Wrong Way's tops and flops of 2021

@wwaycorrigan

[Listen to an audio version of this blog entry here.]

To borrow from John Lennon — and many others besides — another year is almost over and a new one is about to begin.

Peter Hitchens: always a hit (he's on the left, in case you're wondering!)

Hitchens hit

This is always an apt time for reflection, for taking stock of one's affairs, and for looking forward. I won't be alone in being happy to see the end of 2021. While both personally and in the world at large, things could get worse, there's also plenty of scope for them to get better.

The coronavirus pandemic yet again dominated the news agenda. And as much as I've tried to avoid dwelling on it, this has been rather difficult to do when containment measures directly affect one's life, whether one agrees with them or not.

Thus, of the 57 blog posts I have (so far) published here in 2021, 19 of them were related to the pandemic — to be honest, I thought that number would have been higher. The most-read one was The vaccine vexers — you can check out that "gem" at https://wwcorrigan.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-vaccine-vexers.html, if you haven't already done so.

On the other end of the scale, the least-read post was 'Colombia's done OK, but prepare for a half-shut, half-open world for 2021' — Dr Bhattacharya. That was a teaser piece for my podcast/YouTube interview with Dr Jay Bhattacharya, co-author of the controversial Great Barrington Declaration. The YouTube interview itself got much more engagement. You can watch it at https://youtu.be/ZSb8VnG4nPs.

Mentioning my currently on-hold podcast (if anyone wants to sponsor its return, I'm all ears!), my interview with the controversial but always interesting English journalist, Peter Hitchens, has received the most views, https://youtu.be/Nuzm8OkYMyE. 

On the opposite end, my chat with Miami-based Colombian journalist Daniel Coronell didn't quite reach the same Hitchens heights, https://youtu.be/ZsWTBwGXRXY.

Staying on the podcast front, this year did see the launch of Get Inglés (https://caracol.com.co/getingles/) in association with Caracol Radio. Whisper it, but there may be more episodes to come.

'Making life much more difficult for the unvaccinated, some of whom appear to have better defences against covid than many vaccinated individuals, is nothing less than coercion.'

Looking ahead to 2022, while I intend to keep writing in some form or another — one can be rather stubborn in that regard — I'll endeavour to post less content about the pandemic, for my own sanity if nothing else.

Thus, allow me this blowout for now.

Raising's one ire-land

The coming 12 months should see me make a return to my native Ireland at some stage. It's been over three years since I last visited.

However, from the outside looking in — and at a safe distance of over 8000 km — the homeland appears rather lost and not terribly appealing. If the Irish Government told its citizens to lock themselves in a dark closet for a couple of weeks to avoid getting the cold, the majority would most likely do it.

To get the covid-19 vaccine or not to get it? That is the question.

It's almost as if people think that there were no dangerous infections floating around before this novel coronavirus and its various mutations came on the scene. 

It matters little to so many that the risk of death, nay severe infection, is minuscule for the majority of the planet. Any proportionality and rationality that had once existed — I think it did exist to some degree in any case — has been abandoned completely.

It does seem that some actually like this sense of crisis and resultant government control which they follow unquestioningly, 'doing our bit to save lives', when there's no strong evidence that this is actually being achieved.

Indeed, the argument could be made — and has been made — that it's doing the opposite. Prolonging the hardship and leading to more, what in normal times would have been, preventable-for-a-time deaths (shocking as this may be to some, but we weren't immortal before this spiky virus started plaguing us).

I've always said that to get anything close to a true picture of the deadliness or otherwise of Sars-CoV-2, excess deaths over the period of the pandemic and for a few years after need to be looked at.

Also, considering the covid monomania which has seen health services across the globe neglect other life-threatening conditions, all excess deaths cannot be attributed to covid-19.

Some will go in the category of being as a result of the disproportionate coronavirus-containment measures. That's if such analysis is done in a fair, thorough way. It's been easy to document covid-19 as the cause of death when it was but one of a number of conditions that led to one's demise.

Alongside all that, the widespread failure to accept that some people have what appears to be robust T-cell immunity to this particular infection has been extremely frustrating.

Making life much more difficult for the unvaccinated, some of whom appear to have better defences against covid than many vaccinated individuals, is nothing less than coercion. It's also wrong.

One can only hope that by this time next year we will have moved on from all this, that we will have learned to live with covid in a rational way. Right now, that seems like wishful thinking.

Yet, returning to Lennon, we can imagine a brighter future. I may be a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.
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IQuiz "The Bogotá Pub Quiz", edition LIV: The Quiz-mas cracker!

@wwaycorrigan

A Quiz-mas cracker of an IQuiz. Play it for fun!

It's our Quiz-mas cracker (see what we've done there?!) edition of IQuiz "The Bogotá Pub Quiz", Bogotá's top trivia night.

And while nothing beats being there (honestly, it's better played live, competing with others in a fun, lively environment!), at least this video version gives you a flavour of what it's about. The live event was at Cervecería Gigante on 16 December 2021.

Have a go via Vimeo at https://vimeo.com/658108567 or find it on YouTube at https://youtu.be/g-v3fSaydu0 (see video link below, too).

Let us know how you get on and feel free to leave comments and suggestions. Good luck!

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Cosying up to Cúcuta

@wwaycorrigan

[Listen to an audio version of this blog entry here.]

