Colombia Calling - The English Voice in Colombia

Having met journalist Wesley Tomaselli (http://wesleytomaselli.com) when he passed through my hotel in Mompos some months ago, there was something about his manner and carefully sculpted turns of phrase. You could tell that this guy from a small town in upstate New York had something going for him and I knew he would be right for the show. So, be sure to listen in and hear a fascinating interview with a genuine up and coming writer whose work can be read at the highly recommended Beacon project (http://www.beaconreader.com/wesley-tomaselli) and his newspieces about energy markets for Argus Media.

Argentine Lorena Waserman is an expert in the tourism industry and she brings her knowledge to Colombia Calling talking about Colombia, improvements, the cities, what may be done, what has been done and how we can enjoy Colombia to the fullest. As the brains behind the Linkedin Group “Profesionales de Turismo en Colombia” Lorena brings her know how to the show and shares with us her insights. So, for those people involved in the industry and enjoying Colombia this is a fascinating show with unlimited opportunity to hear the informed opinions of Lorena Waserman.

Based in the city of Popayan in southern Colombia, Australian born Alex Egerton (http://ladichadelgallo.com/) is a world traveller, journalist, adventurer and Lonley Planet author. Colombia Calling had the opportunity to get together with the author of the Lonely Planet Guide to Colombia over tea on a rare trip to Bogota and chat. We talk shop, travel, security in Colombia and how we can see the evolution of the travel industry here in Colombia. To enjoy a frank conversation with a true expert on Colombia tune in to hear tales from this outspoken travel personality. As they say here in Colombia: “Alex no tiene pelos en la lengua.”

Speaking with Canadian journalist Mark Kennedy of www.NTN24.com/news we discuss the ongoing and troubling situation in Venezuela and how this is affecting Colombia. Being an election year in Colombia, violence and unrest in Venezuela is becoming a campaign issue in Colombia and yet President Juan Manuel Santos has failed to make mention of the tensions in our sister country. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro continues at the helm but could he be be ousted, we discuss this and more with Mark Kennedy and the realities of the situation.

Out of the blue Colombia Calling was contacted by Kai Whiting who enquired whether we would like to hear from a British Muslim in Bogota. Of course, we jumped at the opportunity. So, this week we find out about the Muslim religion here in overwhelmingly Catholic Colombia, do they suffer discrimination, what is the reaction when he tells people that he is Muslim and what are his challenges as a Muslim here? We speak about where to practice Islam in Colombia and where Colombian Muslims come from and if there’s a big muslim expat community here.

Sometimes people think it’s all too difficult to start a life overseas and so we take this opportunity to talk to a veritable “jack of all trades”, Hannah Matthews from the UK. A unrepentant Colombiaphile Hannah decided to take matters into her own hands and head out to Bogota by any means necessary. When she’s not rushing about the city teaching English classes, she’s contributing at a national NGO or writing for various media outlets. We talk to Hannah to find out how life is for her in Colombia, why she has moved out this way, about her writing and how to go about finding legal and meaningful employment here in Colombia. We also take the time to hear how this new Human Rights expert views the political situation in Colombia.

Can cacao cultivation be the next big thing in Colombia? This week we sit down with Australian chocolatier Suzie Hoban (www.ChocoQ.com) and talk about the economy of cacao production, what is required to make upscale and quality chocolate and the regions in Colombia where this is done. Sharing invaluable insights into the chocolate trade, Suzie tells us about the university course she is teaching here in Bogota, about her private lessons and chocolate tasting classes and finally, how she came to be a chocolatier and be in Colombia. Quite simply this show is an example of everything you ever wanted to know about chocolate but were afraid to ask!

This week we have the opportunity to speak to an expert in the field of Colombian tourism, Laura Cahnspeyer. As one of the pioneers in the tourism industry in Colombia, Laura talks about her background, the growth of tourism here, the realities of the industry and the challenges facing tourism to Colombia. Tourism was virtually non existant in Colombia until 2005 and now it is a huge source of income. Tune in and hear us speak about Laura’s various projects, not least as the Dicrector of Acotur (www.acotur.co), a society of socially responsible tourism operators and as the owner of a charming tea house in the comfortable Bogota barrio of Chapinero. (www.tallerdete.com)