Colombia Calling - The English Voice in Colombia

A paramo is an incredibly fragile high treeless plateau in tropical South America and Colombia plays host to many not to mention Chingaza and Sumapaz both just outside of Bogotá. So this week we sit down and discuss the importance of the paramos to Colombia with three academics from the University of el Rosario. 

Adriana Sanchez, Marius Bottin and James Edward Richardson have between them a wealth of knowledge and together discuss potential outcomes for Colombia's paramos and what is going on in the country regarding environmental protection. What are the risks for the paramos in Colombia? Does mining and illegal mining play a role, what can the government do...and so much more.

Changing things up a little in Episode 203, Colombia Calling heads out to a new cultural event in Bogotá to record at "A Moveable Fiesta." This shindig , hopefully to become an annual event, was the brain child of various authors and artists in Bogotá who felt that it was time to launch something alternative and open which could include Colombians and foreigners alike. 

So, for Ep203, we recorded a three segment show with Seg 1 being a short intro to the event before people arrived, our hopes and fears for A Moveable Fiesta. For Seg 2 I record a short piece of live theatre put on by the Bogotá Anglo Theatre co who perform Edward Albee's "the Zoo Story" in something that is reminiscent of an old BBC radio play, and finally, in Seg 3, it's a frank conversation and some feedback between myself and author Victoria Kellaway reflecting on how the event has been received. 

So, tune in if you want to learn about a new event which showcases new authors, photographers, theatre, chocolate, coffee, painting and so much more!

This week we step out of Bogotá and catch up with life in the small town of Mompos, Bolivar (five hours inland from Cartagena) with two peace corps volunteers from the US spending two years here. 

Erin from Idaho and James from Ohio make for perfect interviewees and while both are at different stages of their experience here in Mompos, it is rewarding to learn about how they have assimilated into life in a small Colombian town. 

In a free flowing conversation about their lives in Colombia, expectations and trials bested, both Erin and James share with us tales of their day to day life, suggestions of how they themselves have changed along the way and the difficulties of explaining the US electoral college to locals! 

This interview does not reflect the opinions or politics of the Peace Corps but aims to inform potential future volunteers about the challenges and adventures ahead.

The Colombian Coffee Connection LLC. was born in April 2017 from a young man’s dream, to share the heart of Colombia with a portion of America that is the discerning coffee drinker. 

Ervin Liz is a young indigenous Colombian, through great efforts by his family and himself he was able to come to America and attend college at Luther in Decorah Iowa. As a young boy, Ervin recalls helping to cultivate, grow and ultimately harvest the wonderful ripe coffee beans that the world enjoys. Ervin attended college at Luther and was an economics student.

As the founder of the Colombian Coffee Connection and a member of the Nasa tribe, Ervin Liz is committed to paying our farmers what is fair for their product while delivering our customers one of the best single source coffees in the world. 

This is an inspirational and fascinating story which comes from the heartlands of the Nasa people and connects you with Iowa and Minnesota, all because one man had a dream. Tune in.

In this our landmark Episode 200, we return to the core reason why we created "Colombia Calling", and that is to inform about Colombia and also to allow you the listener to help out as well. 

So, we call on the time and expertise of Maureen Cattieu of Cartagena Paws and Kim Rodeffer of Little One´s Independent Rescue (NY) to talk about their tireless and selfless work in rescuing stray animals from the streets of Cartagena, Colombia and finding them forever homes in the US and beyond. 

Sharing with us emotional and inspiring tales of how they became involved in aiding the plight of these street animals in Cartagena, we find out how you can get involved, either through volunteering, donating, or even being a Flight Volunteer and accompanying a dog or cat on their journey north. 

For more info check out: http://www.cartagenapaws.com

On Episode 199 of Colombia Calling we have the distinct honour of being joined by author, Julianne Pachico on the line from Medellin. In this entertaining conversation we discuss her incredibly well-reviewed debut novel, The Lucky Ones, her relationship and strong links to Colombia and about the writing field as a whole. 

To whet your appetite for this episode, check out Pachico's website (www.juliannepachico.com) and read this amazing review: 

“Julianne Pachico takes a hammer and brings it down on the superficial gloss of history, piecing the fragments into a kaleidoscopic collage that tells a deeply observed, stylistically adventurous and emotionally riveting story of people caught up in the violence of Colombia's guerrilla insurgencies. Moving effortlessly between the surreal and the real, sometimes in the space of a single sentence, Pachico delivers one of the most original and mesmerizing debuts I've read in years.”

This South American nation is edging toward the economic brink after an internationally condemned election last month created an all-powerful congress loyal to Maduro. Since the July 30 vote, the value of the local currency, the bolívar, has fluctuated more wildly than ever, a significant feat for a country saddled with the world’s highest inflation rate. As a result, street prices for staples such as bread and tomatoes have doubled in less than two weeks.

This week on Colombia Calling, we speak about the on-going humanitarian crisis in Venezuela.

On Ep197 we welcome back intrepid traveller, writer, blogger, author of the Pereira City Guide, Erin Donaldson and this time, she's here to talk about her new venture in guiding people in to regions unknown of the Choco! 

It's very exciting and indeed requires a great deal of thought and knowledge of the situation on the ground, but Donaldson walks us through what it required for this guided trip, the levels of fitness one must have and much more. 

So, here you have it, tourism in the conflict zone of Colombia with Erin Donaldson, an unmissable episode of Colombia Calling.

This week we sit down with Angie Hernandez and discuss her memories of joining a high school exchange program in 1975 which took her all the way from Indiana, USA to Cucuta, Colombia. 

In an interesting conversation, Angie and I discuss the reality of the frontier city of Cucuta, it's relevance to Colombia as a whole, reflect on Colombia in the 1970s and finally we discuss what could have been if Angie had ended up on that flight to Japan instead of Colombia!

This week we welcome back former interviewee Dave Procter to tell us all about the second edition of the Legend of El Dorado mountain bike race here in Colombia. Starting and finishing in the town of Manizales, this race has something for all starndards of mountain biking and we are pleased to be able to promote an initiative of this quality. 

La Leyenda del Dorado is a multi-stage mountain bike race offering adventurous teams of two the opportunity to immerse themselves in the magical landscapes of Colombia and ride their hearts out. 

The meticulously crafted 7 stage route pays homage to Colombia, its astonishing and varied landscapes and rich cycling history. As formidable as it is breathtaking, the Leyenda race route tackles an extraordinary variety of terrains and climatic conditions – scorching river valleys, snow topped volcanoes and everything in between – sometimes in the course of the same day. 

Along the way, full-service, professional rider support will enable participants to focus solely on giving their very best while they discover why Colombia is truly one of the most exciting and challenging mountain bike destinations on the planet, and why La Leyenda is the Everest of Mountain Biking.

Check out the website: https://en.la-leyenda.com