Musings and Commentaries

Magic in Colombia: From Gabriel Garcia Marquez to Ghost Stories

July 9, 2019 // 3 Comments

I first started associating Colombia with magical realism during my A-level English literature class at school in 2002. Before Shakira and Sofia Vergara stole his thunder, Gabriel García Márquez (or “Gabo”, as he is affectionately known here) was probably the most famous Colombian in the world. He was a Nobel Laureate and one of the founding fathers of magical [more]

My experience of the healthcare culture in Colombia

April 10, 2018 // 5 Comments

I recently wrote a post outlining how EPS coverage and private healthcare in Colombia works, but I thought I’d save my anecdotes for a separate post. My overall opinion is that Colombia has good healthcare options for those who can afford it. But as the culture around healthcare can vary from country to country, I thought it might be helpful to relate some of [more]

Solo female travel in Latin America: my experiences and why you should go for it!

March 1, 2018 // 3 Comments

Solo female travel - Perito Moreno Glacier

About this time last year, I found out that three women writers I know in Bogotá would be compiling a book of tales about solo female travel in Latin America. Although I didn’t submit a tale of my own, it did make me start to reminisce about my own solo travel experiences as a young woman. I thought I’d write this post to encourage women who feel nervous [more]

Queuing in Colombia

December 14, 2017 // 6 Comments

It’s funny, the other day a Colombian man posted a question in the ExPats in Colombia Facebook group. He asked why it was that Brits in Colombia always asked people – who were clearly standing in a queue – if they were queuing. He said it had happened to him a number of times and he found it odd that someone would ask something where the answer is so [more]

Learning to love my moustache in Bogotá

July 17, 2017 // 1 Comment

In Colombia, money generally goes further than it does back home. After I moved to Bogotá in 2013, I started going to beauty salons more often. They place a lot of importance on physical appearance in Colombia – it’s totally normal for a Colombian man to get a manicure, for example – so it’s not uncommon to find three or four hair and beauty salons on [more]

Colombia rejects the peace agreement; but why?

October 2, 2016 // 0 Comments

Today, Colombia voted ‘no’ to the peace agreement with the FARC. There was a 37% voter turnout, and the regions which have suffered most from guerrilla activities, homes to most of the victims of the conflict, voted overwhelmingly in favour of the peace agreement. I try not to comment too much on Colombian politics as it’s a sensitive topic with an [more]

When ‘Bogotá-Belly’ strikes…

August 5, 2016 // 0 Comments

I ought to preface this post with a warning that this is not recommended reading if you have just eaten as it gets pretty graphic pretty early on. Ok. Well. This week has not been pleasant. Think stomach cramps, a lot of internal bubbling, hydro-carbon emissions which could raise global temperatures, bowel explosions and a diet of plain rice and dry toast. A [more]

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