2015
- 28 de octubre de 2015En inglésI’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 de septiembre de 2015En inglésBusiness 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 de septiembre de 2015En inglésIt’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 de agosto de 2015En inglésSafety 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 de agosto de 2015En inglésThe 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 de junio de 2015En inglésA name by any other lettuceColombians struggle with my name. Which I mostly understand, except when I meet people here with names like:
- 5 de mayo de 2015En inglésIsland LifeLife is quite boat oriented these days, and I found myself once again headed for ‘the islands’ for the May Day weekend.
- 4 de mayo de 2015En inglésCabo 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 de mayo de 2015En inglésWould 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 de abril de 2015En inglésRed Bull Cliff Diving World Championship 2015, CartagenaThings I did not expect to be doing on 25th April 2015:
- 29 de abril de 2015En inglésRed Bull Cliff Diving World Championship 2015, Cartagena
- 29 de abril de 2015En inglésTintipan, 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 de abril de 2015En inglésOn the Way to Tintipan. Thanks to #Navegacolombia
- 26 de marzo de 2015En inglés26 March 2015
- 26 de marzo de 2015En inglésThis 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 de marzo de 2015En inglésWhat 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 de marzo de 2015En inglésMiss 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 de febrero de 2015En inglésWater 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 de febrero de 2015En inglésBirds 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 de febrero de 2015En inglésStars of the Galapagos
- 3 de febrero de 2015En inglésThe Stuff of Dreamy Nightmares...
- 24 de enero de 2015En inglésCulture VulturesAnother month, another festival in Cartagena. This month Classical music. Next month, books. March, film...
- 24 de enero de 2015En inglésTrinis, 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 de enero de 2015En inglésHome 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 de enero de 2015En inglésYes. 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 de enero de 2015En inglésIt Wouldn't Happen in AmericaBlack Sauce, with a Black Lady on the packet. Yup. I wonder if it is only for Black People.
- 24 de enero de 2015En inglésLa 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 de enero de 2015En inglésMerry 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 de enero de 2015En inglésI 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 de enero de 2015En inglésNow 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 de enero de 2015En inglésLorenzoBetter looking than a tarantula but more vicious. I was actually attacked by Lorenzo the evil green parrot. He went straight for the knees.
- 24 de enero de 2015En inglésLost 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 de diciembre de 2014En inglésNice Bags.
- 17 de diciembre de 2014En inglésJa 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 de diciembre de 2014En inglésDoors 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 de diciembre de 2014En inglésPeople'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 de diciembre de 2014En inglésCartagenaAdios 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 de diciembre de 2014En inglésDoor Art, Cartagena. So, Jesus is black here.
- 8 de diciembre de 2014En inglésIn Colombia there is no such thing as an ugly woman.Colombian Proverb. From the age of cosmetic surgery.
- 8 de diciembre de 2014En inglésDancing 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 de noviembre de 2014En inglésNightclubs, the same the world over.
- 24 de noviembre de 2014En inglésYou must come back in the summer.Local advice on visiting Los Nevados in November.
- 24 de noviembre de 2014En inglésLive 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 de noviembre de 2014En inglésDeath 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 de noviembre de 2014En inglésParamoSomewhere 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 de noviembre de 2014En inglésParque 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 de noviembre de 2014En inglésLa 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 de noviembre de 2014En inglésMe: 'I like chickens.' Guide: 'What?' Me: 'Chickens - I like them.The scene: watching chickens in a farm while eating breakfast.
- 16 de noviembre de 2014En inglésLos Colores de la Montaña
- 16 de noviembre de 2014En inglésCreepy Crawlies of ColombiaSome lovely, some not so lovely.
- 15 de noviembre de 2014En inglésThe spanish is going quite well.
- 15 de noviembre de 2014En inglésMANIZALES, seen from the botanical garden.
- 15 de noviembre de 2014En inglés...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 de noviembre de 2014En inglésArts & Crafts
- 15 de noviembre de 2014En inglésNot 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 de noviembre de 2014En inglésRio 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 de noviembre de 2014En inglésWhy 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 de noviembre de 2014En inglésFrom A to B, via C (or Maybe D)This is the bus that will take me from Honda to Manizales. Things to note:
- 13 de noviembre de 2014En inglésCultural Dance-Off"Is it true that Europe people mostly dance alone, not in couples?"
- 13 de noviembre de 2014En inglésBinary 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 de noviembre de 2014En inglésTree 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 de noviembre de 2014En inglés"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 de noviembre de 2014En inglésPicnicDidn’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 de noviembre de 2014En inglés"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 de noviembre de 2014En inglésAgreed.
- 7 de noviembre de 2014En inglésA 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 de noviembre de 2014En inglésBack 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 de noviembre de 2014En inglésCablecarPart 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 de noviembre de 2014En inglésGift 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 de noviembre de 2014En inglésFirst 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 de noviembre de 2014En inglésThey Spelt It Right This TimeThe Botero Museum in Medellin.
- 2 de noviembre de 2014En inglésThe Death of Pablo Escobar...and other works by Fernando Botero (born in Medellin)
- 2 de noviembre de 2014En inglésGoing 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 de noviembre de 2014En inglésMedellinThis 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 de noviembre de 2014En inglésWeek 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 de noviembre de 2014En inglésHalloweenHalloween 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 de noviembre de 2014En inglés#justkiddingIt's art.
- 2 de noviembre de 2014En inglésExploring Artbo
- 2 de noviembre de 2014En inglésSusana Mejiá @ ArtBo
- 2 de noviembre de 2014En inglésThese beasts are everywhere. Like giant toys. I love them.
- 2 de noviembre de 2014En inglésI 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 de noviembre de 2014En inglésBogota 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 de noviembre de 2014En inglésChildren'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 de noviembre de 2014En inglésEverything 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 de noviembre de 2014En inglésEarly 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 de noviembre de 2014En inglésPaloquemaoI 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 de noviembre de 2014En inglésCachivachesPurveyors 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 de noviembre de 2014En inglésWhat to Wear?Choosing uniforms for nannies and other empleadas.
- 2 de noviembre de 2014En inglésIt always rains in Bogota.Fortunately it doesn't seem to bother anyone. Rain does not stop play here.
- 2 de noviembre de 2014En inglés"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…
