Richard McColl's Blog, page 13

Humbled in an Quito Prison

Having interviewed Wally Broderick just a few weeks ago for Colombia Calling about the state of Colombia’s prison system, it sparked several memories of the few occasions upon which I had entered, as a visitor, the Garcia Moreno Prison in Quito, Ecuador. Wind the clock back to 2004 and I was working as a freelance […]

Orange Fanta in Uyuni

Shaking his fist, the backpacker, remonstrated perhaps a little more impetuously than he should have. He was genuinely angry. On the other side of the window, three or four Aymara children jumped puck-like with glee kicking up dust as they continued their jig at the backpacker’s expense. “Fanta, Fanta, Faaaaaaaaantaaaaaa!” Their round faces, each one […]

The Boyacá Road trip

A Boyaca road trip was just the holiday that journalist Richard McColl and his family needed for their Colombian Semana Santa

Bogotá Stereotype No3: The Carro Escolta

We’ve all been there, whether it behind the wheel of your car and pushed into a non-existent third lane of a two-lane thoroughfare, or feeling as if you are staring down the blunt yet deadly tip of the lance in a jousting tournament as the tell-tale 4×4 bears down on you at the pedestrian crossing, […]

Colombia Calling: 130 Episodes and counting…

It has been a red-letter year so far for my niche podcast Colombia Calling. Call it what you will, growth and maturity, greater audience participation, active listeners, or fantastic and more serious interviewees willing to participate, things are improving immeasurably. Who would have thought way back in mid-2013 that we would still be here and […]

The Bogotá Graffiti Auction

Followers of my ruminations here will be well aware of my keen appreciation of the Bogotá graffiti scene. In fact, …

Continue reading »

The post The Bogotá Graffiti Auction appeared first on Richard McColl.

The Guaqueros of Mompos

Guaquero – person who plunders graves or other archaeological sites As the waters of the Magdalena River continue to drop due …

Continue reading »

The post The Guaqueros of Mompos appeared first on Richard McColl.

Estelle, a Memory from Washington Heights

Sometimes, even in NY you cannot hide

Continue reading »

The post Estelle, a Memory from Washington Heights appeared first on Richard McColl.

Protests in Bogota and more to come

January 13 and I have only been back in Bogotá for under a week before seeing my first protest march …

Continue reading »

The post Protests in Bogota and more to come appeared first on Richard McColl.

Rain Alone Cannot Solve our Water Crisis

We need rain say the people in Bogotá. We need rain say the people in Santander. We need rain say …

Continue reading »

The post Rain Alone Cannot Solve our Water Crisis appeared first on Richard McColl.