@radiobrendan We don’t have to go too far back to find a time when Colombia was pretty much considered a no-go area. At the turn of the millennium, only the true adventurous, nay mad in the head, would consider visiting the country as a tourist, let alone actually settle...
@radiobrendan Since I first came to know a few years back of the various Irishmen who played significant roles in modern Colombia’s history, the town of Paipa came into my sight. That’s because the main park/square of the somewhat popular tourist spot is named after...
@radiobrendan Many people on the outside looking in think our Colombian life is kind of cool. An exotic existence, away from the dreary 9-5 drag with a nice amount of time to travel. On that score, it is. Our work life is anything but 9-5, Colombia certainly is exotic and...
@radiobrendan After over six years based in Bogotá we’ve experienced many aspects of Colombian life, from the hugely enjoyable to the utterly frustrating. However, there’s one thing that, thankfully, we’ve yet to sample (and hopefully never will): The health...
@radiobrendan In terms of little escapes from Bogotá, generally speaking, we prefer to hit for one of the many lower-lying, warmer locations dotted all around the metropolis. This is even more so the case when the capital city is going through one of its somewhat depressingly...
@radiobrendan It tends to be the case that going green is one of the last things countries concern themselves with on the route to ‘development’. Environmental issues are usually an afterthought as states strive to boost their economies. This can be particularly...
@radiobrendan Regular readers of this blog (stop it, there are a couple) will know I’m generally happiest when on the move. That tends to mean travelling, but it can also refer to feeling busy, having lots to do from a ‘fulfilling’ work point of view. On that...
@radiobrendan Broadly speaking, there are two types of travellers: Those who do some sort of planning, research if you will, before getting to their destination; and those who just rock up to a place, a kind of ‘see what happens’ approach. These days, I tend to find...
@radiobrendan It’s safe to assume that most foreigners, especially those from the West, who come to Colombia on a whim don’t arrive with the expectation to make money here. That is to say, those who come not having work already lined up with a decent paying...
@radiobrendan «What?! You were in Cali for its famous end-of-year festival and you didn’t go to it. Madness!» That’s pretty much how most view our (three like-minded Irishmen that is) non-attendance at any of the Cali festival events during our recent visit there....
