Held hostage by a splinter group of the FARC guerrillas for almost a year in 2000, we get to speak to co author of bestselling book “The Cloud Garden” (http://www.thecloudgarden.com) Tom Hart Dyke. In a frank and amusing interview Tom speaks of his and Paul Winder’s experiences in the jungle as hostages of the FARC whilst attempting to cross the famed Darien Gap on foot. We talk about adventure tourism, risk taking and his treatment at the hands of the guerrilla. Tom returned to Colombia for the first time since his release in 2014 and reflects on his welcome here and how Colombia appears to have changed. A truly fascinating and riveting show for you this week.

Talking to Nick Pickthall of CPLAromas (www.cplaromas.com) we learn about the intricacies of Colombian bureaucracy when it comes to running a business here. We hear workplace anecdotes, stories of best practice and how to hire staff in Colombia avoiding the inevitable traps of elitism found here. Based in Bogota since 2002 Nick brings a wealth of knowledge and provides us with an informed and humourous show and shares invaluable insights and predictions for the Colombian economy.

Having previously worked in regions such as the Congo and Afghanistan we get to talk to the Director of War Child in his office in Bogota. We learn about the realities and the problems facing Colombia's youth which have been caught up and affected by the violence and the creative psychosocial manner in which War Child is trying to give children their lives back. Working with local NGOs War Child is directed at providing an education and protecting and promoting child rights the world over. Shahzamani talks about the peace process and some potential solutions for the Colombian situation and the clear divide between rural and urban Colombia. 

Having spent a year in Tunja the capital of the department of Boyaca teaching English at university as a Fulbright scholar and working for a local NGO, Kyra Gurney has since moved on and extended her sojourn in Colombia. Kyra is now writing for the City Paper in Bogota and living in the capital. We talk about her articles, in particular about the ongoing peace dialogues in Colombia, the importance of social media to the FARC guerrillas and what is going on with the Mayor of Bogota. Tune in for an informative and thought provoking show.