It seems almost unreasonable to say this, but it’s almost March and I’m just getting started in 2014. As most or some of you will have noted I have spent a great deal of time back in Mompos and ensuring that everything is moving ahead according to plan with the Casa Amarilla and my new house the Casa de la Concepcion.
Graffiti Weather Forecast for Bogota
Then, it was time to take an overseas breather to Brazil, and then back to Mompos once again before heading to Bogota to spearhead another campaign to promote my little town at the big tourism fair. As soon as this has passed I can knuckle down and continue with the Mompos Project (34,000 words and counting) which was going so well into December and then I was waylaid by high season. And, I can start to focus on looking for some new and exciting interviewees for Colombia Calling.
Discards in Chapinero
But, having said that, what are your thoughts on the last couple of interviews? I was pretty happy with the way Episode 35 came off with Nick Pickthall of CPL Aromas and how to run a business in Colombia and incredibly chuffed to have managed to drag Tom Hart Dyke away from the orchids to speak about his time in captivity as a FARC hostage in 2000.
Graffiti Lourdes, Chapinero
Aside from this, it may come as no suprise that my Opinion piece for the City Paper in February ruffled a few feathers and saw me visited by three members of Mompos’ academia to voice “their version” of events. But, this was all crowned when the Colombian Minister for Culture rented my house for her trip to Mompos and refused to grant these same individuals an audience! So, the handbag wars continue and after a few initial duels, it appears I have emerged unscathed.
It’s an election year in Colombia, so, we’ll all be gearing up for this too
Expect more writing, photography and anecdotes to emerge on this blog and as always I am more than happy to hear from you out there be it via twitter @CasaAmarilla or @ColombiaCalling and am continually looking for new people to interview. 2014 is already looking very promising.
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