Colombia, 2013

Barrancabermeja – I arrived here two days ago and felt, on stepping off the plane, that I had finally arrived in the tropics. Bogota, like Quito, is elevated and relatively cool. Barrancabermeja, by contrast, is hot and sticky, with lush green vegetation. The Ecopetrol refinery dominates the city of 300,000 and embodies the paradox of the area – the luxuriant swathes of nature to soothe the eyes, at odds with the acrid whiff of petrol to irritate the nose (and poison the lungs).

Driving from the airport to the hotel, I experienced that familiar feeling of elation and liberation that being in a developing country always triggers in me. It set me to reflecting on what makes one country or city different from another. In the case of Colombia – and many other parts of the world I have visited – it is not so much the places – the streets and buildings and markets – but the people, with their particular habits and customs and cuisine.

Last night, Halloween was in full swing, with children and adults alike in fancy dress – the streets bustled with everything from witches and angels to monsters and superheroes; someone was even dressed as the HTC robot icon. At dinner, I found myself predictably underwhelmed by the visit of past president of Mexico, Vicente Fox, although one has to admire anyone who can survive and thrive in the jungle of politics.