2015
- 28 October 2015I’d Like to Sell Your Product in My Bar.This should be on a list of ‘Things That Do Not Motivate Colombian Drinks Suppliers’. When it comes to buying stuff for our bar, nothing is easy, concrete or straightforward.
- 4 September 2015Business MotivationYou’re looking at our competition. This is why I am opening a beach restaurant here in Cartagena. This whole fried fish is as revolting as it looks, and it is pretty much all…
- 4 September 2015It’s 34 degrees celsius outside.It’s 34 degrees celsius outside. Yet here this man is, dressed in a full body, furry Zebra suit. He and his buddies are here to show us how to use... you got it, Zebra…
- 7 August 2015Safety First. And a Strange Detail About WoodWe arrived onsite this morning to discover some excellent progress. This is the beginning of the deck that will be our al fresco dining room and bar. I’m really pleased we…
- 7 August 2015The frustrations of choosing the perfect urinal.Hello, I’m opening a restaurant on a desert island nearby. I’m really interested in this Eco-Urinal you have here, that doesn’t require water or plumbing. How much is it?
- 11 June 2015A name by any other lettuceColombians struggle with my name. Which I mostly understand, except when I meet people here with names like:
- 5 May 2015Island LifeLife is quite boat oriented these days, and I found myself once again headed for ‘the islands’ for the May Day weekend.
- 4 May 2015Cabo de la Vela, Punta Gallina, La Guajira DesertIt took 4 bus rides, 2 dodgy taxis and almost 18 hours to get here. But it feels more than a world away from the sophisticated walls of old Cartagena. The most north easterly…
- 4 May 2015Would You Get in a Car with This Guy?Camilla and I have a vague plan to meet in La Guajira on Thursday. Until then, she is in Tayrona Park, without phone signal. I am in Cartagena. Neither of us knows how to get…
- 29 April 2015Red Bull Cliff Diving World Championship 2015, CartagenaThings I did not expect to be doing on 25th April 2015:
- 29 April 2015Red Bull Cliff Diving World Championship 2015, Cartagena
- 29 April 2015Tintipan, San Barnado del VientoA three day, two night sailing trip from Cartagena took us to the magical island of San Bernado, a world away from sophisticated, crowded Cartagena.
- 29 April 2015On the Way to Tintipan. Thanks to #Navegacolombia
- 26 March 201526 March 2015
- 26 March 2015This Is My Friend Juan PedroJuan Pedro invited me sailing in the remote islands off Cartagena, but the next day I had an early flight to New York. Don’t worry, he says, we can sort transport back to…
- 25 March 2015What the Hell Is That?Once I’ve cracked open its singularly unappealing skin / shell, I can’t decide whether it looks more like a skinned testicle, garlic gone rogue or an albino satsuma.
- 25 March 2015Miss British CitizenNo, I haven’t won any beauty contests. This is about the issue that is my name. Thanks Parents. Portia is a problematic name in most countries, in most languages - hell, even…
- 3 February 2015Water Safari in the GalapagosOn safari, you hope to see the Big Five. That’s the attitude I took with me to the Galapagos: If I’m lucky, I may see a Giant Tortoise from a distance, or maybe a bird with…
- 3 February 2015Birds of the GalapagosBlue-footed Booby, Red-footed Booby, Nazca (or Masked) Booby, Waved Albatross, Frigate Bird, Pelican, Flamingo, Galapagos Hawk, Swallow-tailed Gull. (not in that order)
- 3 February 2015Stars of the Galapagos
- 3 February 2015The Stuff of Dreamy Nightmares...
- 24 January 2015Culture VulturesAnother month, another festival in Cartagena. This month Classical music. Next month, books. March, film...
- 24 January 2015Trinis, Trinis EverywhereYou leave T&T, you find more Trinis. More reunions in Miami, with more brilliant women in bright colours. And lots of Libras, excellent.
- 24 January 2015Home Away From HomeMy first ever trip to Trinidad & Tobago. A week of stella beaches, memory lane, first-time selfies, long over-due reunions and searching for roti. Incredible to feel so at home…
- 24 January 2015Yes. Yes. Yes.The best thing about Cartagena so far (actually a tie with the doors). Ice lollies in the shape of Cadburys chocolate bars, in every flavour you could imagine and every colour…
- 24 January 2015It Wouldn't Happen in AmericaBlack Sauce, with a Black Lady on the packet. Yup. I wonder if it is only for Black People.
