I thought a lot about my first article for the Colombian Official Bloggers. Shall I talk about myself? Why I decided to settle down in Colombia? Maybe pick my favourite places? Surely after more than 2 years of extensive travelling in the country I can consider myself an expert. Those would be natural options, I could even make something interesting out of it. But no, not the first post. For this post, I would like to share an emotion, something unexpected that deeply touched me. After all, this is what Colombia is about.

The Pasaje Rivas, a central Bogotá market which offers the essence of Colombianness, commemorated its 120th anniversary this week. The L-shaped pasaje connects Carrera Decima to Calle 10, and is full of souvenirs, furniture, clothing and lots more. Its vendors are proud that the pasaje pioneered the retail trade in Bogotá.

Tayrona Park in Santa Marta derives its name from the indigenous people, the Taironas, who have lived in its mountains for centuries. I don’t need to tell you what the Spanish conquest did to their population, I’m sure you know how that same old awful story goes, but many of their descendants continue to live in the region.

Colombia is known for its coffee, but it plays a much bigger role in the world emerald market, where it produces more than half of the stones - and some of the best ones.