This is the true story of the kidnap for ransom of ColinArmstrong, a former British Consul to Ecuador, and his girlfriend, Kate, on15th December 2023. Against the background of an evermore violent Ecuador, which in recent years has seen the proliferation of Narcogangs, he had been warned many times not to take chances, to use an armouredvehicle with an escort, to alter the route and times he drove to his ranch. But he laughed it off. Until the day it happened. After his release, hislifestyle changed dramatically. Habits of fifty years have to go. He has torelearn and adapt his life to what is possible. The Ecuador he loved hasvanished to become a dangerous state. His personal situation with his familyhas to change too. The press coverage of the kidnap makes it impossible tocarry on as before. In addition to charting the consequences of the kidnap, thebook is also a travelogue of his life for the twelve months after his release,with fascinating details of ultra-luxury travel to Antarctica, plus earliertrips to Japan, the Galapagos Islands, Everest, and a Rwanda safari.