- 24 January 2015La NovenaLa Novena is a tradition celebrated in Colombia the nine evenings in the run up to Christmas. It's centred around dinner, and includes prayers, carols and a lot of Hail Mary's.…
- 24 January 2015Merry ChristmasMy language school encourages all students to visit one of the poorer barrios of Cartagena and volunteer for an afternoon. We bought and gave out toys to the kids, with the…
- 24 January 2015I Can See Why They Lost It2 hours drive from Santa Marta, then another 2 hours on the roughest track you can imagine, then a 2.5 day hike. La Ciudad Perdida is no misnomer. Described as Colombia's Machu…
- 24 January 2015Now You See ThemThe military have a base at the Lost City, as it used to be a kidnapping hotspot. Turns out camouflage / DPM really does work.
- 24 January 2015LorenzoBetter looking than a tarantula but more vicious. I was actually attacked by Lorenzo the evil green parrot. He went straight for the knees.
- 24 January 2015Lost City KidsThe Lost City lies in the heart of land that belongs to the indigenous people of Colombia. Part of our tour included an awkward interview with one of the elders. He made no…
2014
- 17 December 2014Nice Bags.
- 17 December 2014Ja ja ja.One of the reasons for this blog is to capture the things that I find odd as a newcomer, that with time will fade to normality.
- 17 December 2014Doors of CartagenaThey say everyone has a book in them. After just a few days here I know that this will be mine. So many wonderful doors of every style, colour, condition, age. A portal…
- 17 December 2014People's HeroAt the recent Annual Cartagena Beauty Pageant (looks are a big thing here, too), one contestant was asked for her opinion on Nelson Mandela's contribution to the world. She…
- 8 December 2014CartagenaAdios Bogota, this is Cartagena - my new home. In Colombia, plans change and so have mine. I won't complain: Average temperatures around 30 degrees and permanent access to the…
- 8 December 2014Door Art, Cartagena. So, Jesus is black here.
- 8 December 2014In Colombia there is no such thing as an ugly woman.Colombian Proverb. From the age of cosmetic surgery.
- 8 December 2014Dancing with the StarsLast night out in Bogota and here we are in the world of Vallenato and Merengue. Deeply Colombian, this feels part-fiesta, part cultural education. A friend is dating a…
- 29 November 2014Nightclubs, the same the world over.
- 24 November 2014You must come back in the summer.Local advice on visiting Los Nevados in November.
- 24 November 2014Live Like a LocalRather than camp (it gets down to nearly zero at night) I stayed with local farmers on my hike. There is no road to get here. The nearest road (which is 14km away from the…
- 24 November 2014Death on a White HorseAfter passing through a thicket of the strangest, creepiest trees ever (apparently the walking trees in the Lord of the Rings films were based on these), I encountered Death…
- 24 November 2014ParamoSomewhere above 3,400m, you enter moorland known as the paramo, which has it's own ecosystem and (mostly damp, chilly) climate. Most of the flora here are unique to paramo,…
- 24 November 2014Parque de los NevadosThis National Park is home to a few live volcanoes, which were sadly closed for business. However a 4 day guided-hike still took me up to 4,000m, staying with campesinos in…
- 23 November 2014La ChivaRural transport: 4x4 open bus, and possibly the slowest means of travelling I have found. You can sit inside (yawn) or on the roof - which is an adventure sport in itself,…
- 23 November 2014Me: 'I like chickens.' Guide: 'What?' Me: 'Chickens - I like them.The scene: watching chickens in a farm while eating breakfast.
- 16 November 2014Los Colores de la Montaña
- 16 November 2014Creepy Crawlies of ColombiaSome lovely, some not so lovely.
- 15 November 2014The spanish is going quite well.
- 15 November 2014MANIZALES, seen from the botanical garden.
- 15 November 2014...But Some of Us Are Looking at the Stars.One of many sculptures dotted around Manizales (pop. 400,000), which is otherwise known for its 7 universities, call centres and as the best city in Colombia to do business.…
- 15 November 2014Arts & Crafts
- 15 November 2014Not sure what this pink flower/ tree is, but it's really pretty on the ground.Not sure what this pink flower/ tree is, but it's really pretty on the ground. And it isn't green. A relief after the jungle.
- 15 November 2014Rio Claro (Otherwise Known as 'Hell')Humidity levels at around 1000%, non-stop thunderstorms, no hot water, a thousand varieties of deadly caterpillar and no other guests. Too much rain to go caving; too few…
- 14 November 2014Why I Hate the Jungle.Did you know lightning can be as loud as thunder? See 42 seconds in. Experienced from an 'open-air' room with no window panes and minimal walls. Shows run from 9pm - 4am every…
- 13 November 2014From A to B, via C (or Maybe D)This is the bus that will take me from Honda to Manizales. Things to note:
- 13 November 2014Cultural Dance-Off"Is it true that Europe people mostly dance alone, not in couples?"
- 13 November 2014Binary SpanishForget the complex AVE grading system. There are in fact only two levels of Spanish. Either you "Hablas español" or you "No hablas español".