Considering Cúcuta is my most-visited Colombian city — with Bogotá being home — it's been a bit of an oversight that I've never written a dedicated piece about the Norte de Santander capital.

Cúcuta's Parque Santander.

Anytime ladies

The thing is, as much as I find the place welcoming and enjoyable, if a tad chaotic (hey, it's a Latin American city after all), Cúcuta has never been the actual destination in all the trips that have seen me spend time there.

Bordering Venezuela on Colombia's eastern frontier, the first time I visited was back in early 2012, using it as a pitstop returning from a less-than-inspiring maiden visa run to the neighbours. (Let's just say I've never been bothered about going back to Maracaibo — first impressions and all that — as much as I now have a far more positive opinion of Venezuela.)

In fact, all of my numerous stopovers in Cúcuta have been the result of visa runs. Why seek Colombian residency when one can go on an adventure every year or so? My annual visa/cédula payment does also double up as my tax contribution. The gift that keeps on giving.

What's more, posting stories about lesser-visited, "crazy" Venezuela has always seemed more appealing, more inclined to get those much sought-after clicks. 

Thus, I've tended to neglect to recount my "tamer" Cúcuta experiences. We'll right that 'Wrong Way' now, especially considering that I wasn't actually allowed to cross into Venezuela this time, despite getting my exit stamp from Colombia — 48 hours in no man's land of sorts, ask for details in the comments!

'Thou shalt not pass.' As close as I got to Venezuela this time.

The average traveller will most likely take the bus to Cúcuta — flights are far cheaper today than they were years ago thanks to the arrival of low-cost carriers to the region but they usually only compete with bus prices if you buy well in advance. 

If one isn't on a tight schedule, road travel allows for much more (affordable) flexibility. (For the record, a one-way bus ticket with Omega cost me 80,000 pesos.)

'There's something about the hustle and bustle from the terminal to Parque Santander — no, I don't mean the sex trade, I'm referring to the commercial and mild revelling activity — that has an enticing energy to it.'

From Bogotá, the winding 16-hour plus spin passes through some impressive paramos — one would miss out on those on a flight. In the next few years, that journey time should decrease somewhat with some major road infrastructure works in progress on the Cúcuta end.

As is often the case in these parts, the least attractive side of the city is what greets you first.

For about half of the 1.2 km walk from the bus terminal to the picturesque, well-kept city centre at Parque Santander, the route is lined with, well, not exactly ladies of the night, but ladies of any time of the day or night.

From memory, this has been so since I first visited but I don't think I'm wrong in saying that it's more intense these days, somewhat similar to what I witnessed in Medellín in late 2019. Indeed, it wouldn't surprise me if Cúcuta was the per capita prostitute capital of Colombia.

One big reason for this is the humanitarian crisis next door in Venezuela. Cúcuta is often the first and only port of call for a number of desperate individuals who cross over illegally.

Jesus is the way, the truth and the light. He's up there, somewhere.

While aesthetically unpleasing and unsettling for those of us of a more reserved nature in sexual matters, there is nothing really threatening about it.

In fact, it's the part of town I've always stayed in. The reason being that — wait for it — it's where you get the cheaper hotels. 

When all you need is a bed, bathroom facilities and WiFi, you can't go too wrong with 15,000 pesos per night. Some might say one is taking a security risk in such places. Perhaps so, but that hasn't been my experience.

A view with Jesus

In terms of what to do there, the short answer is, 'not a lot'. Living in Bogotá, my escapes from the capital usually involve going to quieter retreats. Cúcuta is certainly not that.

However, there's something about the hustle and bustle from the terminal to Parque Santander — no, I don't mean the sex trade, I'm referring to the commercial and mild revelling — that has an enticing energy to it.

Whether it's sipping on a cheap and cheerful borojó fruit smoothie — a highly refreshing beverage in heat of over 30 degrees Celsius — from one of the ubiquitous street vendors or munching on an equally cheap and cheerful papa rellena (a deep-fried, mashed-potato pastry stuffed with egg, chicken or minced meat) from the equally ubiquitous fast-food carts as you watch people go about their business, the lively vibe makes one feel alive.

The pace is far more relaxed around the city's standout attraction, a statue of Christ the King (Cristo Rey) perched on a hill to the south of the centre. Think of it as a miniature version of Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer. 

While in situ since the late 1940s, the monument and immediate surrounds, like Cúcuta in generally over the last decade, have been refurbished in recent years.

Religious views. The picturesque Iglesia del Perpetuo Socorro.

The viewpoint now has a cleaner, more welcoming feel to it. Just don't expect to watch the sunrise from there. Apparently, it's only open to the public from 10 am. I arrived at 9.40 and had to wait, although the security guy did let me pass at 9.50, what a rebel. 

I'm not sure what time it closes, but one would like to think it's after sunset, which is always around 6 pm in these parts. By the way, there is no entrance fee, it's free thankfully.

In general, the southern part of the city appears more tranquil, mostly residential as it is.

Speaking of slower-paced living, I did get the chance to briefly take in the nearby town of Chinácota, about an hour's bus drive south of Cúcuta. At 1,175 metres above sea level, it's slightly fresher than the at-times stifling heat in Cúcuta, which is about 800 metres lower.  

By all accounts, Chinácota is a popular weekend escape for Cúcuta residents. From my 24-hour stint there, I can see why. Next time I'll make it my business to spend a little more time in the town.

