Colombia Calling - The English Voice in Colombia14 Jul

622: The Mompos Project: A Story of Love, Hotels and Madness in Colombia

When British foreign correspondent Richard McColl purchased, on a whim, a ruined colonial building in the rural Colombian town of Mompós, he imagined a lifestyle of relaxation, with idle afternoons reading the works of Gabriel García Márquez, writing glib observations and enjoying the hypnotic momentum of a Caribbean tropical narrative, swaying in a hammock and the promise of an ice cold beer never far away. He was mistaken.

His first restoration yields a hostel, which later becomes a hotel and then spirals into further projects including the restoration of three more colonial houses, experiencing challenges that make him reconsider his upbringing, education and outlook on how he fits into his adopted homeland. With two hotels in Mompós, he experiences the joy of new friendships and a despair over the predictability of guests.

With a journalist's eye for a story, McColl navigates the history of Mompós and how its society is a microcosm of today's Colombia, with its feudal system still very much in place, inherent prejudices, stigma surrounding the politics, the people and the past, all coming to the fore. Buy the book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/ezGbsP3 Or in selected bookshops in Bogota, Cartagena, Santa Marta, at Waterstones and Daunts in the UK.

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Episoder(100)

621: "Kolumbiytsi": The thousands of Colombians holding the Ukrainian Front

In this episode of the Colombia Calling podcast, Richard McColl speaks with Emily Hart about her extensive reporting - for a piece in Delayed Gratification magazine - on the phenomenon of Colombian s...

7 Jul 1h 14min

620: BBC Documentary on Colombia's Ecopetrol Wins Prestigious Award

30 Jun 1h 10min

619: Colombia's Close Call: Analyzing the Recent Presidential Election

On this week's Colombia Calling podcast, we make in-depth analysis of Colombia's recent presidential election, voter turnout, regional voting patterns, and the implications for the country's future po...

23 Jun 43min

618: Colombia Presidential Election Update: 6 Days until the Second Round

In this latest update from Colombia Calling and Colombia Reports, we look at the most recent developments in the lead into the second round of the presidential elections on 21 June. Ivan Cepeda revi...

16 Jun 45min

617: Colombia Beyond the Headlines: Opportunities in Neiva and Huila, Colombia

Join us for an insightful conversation with Juan Pablo Puentes, a long-time listener and expert from Neiva in Huila, Colombia. We explore Colombia's regional potential, infrastructure challenges, rene...

9 Jun 1h 3min

616: The Success of the Far-Right in Colombia's Election

On this week's episode, Richard McColl of Colombia Calling and Adriaan Alsema of Colombia Reports dissect the results of Colombia's first round of presidential elections, so you don't have to! How ...

2 Jun 46min

615: From Cannabis to Cigars: Francis Gillis' Colombian Journey

In this episode of the Colombia Calling podcast, social entrepreneur Francis Gillis shares his journey from the medical cannabis industry in Canada to establishing a premium cigar brand in Colombia. D...

26 Mai 54min