe NG can help us show it.

Missed the show,will it be aired again?
To those of you bad-mouthing Glen I have a simple question?Why don`t you go and meet him in person?He will answer all you question you might have.He`s far away from being an "arogant American "as some portrayed him. Story like this can save lives and change history.Enough said
Thank you Glen Great book

I have not seen the NG program as I have only just discovered the book and read it. I wonder if this is also true of the dissenters above. If you are basing everything you say on the program then please, please read the book. Glen sums up his feelings for Colombia very well in the later pages of the book and in no way insults the couuntry of people because of the actions of a few. While his words do NOT condone the rebels neither does he seek vengence. He certainly does not paint the entire country with a single color based on terror and even attempts to inform the reader of the poossible reasons for such hate and terror.

That's my two cents and it is worth exactly what you pay for it!

how were you able to get on the show; my dad has a story thats one for the books; id like to get him on to talk about it.

The series Locked Up Abroad seems awfully eager to paint these drug peddlers as unsuspecting and innocent Americans and Europeans. They are drug traffickers and law breakers the same as any other people who transport and should not be allowed to have commuted sentences and pardons within other countries when we DO NOT allow foreigners to our countries such luxuries.

This show is ridiculous. They are actually making it so that I should feel sympathetic for these people who decide to bring drugs in to the United States. Come on.. they deserved what they got.

@Mo:

I don't think that any of the people who got caught in a drug smuggle are looking for sympathy. They have a story and they're telling it.

National Geographic paid a whopping two thousand US dollars for the right to make this show based on my book. That money, I donated to Room to Read for a project to build schools in Southeast Asia. In this book, I also wrote about the whole motorcycle ride from California to Argentina and in no way disrespected or even slightly criticized Colombia or its wonderful people.

I apologize if anyone interpreted this show as a slight against Colombia as misfortune can strike in any country in the world. In my book, I even praised Colombians for being the kind and caring people that they are. Many who read my words actually suggested that I had wrote so favorably about my captors that I was suffering from Stockholm Syndrome. But the truth is that I have always supported the campesinos of Latin America--and that's the irony here, except for attacks on innocent people, I was on their side. As opposed to the drug dealing FARC, at least the ELN had a political agenda, although misguided in the execution, to aid the suffering in Colombia. It's just that in the fire and chaos of war, otherwise peaceful people, do things that go against their nature.

Yet I still believe that everything turned out for the best because the Colombian ordeal compelled me to continue on to visit 57 developing countries--only to discover that although governments may not get along, people do. Please visit www.strikingviking.net and read about the positive experiences meeting our fellow citizens of the world. All royalties from the book have been donated to the International Red Cross, earmarked for Colombia.

Being born in Europe I must admit that most europeans see americans as arrogant and ignorant. I know that this is not true for most of the people but one thing is for sure if you only see the world through the media you're loosing the big picture. Glen, as so many others fortunately, had the guts to seek the truth on is own and despite the bad luck he had in Colombia (it could had happened anywhere in the world) he managed to see the truth. And the truth is that people is the same all over the world.
All that they seek is to have enough food to feed their family and be in peace with their neighbours.
Unfortunately money and politics have been ruinning the world. And on that matter you have a lot to thank to your own government.

I saw part of the documentary on NGC. I am a Colombian that lives in the United States for the las 25 years. what makes me sad is that the people of this country does not realize what my country has been suffering for the past 40+ years. someone once said that Colombia has been push into exile, to a lonliness only we had come to know! the suffering of our people is unknown by most of the world. we are happy people, resilient people that had learn to live despite of the horrific things that have happened in our lifetime. we are people that will not complain, but insted laugh about it. make jokes about, just to try to heal the wounds that that the guerrilas has left and still wounding us. we are a Democratic country that has been mistreated. the FARC and ELN are not what Colombia is all about. Cocaine is NOT what Colombia is all about. we have a beautiful country that most people is afraid of visiting. thank goodness we now have a President that is doing something about it. its time the world listen to our silent cry for help! so people like me can go back and show my children the places where I used to play as a child without being fearfull of the guerrilla kidnaping my husband and kids just because they are american.

We all know there are good people in Colombia, but there are dangerous rebels that make Colombia a scary place to visit. Hopefully we can get Obama as president and fix the Bush administration mess.

Glen is so Bad Ayse, that like my personal hero, Chuck Norris, Glen does not have a CONTROL key on his computer. Why? Because Glen is ALWAYS in CONTROL.

Question: Why do you think there are so many Columbians that want to leave Columbia?
Answer: They heard that Glen would come back some day!

The best part about the "Locked Up Abroad" series, is that the real people tell their story. You are not inundated with inane commentary, just the story from the real participants.

Hopefully, the series will deter some from running drugs, and give others the hope if caught in any of those situations you can survive.

Hello Glen

When my girlfriend Anna e-mailed me last week about your ordeal (Locked Up Abroad)I knew it was you. As soon as I can get a copy of your book I would love for you to autograph it. I have known Glen and rode scooters with him as far back as 1972. No one can ride a motorcycle as well as
Glen on this earth.

Debra

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I just watched an episode of this show on Scott White who was imprisoned in a Kuwaiti jail for selling hashish. I've also seen other episodes of the show. Not all of the shows but MOST of them in this series paint the imprisoned as victims. They portray them as innocents caught in the bureaucracy of the of the country in which they committed their crimes. It's rightfully perpetuating the stereotype of the Western European or North American traveler that thinks he is immune from punishment for his deeds. I don't care, what their ( insert name of country here) laws are I'm American, Brit, etc. I can do anything I want & not suffer the consequences as most others do. UGHHHHH!! DISGUSTING!!!!