For if there has been one constant throughout my years in Colombia, it's that a trip to Cúcuta is never too far away. And that's perfectly fine with me.
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Ten-up: a decade of 'Wrong Way Corrigan — The Blog'

@wwaycorrigan

[Listen to an audio version of this blog entry here.]

Ten years ago today, sat in Bogotá's popular Cranky Croc hostel and based on advice from an Indian friend I knew from my Belfast days, I started a Google-hosted blog.

Where will the next ten years bring us?

Google blogger, my acquaintance told me — he knew much more about these things than me, although that wasn't hard at the time — was blogging for dummies compared to the likes of WordPress (via El Tiempo, I've subsequently become au fait with various aspects of the latter).

Putting the world right, the Wrong Way

With the prospect of staying in Colombia for a time on the cards — I certainly didn't think that over a decade later I'd still be here — I wanted my own space to share my thoughts and views.

You see, whilst working as a broadcaster for Ladbrokes bookmakers in Belfast from 2009 to 2011, I became a serial letter writer to the Irish daily and Sunday newspapers. I touched on various topics, things I couldn't really get off my chest in the day job (although I did try, at times, to mention them in between greyhound races from such exotic locations as Monmore and Romford).

Rants to colleagues, housemates and down at the local pub weren't enough. I was a curmudgeon in my mid-20s you could say. And I felt that as much of the world as possible needed to know my thoughts. 

'Who knows how rich I'd be today had Google AdSense not suspended its services on this page for six years due to unspecified "irregular activity".'

Once the first few letters were published, this gave me the belief that at least some editors found what I had to say interesting. Or controversial. It became something of an addiction — I just wanted more, more, more.

However, moving continents and consequently not being as tuned in to events back home meant it became less likely that my musings would appear in Irish newspapers with the same regularity as before.

In any case, I couldn't be leaving it up to the whim of an editor to get my, um, profound perspective on the world "out there" (the way things are in these crazy, heavily censored pandemic days, that point has taken on extra pertinence now).

Hence the creation of the blog. The medium was kind of all the rage back then, although I may have been a little late to the game. Other, more visual media were beginning to take over.

Be that as it may, Wrong Way Corrigan — The Blog has survived, for better or for worse.

At its birth, I flirted with the idea of giving it a more Colombian specific name but I figured I may not be in the country too long, so I didn't want it associated with one particular place over another.

Call it a lack of ambition or a failure to think big, but I always saw it as a means to an end, not an end in itself.

That aside, who knows how rich I would have been today had Google AdSense not suspended its services on this page for six years due to unspecified 'irregular activity'. I could have made at least 100 euros by now. Rich beyond the dreams of avarice, eh?

Nonetheless, and fittingly enough, it all started with The wages of love, something of a motif over these last ten years, writing about affairs of the heart. A mixture of bad romances and financial woes, in a way. Three hundred and eighty-three posts later, it could be said, plus ça change.

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The Great Resignation

@wwaycorrigan

[Listen to an audio version of this blog entry here.]

Much has been written about various "new normals" in our lives in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic. The enforced pause on people's modus operandi has led many to re-evaluate their situation.

An honest day's work. It's nice to do it every now and again.

Getting "Brexit" done

In high-income nations and those in the comfortable classes elsewhere — in a Colombian context, I'm probably still classified as comfortable, the low bar that it is — this moment of reflection has been particularly felt in the employment sphere, resulting in what has been termed the Great Resignation.

Those with any sort of financial wriggle room and who were heretofore merely going through the motions at their less-than-fulfilling jobs decided to take action as they dealt with stay-at-home orders and other radical restrictions.

'If I can't implement change during a large-scale disruptor event such as this, then I never will.' That, no doubt, has been the thinking.

Now,  it would be stretching it to call me a trailblazer, but I did take that leap of faith — leaving behind a relatively well-paid but unfulfilling job — before the coronavirus catalyst got to work on the rest of the restless.

In advance of finally deciding on the nuclear option, I had been trying to plot a more financially secure exit strategy, keeping in mind the adage 'It's easier to find a job when you're in a job.' But the few alternative full-time positions that presented themselves didn't set the heart racing.

'One may have no other choice but to rejoin the dreaded rat race, sooner rather than later.'

Nonetheless, rather than hold tight, I simply said I had to get my own "Brexit" done, that being Brendan's leaving of the marketing agency DDB.

Perhaps akin to the UK's Brexit, my thinking was — and remains (no, not that "remain") — that things will work out. 'Our fundamentals are solid, we'll find a way.'

However, as the former United States Secretary of State, Dean Acheson, once said of Great Britain, that it 'has lost an empire and not yet found a role', this could apply in my case here. Not, I hasten to add, that my professional career can in any way be equated to the power of the British Empire at its height.

There is no shortage of jobs. They're just not the right ones ...

Resigned to the rat race

The idea, however, of the world being my oyster as one might think it should be for a Western-born, single, childless individual, is certainly weaker today than it was ten years ago.

There are reasons somewhat outside of my control for that, chief amongst them these new normals, particularly the illogical, punitive measures against unvaccinated folk.

Then there's the fact that after a decade of having Colombia as my base and earning the weakening local currency, my global purchasing power is less today than it was in 2011.

Yet, putting a more positive spin on it, the post-pandemic world should present as many opportunities as it does challenges.