- 13 November 2014Tree Tomato, My FavouriteI don’t know why we bother with English translations: the tree tomato, the banana passion fruit, the soursop, the little orange (not to be confused with the mandarin, tangerine…
- 13 November 2014"Sin Color, Por Favor"My Spanish is evidently not what I thought it was. Requested very natural manicure with no colour. Ended up with this ‘because it matches your bag!’. I'm going to look sharp in…
- 10 November 2014PicnicDidn’t stop to eat but love the idea of this permanent evening picnic area. Because year-round warm weather in Medellin makes it viable. Just pick your cuisine and turn up the…
- 10 November 2014"Without Tits There Is No Paradise"Yes, this is in all seriousness, the title of one of the most popular soaps on TV here. ‘Sin tetas no hay paraíso’ (which I haven’t got stuck into yet) follows the story of a…
- 7 November 2014Agreed.
- 7 November 2014A Different Kind of ArtAs the Museum of Modern Art Medellin was inexplicably closed (despite checking the website. When will I learn to call?) I visited a dangerous shoe shop between home and school.…
- 6 November 2014Back to SchoolThere’s definitely an emotional pattern to adult learning. Day 1-3, oh yeah I totally get this. Steep learning curve, rewarding process. Then someone says to you, ‘today we’re…
- 3 November 2014CablecarPart of Medellin's public transport system (which is infinitely superior to Bogota's) is the MetroCable. It feels surreal stepping into an egg in flipflops rather than…
- 3 November 2014Gift From God (and America)Regalo de Dios, or Gift from God. Ironically, this is one of the poorest barrios of Medellin, and it is where American Mark (Marcos) Kasemen has been running his charity,…
- 2 November 2014First Bus RideEvery bit as cramped, bumpy and cheap as expected. I'm amazed these buses make it to some parts of town - asphalt and tarmac scarce and far between. At Santo Domingo, on the…
- 2 November 2014They Spelt It Right This TimeThe Botero Museum in Medellin.
- 2 November 2014The Death of Pablo Escobar...and other works by Fernando Botero (born in Medellin)
- 2 November 2014Going VeggieVegetarian is clearly all the rage in Medellin. In 4 days I have (by accident) eaten in 3 vegetarian restaurants. All excellent. Organic, ecologial, sustainable, free-range,…
- 2 November 2014MedellinThis is my view from my apartment (home for the next 2 weeks) on the 14th floor, in a quiet, leafy suburb of the Poblado district. The building is great - pool, gym, 24-hour…
- 2 November 2014Week 1 : I Love BogotaMaybe it's because I managed expectations, but Bogota has been pleasantly surprising. Yes, the weather is pretty English (think late-April) but as there are no seasons here…
- 2 November 2014HalloweenHalloween is a big deal here. We start celebrating a full week early. My last day in Bogota for a little while. Tomorrow I head for Medellin to start Spanish school and…
- 2 November 2014#justkiddingIt's art.
- 2 November 2014Exploring Artbo
- 2 November 2014Susana Mejiá @ ArtBo
- 2 November 2014These beasts are everywhere. Like giant toys. I love them.
- 2 November 2014I don't know why, but I wasn't expecting culinary greatness in Colombia.I don't know why, but I wasn't expecting culinary greatness in Colombia. Fortunately I was wrong. Restaurants in Bogota are as varied as they are plentiful. They're also…
- 2 November 2014Bogota Institutions #1Google 'things to do in Bogota' and Andres Carne de Res comes up in the top 3. Until I saw it, I couldn't really understand how a restaurant could be that big a draw. But ACR…
- 2 November 2014Children's Hair Salon & SpaWe took AG (1) for a haircut. When the family said it was a specialist children's salon I wasn't exactly expecting this. Kids can choose which themed area they like best…
- 2 November 2014Everything but LemonsI gave up trying to remember the names of the fruits I'd never seen about 4 in. Like fish in Japan, there are fruit here that we don't even have translations for in English. I…
- 2 November 2014Early BirdsI've been waking up early because of the jetlag. My friends are waking up early because they have a 1 year old. Then I realise it isn't just us. The sun comes up around 5am…
- 2 November 2014PaloquemaoI read that 70% of the cut flowers sold in the US come from Colombia. Fortunately they're not all exported. Paloquemao market is heaving at 6am with everyone from florists and…
- 2 November 2014CachivachesPurveyors of household staff uniforms, life-sized stuffed animals and halloween costumes. An odd mix. I'm also amused by the old man in the wheelchair - on sale as the ultimate…
- 2 November 2014What to Wear?Choosing uniforms for nannies and other empleadas.
- 2 November 2014It always rains in Bogota.Fortunately it doesn't seem to bother anyone. Rain does not stop play here.
- 2 November 2014"Or Happy Birthday Ava"Life in Colombia begins with AG's 1st birthday. And it turns out Bogota is the capital of last minute: we manage to get catering, personalised balloons and decorations sorted…
