Happy to be home after Colombian nightmare
JONATHAN GEDDES
A Cambuslang couple were almost stranded in Colombia as the global coronavirus crisis deepened.
Stuart and Louise Mallan were left panicking after frantic phonecalls to the British embassy went unanswered.
Eventually the couple, who were holidaying in the South American country to celebrate their 40th birthdays, forked out thousands of pounds to fly to Spain and then travel to London.
The relieved pair then drove back to their Drumsagard home.
And while Stuart is grateful to be home, he told the Reformer he was disappointed that they were left to fend for themselves in Colombian capital Bogota as the crisis kicked in.
He said: “We left earlier this month and at the time, we were a bit apprehensive with the coronavirus.
“However, the FCO [Foreign and Commonwealth Office] guidance was a bit vague and the insurance wouldn’t pay out if we cancelled, so we decided to go.
“It was a once in a lifetime trip to celebrate both Louise and I turning 40.
“Just after we arrived all travel to Colombia started being cut off and we realised we’d need to get back.
“We tried contacting the FCO and they simply told us to look at their website, which was no help at all. Our hotel suggested speaking to the British embassy, but they refused to do anything face to face with us as we didn’t have an appointment. We were calling them looking for advice and they would hang up, or suggest booking an appointment.
“I’m quite a relaxed person, but it was around this point we really started to panic and worry if we were going to end up stuck there.”
The couple, who were joined by three friends on the trip became even more concerned as the country started implementing a host of its own measures.
Stuart explained: “They were actually dealing with things strictly in Colombia, they were quicker to close down than the UK has been.
“The shops were running a one in, one out policy. Everything else was shutting down. We were supposed to go to Salento after Bogota, and luckily this all happened before we got there.
“Our hotel got in touch to say they were cancelling the booking and all the other hotels were doing the same.
“If we’d arrived we’d have been on the streets trying to find somewhere to stay.”
Stuart and Louise had travelled to Colombia through KLM Airlines, who were at this point cancelling many flights back to the UK.
Eventually they were able to fly to Madrid, and then on to London.
Stuart said: “We didn’t relax until the flight from Madrid took off. It all felt like a movie, having to get the last flight home.”
The couple are now in quarantine in case they picked up the virus during their adventure.
Stuart added: “We were lucky we could pay for the extra tickets. The Foreign Office were not helpful at all, and they should have been trying to give advice and explain to us what to do.”
Rutherglen MP Margaret Ferrier was delighted the Mallan’s had successfully made it home, but called on Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to do more to help those stuck abroad.
She said: “I am really worried about constituents who are stranded abroad.
“They are understandably anxious and fearful, struggling to deal with an ever-changing situation in an unfamiliar environment, and want to get back to Scotland quickly and safely.
“I am hearing the same story time and time again from stranded constituents abroad, that communication on the ground in many countries is really poor and consular staff are overstretched in responding to enquiries.
“I am concerned that people could end up falling through the cracks as ever more stringent measures are imposed globally to limit the spread of coronavirus.
The Foreign Office needs to do everything in its power to expand consular staff capacity and organise repatriation flights on an industrial scale.”