That's the hope in any case. (I can't say, though, and shocking as this may be to regular readers, that I'm entirely optimistic about the short- to medium-term future).

In line with the spirit of the Great Resignation — or at least my interpretation of it, sticking to the reasons why I resigned ahead of the pack, so to put it — my ideal is to work with people, not for them.

The "fiscal space", however, in which the Republic of Wrong Way has to realise those ambitions is disappearing rather rapidly. One may have no other choice but to rejoin the dreaded rat race, sooner rather than later. 'Back into line, you rascal of a rodent.'

That may actually be the true essence of the Great Resignation: resigned to one's insipid fate.
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On this day, 2011: Plan Colombia begins

@wwaycorrigan

Are you coming or going?

Nefarious nostalgia, eh?! The above photo shows my 18 November 2011 entrance stamp into Colombia — the tenth anniversary of a somewhat significant personal event.

As you can see, I did a lot of entering and exiting the country that year — one clearly wasn't as concerned about one's carbon footprint compared to today.

Give Colombia a lash!

I flew into Bogotá in June for a couple of weeks en route to take a voluntary journalist position in Santiago de Chile, then came back in September for another brief visit as part of my journey back to Ireland for a family wedding.

'Right now, I'm unsure where I'll be in ten days, never mind 10 years, as my current visa expires on 27 November.'

Yet the decision to come back to Colombia on this day in 2011 to, as I put it at the time, give living a lash here, was a game-changer.

It perhaps wasn't as groundbreaking a moment as that when a very verdant version of myself landed in Rio de Janeiro almost exactly three years earlier, 25 November 2008 (see 'Wrong Way' begins for more on that), but it was an important milestone nonetheless.

In effect, it was the start of this current Plan Colombia. I couldn't really hazard a guess as to where I will and want to be ten years hence, if I'm still lucky enough to be alive and kicking.

Indeed, as I write, I'm unsure where I'll be in ten days' time, with my current visa expiring on 27 November. Siempre hay algo, there's always something (to be done), as they say in these parts.
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The case for non-pharmaceutical covid defences

@wwaycorrigan

[Listen to an audio version of this blog entry here.]

When it comes to explaining my continued reluctance to get the Sars-CoV-2 vaccine to those who have no issue with it, it's like we're on a different plain, nay planet, altogether.

Where I see the figure six, they see a nine and vice versa, something to that effect.

Lining up for a jab to live life but not necessarily a jab to save lives.

Just do it

'Is it that you're frightened of needles?', is a common, benign initial question. I'm not, although I have been known to get rather lightheaded after injections and I needed a little more recuperation time than the average person after the one and only occasion I gave blood (it hasn't deterred me from wishing to donate again, it's just Colombia doesn't want my blood now).  

'Oh, so you're afraid that the vaccine will do you more harm than good? You don't need to worry, it's practically 100 per cent safe.' On this front, I'm not really worried about potential nasty side effects, yet the idea that the vaccines are fully safe we know is not true.

What's more, the benefit-risk balance comes down more heavily on the latter side the younger one is. Covid-19 itself, on the other hand, is ageist, with the elderly facing a far greater risk of severe infection and death.  

'Ah, so you're one of those conspiracy theorists who think that the vaccine implants a microchip in your body or something like that.' No. As much as some might wish to label me thus, I don't believe that.

What I certainly do have is much less confidence in governments and leading civil servants that are directing public health across the globe. 

The 'trust the science' mantra, when that "science" is far from proven beyond reasonable doubt and has been shown to have more holes in it than the socks I currently have in my possession, only makes one more suspicious.

'In a Twitter exchange with the renowned US epidemiologist, Larry Brilliant, he accepted that natural immunity is a factor but said it was risky to rely on. For the vast majority of older people, that would seem true. For most younger folk, not so.'

Indeed, it's akin to the line from the Jim Carrey character in the classic comedy flick Dumb and Dumber, 'It's OK, I'm a limo driver.' At least he got his passenger to the airport unscathed, although — similar to this pandemic — with plenty of collateral damage along the way.

'So you're just a contrarian who doesn't want to be told what to do.' I'd be lying if I said this wasn't a factor but with good reason. It ties in with the above, our decision-makers' just-do-it-or-else approach, which not only fails to convince sceptics of the benefits of covid-19 vaccines for the entire population but also ensures a more entrenched position.

When one has been close to a highly contagious virus and suffered no adverse reaction, practically forcing said person to take an emergency-issued vaccine for 'one's own good and that of humanity at large', when the evidence that this is the case is questionable to say the least, in what other way would any right-thinking individual respond than to refuse?

A not-so-'Brilliant' vaccine: data show that natural immunity may be better than the vaccine over time.

Surely public health bodies would serve humanity better by studying what exactly is at play in those of us who seem to have non-vaccine-acquired defences against covid-19.

Immune to rationality

Natural immunity — this shouldn't have to be stated but it appears many have to be reminded of it — is not an absurd concept. 

In a brief Twitter exchange a few months ago with the renowned US epidemiologist Larry Brilliant — a man who truly knows about tackling infections, unlike Bill Gates — he accepted that natural immunity is a factor but said it was risky to rely on.

For the vast majority of older people, that would seem true. For most younger folk, not so, as emerging data appear to show.  

With Colombia joining the list of countries that are effectively forcing the vaccine on people, the unvaccinated here are set to become social pariahs. One of the many worrying aspects of this is the number of so-called liberals all over the world who support such coercion.

