Backgrounders about Colombia, and how it works – or doesn’t – drawn from my context journalism and years of living here.

Corruption: do you feel the bite?

Backhanders and bribes are a plague in Colombia. Here’s an explainer.

Sunken treasure: the Galleon San José

Historical squabbles over the fabulously rich treasure wreck off Colombia’s coast.

Dying for a breath of Bogotá air

Bogotá’s air pollution problem analysed.

The Untouchables

Having my car checked for its yearly ‘technical revision’ revealed some realities to how things work in Bogotá… This story first appeared in The Bogotá Post in 2016.for related posts see:– Make Driving Fun in Bogotá– Corruption: do you feel the bite? My car is due its revision tecnica, the yearly mechanical check to make sure it is fit for the road. A friend visiting Colombia for the first time is surprised to hear of this legal requirement. ´You mean

The Giant Sloth slaughter

Bogotá’s small Geological Museum has an extinct giant sloth.
Here’s why they died out.

Bogotá weather – anyone’s guess

Bogotá weather is unpredictable so bring a raincoat and a sunhat.

Montería, pearl of the Sinú

Photos from Montería, a small city sweltering in the cowboy country of western Colombia.

The curse of Plan Pistola

As police officers again come under fire from drug traffickers, in we look at the motives behind such attacks and how the police are responding.

Two funerals (and no wedding)

This story first appeared in Going Local column, The Bogotá Post, 2017 My son reaches up and asks: ‘can I see Papito again?’. Of course, I say, lifting him high to look down at his grandfather. ‘When will he wake up?’ ‘No, mi hijo, he’s dead, I reply. There is a short silence. ‘Does that mean he is with Grandma?,’ says my son `Yes, possibly,’ I reply, reflecting on the possibility that my just-deceased father-in-law and recently dead mother have

Down and out in Bogotá

Stories from street people, with sadness and hope.

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