It is understandable in some ways. The hypochondriacal masses have been bombarded with fear-inducing messages about the severity of covid-19 from governments and media for almost two years now. In such an environment disproportionate, irrational responses are not surprising.

I had hoped that as we see more breakthrough covid infections and data continue to show the limits of vaccine-acquired immunity, a realisation that some people already have what appear to be robust defences against this virus would be forthcoming. Alas, what we're getting is the opposite, doubling down on inoculation programmes.

One also has to wonder why there has been less of a focus on developing effective treatments when we've seen that the vaccine is far from a panacea.

It would seem to make sense to do so for a disease that's set to become endemic. Again, it just raises suspicions as to what forces are truly behind the mass-vaccination drive.

In this context, it's not quite a jab to save lives. It's more a case of 'get the jab or forget about living your life'. Don't ask questions, just do it.
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The thuggish thief: a growing problem for Colombia?

@wwaycorrigan

[Listen to an audio version of this blog entry here.]
A glance at most reports into the levels of crime and violence in Colombia shows that the country has gradually been getting safer since the turn of the millennium.

Some Colombians blame Venezuelans for a perceived rise in violent crime.

The headline-grabbing one — and the easiest to measure really — is how the homicide rate has dramatically fallen, from almost 70 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2002 to just over 24 per 100,000 in 2020.

Not-so-decent criminals

Other insecurity issues — theft, violent crime, rape and suchlike — are more difficult to both accurately measure and interpret. 

This is because they aren't always reported and thus aren't counted while, conversely, any apparent rise could be down to an increase in victims coming forward and/or better detection by official bodies.

So the "real" picture could actually be better. Or it could be worse. It's not for nothing we have the saying, 'there are lies, damned lies and statistics.'

Whatever the current situation is in Colombia — homicides, for one, are on track to increase this year compared to both 2020 and 2019 — the perception here in Bogotá and elsewhere is that violent crime has shot up over the last couple of years.

The belief, supported by numerous anecdotes, is that many armed assailants are no longer just content to steal from their defenceless victims, victims who put up no resistance whatsoever that is, but the delinquents also seem hellbent on inflicting serious bodily harm on their targets.

'One hypothesis is that this increase in violent crime is down to the arrival of a different breed of thief from the East i.e. Venezuelans.'

In the past, so it goes, most robbers just wanted their booty. So if it was handed over to them immediately the chances of a physical attack were practically zero. The 'ordinary decent criminal' one could say, to borrow from the 2000 movie.

Now, however, the idea is proliferating that wanton violence is increasingly a part of such robberies. And, in some quarters, it's led to a hypothesis that this is down to the arrival of a different breed of thief from the East i.e. Venezuelans.

It's no revelation to state that some Venezuelans commit crimes here.

I recall an El Tiempo article from a few months back highlighting the nationality of those arrested for various offences. The percentage of Venezuelans on the list was slightly higher than their proportion in the population as a whole. Again, one must treat such statistics with caution.

Is drug use contributing to more violent crimes?

In addition, Bogotá Mayor Claudia López has previously reflected publicly what appears to be a popular opinion amongst the city's residents that Venezuelans are responsible for this rise — perceived or otherwise — in violent crime.

Drugged-up delinquents

Nationality aside, one has to ask why there seems to be a new-found desire in some thieves to draw blood when robbing people?

I'm not a thief but I would have thought that the principal goal was to take whatever can be taken with as little fuss as possible, as quickly as possible. Wasting time inflicting injuries on cowed victims seems counterproductive to me, potentially detrimental to the "business".

I say detrimental because in these parts most people expect to suffer from thefts from time to time. Thus, non-violent robberies are almost accepted. When violence is introduced, assailants can expect to see greater pushback from state authorities and the community at large.

One theory for the bloodier thefts is that they are conducted by drugged-up delinquents not tied to any "disciplined" gang. They are their own, dangerously deranged bosses.

There might be something to that. In a more general sense, the British journalist and author Peter Hitchens, for one, is quick to point to the link between violent crime and long-term drug use, particularly marijuana.

Throw in a feeling of hopelessness and associated desperation and one can at least understand the temptation to steal.

It could be done without the reckless violence, though. It rarely ends well for either victim or assailant.
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The barrio banker

@wwaycorrigan

[Listen to an audio version of this blog entry here.]

Strange as this may seem considering my current less-than-robust financial situation and lack of a steady income, but I have become the chief moneylender for one barrio friend over the last number of years.

Easy money — when it comes from the Wrong Way Bank, that is.

It breaks with a long-standing rule of mine to not give money to anyone here. 

Previous experience has taught me that while some may ask for a dig-out using the verb 'prestar', literally 'lend', what they usually have in mind is the more common Colombian word when looking for something: 'regalar', 'gift'. (I recall asking for a drink in the Spanish capital Madrid using 'regálame'. The barman's retort was that they didn't 'gift things' in that establishment.)

'I'm good for it'

Of course, it's just an expression. Few if any people who utter it on a daily basis here actually expect to get what they want for free. Rather wishful thinking if they do. 

It could be argued, however, that when addressing a native of a high-income country, the more literal meaning is very much in mind for some locals. 'These rich foreigners can easily afford to give things away.'

Whatever the case, actions speak louder than words. So whether my now regular client uses 'prestar' or 'regalar' when he comes looking for a loan matters little, it's his ability to pay back that counts.

Barrio banking: Money's too tight to mention.

The first time I agreed to lend him a relatively substantial sum of money, my thinking was that it would double up as a way to test the strength of the friendship. If he defaulted, well I'd have to take the hit but be somewhat comforted by the fact that I'd unmasked a false friend.

Not only did he not default but he paid back the amount in full ahead of the stated due date. Punctuality is a rarity in Colombia in all walks of life, never mind doing something ahead of schedule. I was both relieved and impressed.

So the next time he asked for financial assistance I was more relaxed when handing over the cash. And yes, these are real cash transactions — notes still dominate here for the masses, something I'm not at all averse to.

Now,  considering I've known him since 2016 and for at least the last four years I've rated him as a trustworthy friend, I view this money-lending akin to helping out family.

One must be very selective in this regard, even if those who seek handouts aren't in anyways shy in doing so. In fact, it never ceases to amaze me how people I barely know appear to have no reservations about asking for money.

'I'd soon be relieved of my money-lending duties if I were employed in the House of Rothschild. Interest-free, verbally agreed loans won't put one on the road to riches.'

OK, I've been fortunate enough in my life so far that I've never been in a terribly tight financial position but if I were to need emergency funds, it would most likely be family and/or really good, long-standing friends I'd ask first, not some person I hardly know.

The fact of the matter in most of Colombia is that other family members probably don't have the resources to help out so it's worth chancing the arm with the seemingly 'flush gringo'. Nothing to lose, really.

'Your fake notes are no good here.'

However, I'm certainly no Rothschild or, in a more sinister sense, Shylock, for better or for worse. I'd soon be relieved of my money-lending duties if I were employed in the House of Rothschild. Interest-free, verbally agreed loans won't put one on the road to riches. 

Although, I do get interest paid in-kind via the occasional meal or beer it must be said. Also, similar to those infamous Jewish moneylenders, I am an outsider in the barrio, no matter how much I feel — and am made feel — part of it.

A genuine fake

It is, somewhat paradoxically, these more substantial loans that have proved to be less risky. Getting back on-the-spot payments of up to 20,000 pesos can be next to impossible. And all those small amounts do soon add up.

There is also the issue of a fake-note swindle when dealing in cash, a fate I had the displeasure of suffering recently.

Having given a 20,000-peso note to a lad with whom I consider I have a decent relationship, he returned a few minutes later with the note ripped, telling me it was fake.

There are three possibilities here: I had a fake note of which I was unaware; my friend was tricked by the street vendor from whom he attempted to make a purchase; my friend pulled a fast one on me.

Weighing all these up and taking into account the reaction of others in the tienda bar where I gave this friend the money — including close family of his — the last seems the most likely.

That being so, no doubt many will ask how can I call this guy a friend? It basically comes down to his all-round behaviour. He may be unreliable when it comes to money yet on most other fronts he's a likeable "marica".

It's why, as the old saying goes, one shouldn't mix business with pleasure. And it's why my barrio banking isn't a business but more a case of helping out friends whose needs appear greater than mine.

I just hope I don't end up doing some similar, desperate asking in the future.  
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Listen to Wrong Way's Colombia Cast podcast here.

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IQuiz "The Bogotá Pub Quiz": play for fun!

@wwaycorrigan

With the not-quite-post-pandemic "new normal" taking shape, IQuiz "The Bogotá Pub Quiz", Colombia's favourite (pending independent verification) trivia night made a long-awaited live return. Cervecería Gigante, an old acquaintance but now with a shiny new look and location, was the honourable host.

IQuiz: 53 not out.

And while 'nothing beats being there' as the saying goes, not everyone can physically attend — we haven't managed to get those chartered flights from all over the globe, um, off the ground just yet.

So, for you quiz buffs or those just curious to give it a go, wherever you may be in the world, here you can participate at your leisure (and for free, but minus the prizes!) in what was our 53rd edition of IQuiz.

It's all on this YouTube video, https://youtu.be/GTtgACwfaGQ (see below also) or, if you prefer, via Vimeo at https://vimeo.com/637856589.

Good luck! ¡Buena suerte!

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Listen to Wrong Way's Colombia Cast podcast here.

Facebook: Wrong Way Corrigan — The Blog & IQuiz "The Bogotá Pub Quiz".

 

These boots aren't made for walkin'

@wwaycorrigan

[Listen to an audio version of this blog entry here.]

In my younger, more foolish and impressionable days when money was easier to come by, I had a tendency to impulsively buy clothes and footwear, then shortly afterwards realise I didn't really like them.

So far, only the Westland boots (bottom) have stood the test of time.

Nowadays, I'm practically the complete opposite. The mere thought of having to go and buy clothes fills me with dread.

Cold feet

The fact that I currently don't have a steady income and thus parting with cash for items that won't necessarily give me any great satisfaction is just one reason for this. 

This does, all the same, fit nicely with what could be seen as my more mature approach to fast fashion in these environmentally conscious times. It's cartoon style of sorts — same outfit, different episode.

Even if I was in a better financial position, I don't think I'd feel more relaxed forking out for what are in today's world effectively essentials — unless one ends up on the street or decides to live a largely solitary life, at one with nature.

A more significant reason for my current reluctance to buy new clothes, particularly footwear here in Colombia, is down to the abject quality of much of what's on offer. This, together with the difficulty of finding a broad range of styles for my relatively large foot size (honestly!).

Granted, I haven't ventured to the upper echelons of the pay scale and bought the well-known, made-in-China global brands in "reputable" stores. This is because I prefer to get these back in Europe.

'While aesthetically pleasing, the shoes started falling apart at the seams and the sole after two months. A representation of many things in Colombia, one might say — all style, little substance.'

A trick of the mind it may be, but paying 60 euros for a pair of Adidas in Ireland seems fair while paying around 300,000 pesos for the same product in Bogotá seems extortionate, even if at today's conversion rates it's the same price, give or take a few pesos. 

In fairness, using minimum wage as a guide, it is extortionate. 300,000 pesos is almost a third of the monthly minimum wage here, with 60 euros in Ireland equivalent to about six hours' work on a basic salary.

That being said, many of my friends have pointed me in the direction of 'quality, cheap fakes' or 'decent and affordable Colombian or nondescript brands'. The results, however, have been far from satisfactory.

For example, somebody suggested Payless shoes — with a name like that, how could one go wrong? 

A pair of runners, or tenis as the Colombians call them, I got there, while aesthetically pleasing, literally started falling apart at the seams and the sole after two months (a representation of many things in Colombia, one might say — all style, little substance). I had to send them to a cobbler's for life-saving repairs.

Unsurprisingly, this Éxito pair didn't last long.

Payless could do worse than to borrow the old slogan of a margarine brand: 'I can't believe they're not quality shoes.'

Go Westland

I wasn't expecting much from runners I bought at Éxito — a Colombian Tesco — at the beginning of this year but at 90,000 pesos I felt it was worth the gamble.

Again, they held together for about two months before problems, um, kicked in. And again, to continue using them, the cobbler's services were required. 

For repairs that cost 30,000 pesos, they functioned for another couple of months before the heels gave way. I somewhat stubbornly persisted with them but it got to the stage where it was nearly better to go barefoot than to wear them.

That's because entangled in all this are the innocent socks. I'd be as well to invest in the hosiery industry if I were to buy stockings every time holes appear at the heels or on the underside predominantly due to this dodgy footgear. But I don't. Thus, most of my current socks are holier than the communion of saints.

Will these Black Mountain shoes hold out?

Having not been back to Ireland for over three years I haven't had the chance to buy shoes in which I have confidence that they'll be somewhat durable. Oh, how I miss those sturdy and versatile Adidas Chile that travelled the world with me, serving me well for years.

So my latest footwear foray is with a Colombian brand, Black Mountain. I bought two pairs for 200,000 pesos, with a four-month guarantee included. If I get four months out of them it will, of course, be an improvement on what's gone before. One can only hope this isn't yet another case of shoddy shoes.

I must say, it hasn't been footwear failure forever here. In 2018 I bought a pair of Westland steel-toe-capped boots at a discount price of 150,000 pesos, a right bargain. Apparently, they had some minor production-line defect.

These seem pretty much indestructible and have, um, stood the test of time. However, they're rather heavy and not the best to use if one is on a 10-kilometre-plus walk or dashing from here to there.  

For now, it's mostly Black Mountain that's walking the walk with me. Will they stick the pace? Time shall tell.
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Listen to Wrong Way's Colombia Cast podcast here.

Facebook: Wrong Way Corrigan — The Blog & IQuiz "The Bogotá Pub Quiz".

 

Ciénaga, Magdalena: the children cleaning up the litter swamp

@wwaycorrigan

There's a saying amongst some cynical folk — so you can, of course, exclude Wrong Way — that Colombia would be a beautiful country but for its ubiquitous rubbish.

Rubbish on the beaches of Isla del Rosario. In fairness, I have seen worse.

In middle-to-low-income countries, dealing with litter is often well down the list of priorities for the average individual. This is somewhat understandable when almost every aspect of one's life is a constant struggle.

Be that as it may, wanton waste can be even more of a problem in coastal areas where tides bring in from far and wide the most unsightly of what's floating around the sea. When people aren't inclined to clean up their own rubbish there's little chance they'll be enthused to deal with that of others.

However, by instilling a bit of pride in one's place, the will to spruce up shared spaces can be found.

'Regardless of what those cynical types say, some parts of Colombia are capable of cleaning up their own act. If only the country's rich and powerful could follow suit.'

Such a spirit is being cultivated in Isla del Rosario near Ciénaga on the Caribbean coast in Colombia's Magdalena department, its shores having been particularly blighted by washed-up waste.

Over the last few weeks the community — in particular its younger generations — has come together to tackle the trash.

As part of this ongoing de-litter drive, a major cleanathon is planned for Sunday 17 October (see video below, in Spanish). Outside of the actual cleaning, the idea is to impress upon residents of this humble fishing village the importance of maintaining a clean environment.

So there you have it, regardless of what those cynical types say, some parts of Colombia are capable of cleaning up their own act. If only the country's rich and powerful could follow suit. We can dream.

*N.B: Ciénega means 'swamp' in English, hence the title for this piece. I'm sure it's not that much of a swamp these days.

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Listen to Wrong Way's Colombia Cast podcast here.

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Happy in Jenesano

@wwaycorrigan

[Listen to an audio version of this blog entry here.]

Well, it may have taken 19 months, but I finally managed to swap the Bogotá beat for some pastoral peace, of sorts. (I'm discounting, due to their brevity, this year's day escapes on foot to Cota and La Calera as well as a bike ride and subsequent 24 hours in Cajicá.)

Jenesano's main plaza, the standard Colombian layout.

And like the last time I left the Colombian capital for a few nights, it was to the Boyacá department once again — the small (although big enough by Irish standards) market town of Jenesano and surrounds on this occasion, to be precise.

Close encounters

Some may wonder why I don't opt for more exotic locations, the argument being, as previously stated on this blog, that once you've seen one Boyacá pueblo (small town) you've practically seen them all.

There's merit to that viewpoint. Yet in terms of largely hassle-free travel, towns to the north of Bogotá tick many boxes for me. I live a five-minute walk from the city's northern bus terminal, so travelling north means I avoid most of the metropolis' traffic mayhem.

Yes, there's much more to the north of Bogotá than Boyacá, however, when it's only a few days' break, I don't want to spend too much time in transit.

The reason I chose Jenesano was simply that a barrio buddy mentioned it to me, he's due to work in the town next year.

'I've observed that urban centres in Colombia's warmer lands often have a rough side to them. This may have something to do with the growth of a certain cash crop. That and the politics at play.'

At 2,100 metres-above-sea-level, it's a little warmer than Bogotá. Just a little that is — it's certainly not tropical.

Par for the course in these parts, rolling hills abound. Equally standard are dubiously domesticated dogs guarding every dwelling. Most are in the bark-worse-than-bite category but it's always a good idea to have a lump of a stick with you just in case.

Now why exactly this was so I'm not sure, but Jenesano was previously called Genazzano after the Italian province of the same name, which translates as 'healthy people' or 'healthy town'.

Back to one's roots, kind of: harvesting arracachas.

I must say, I didn't see anything that points to the locals here being healthier than other Colombians. Indeed, if the lads who were football training are anything to go by, they could do with consuming fewer arepas.

For sure, the pace of life is certainly more relaxed and one would have fewer security concerns here compared to Bogotá, but that's quite a low bar.

What I tend to like about such agricultural towns with a mild climate is that the locals generally leave you to your own devices. I've observed that urban centres in Colombia's warmer lands often have a rough side to them. This may have something to do with the growth of a certain cash crop. That and the politics at play.

Mucking around

So while I would have been quite content to do my own thing in Jenesano, a random encounter with an older couple in a tienda bar on my first night meant I got a whole different, more fulfilling experience.

The couple and I were minding our own business until I ordered my second 850-ml Club Colombia (don't worry, Poker, it was purely for the novelty factor of the new bottle size for this brand — it won't become a habit). The young bartender, bless her, asked me what part of the USA I was from.

Of course I told her that not everyone who speaks English-accented Spanish is from the US. When I asked her to guess where I'm from, the couple took an interest.

'The five-kilometre wander to the slightly higher and slightly bigger Ramiriquí did take place the next day. Pleasantly surprisingly, there was a scarcity of annoying dogs en route.'

Thus began my friendship with Jenesano blow-in, José — he's from San Juan de Rioseco in Cundinamarca originally — and his local wife, Lucila.

They told me about their finca, farm if you will, on the hills outside the town and invited me to go up the next day. They were set to dig up and bag their arracacha harvest (arracacha, or racacha as it's also called, is a root vegetable, kind of like yuca but with a yellow-ish colour and, as far as I'm concerned, a much better taste).

Ramiriquí and beyond.

I postponed my half-plan to walk to the nearby Ramiriquí and accepted the couple's invite. I wasn't there just to make up the numbers, either. I, quite literally, mucked in, getting my hands dirty, putting into piles the dug up arracacha and then separating the edible root from the plant. A change is as good as a rest and all that.

José and Lucila did look after me for my endeavours, it must be noted. It wasn't exactly slave labour.

Not only that, but after a few "celebratory" beers back in Jenesano, they came to my rescue. Dropping me off at my hotel at the, um, ungodly hour of about 10.30 pm, there was no one attending the inn to let me in — shame on you, Hotel El Palacio.

After waiting in vain for a few minutes, the friendly couple brought me back to their house and gave me a bed, a very comfortable one at that, for the night. You see, sometimes it is good to befriend the locals.

The five-kilometre wander to the slightly higher — about 200 metres to be more exact — and slightly bigger Ramiriquí did take place the next day. Pleasantly surprisingly, there was a scarcity of annoying dogs en route.

While I only passed the afternoon in the town, it does seem to have a nice vibe to it. It also has decent and reasonably priced coffee from a number of cafés on its quaint main square, always a major plus point that.

For those looking to work up more of a sweat, there's a decent trek up to a chapel to the south-east that offers a landscape view of both Ramiriquí and Jenesano as well as Ciénega to the north-east, about six kilometres further on from Ramiriquí.

For my last day in Jenesano, I returned to José and Lucila's farm to pick up some arracacha to bring back to Bogotá with me. See, it wasn't a, um, rootless journey.

The couple then drove me to Tunja, Boyacá's capital city, where they had a few messages to run. I accompanied them for the afternoon before they dropped me off at the bus terminal.

The random things that can happen when you escape the monotony and explore pastures new, eh? The next adventure can't come quick enough.

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Listen to Wrong Way's Colombia Cast podcast here.

Facebook: Wrong Way Corrigan — The Blog & IQuiz "The Bogotá Pub Quiz".