I am here — in mind-boggling, bustling, bewildering and bewitching Bogota to begin my year long assignment as a Knight International Journalism Fellow. All the adjectives I’ve just employed really apply. Bogota is a complex city with a road system that for the newly arrived is more of a maze and labyrinth than a traffic grid. Mix this up with a population of more than eight million people, in a city that is 8,600 feet above sea level where construction is ongoing everywhere and bumper-to bumper traffic is a way of life. Well, you get the picture.

Our project here is a collaboration with El Tiempo newspaper that we hope to kick off as a digital mapping and crowd sourcing effort leading up to regional and local elections Oct. 30.

First impressions of El Tiempo are of a very active newsroom that is constantly humming…but again, we are in a very active country with much going on. These elections are important as Colombia tries to move away from its very well known violent past to a more democratic and transparent society.

Transparency dominates the headlines – people seem to be demanding accountability, especially as Colombian society appears to move more and more online. One story that caught my eye just a day after I got here was an article about a proposal to make access to the Internet free and readily available to all. This is definitely something for us to think about in the U.S., too.

More first impressions: Day One at El Tiempo, the walk into the building where a century-old printing press is on display. The newspaper was founded more than 100 years ago. Lunchtime in the cafeteria turned out to be a party. Once a month, the focus is on a particular region of Colombia, both in terms of food and culture. This time around it was the Colombian coast—fish, yucca, sweet bananas, and music and dancers. I tried to pretend it was to celebrate my arrival!

Bogota seems to be booming. Construction is everywhere, both horizontal and vertical. It is a city of high rises, both residential and commercial. And more and more buildings are going higher and higher up. On the road, more stops and lanes are being built for the Transmilenio, Bogota’s mass transit system. God knows it is needed. Traffic jams almost round the clock seem to be a way of life. Bogota has much to recommend it, but definitely NOT its traffic. Never mind road rage, though. The situation is way beyond anger. NO horn honking, no shouting…could it be the quiet desperation of those behind the wheel?

Cell phones dominate here. Many people have two – so as to never be disconnected. I understood why when I went to get my own cell phone. Even though I was told it would be activated within minutes, 24 hours later and at the time of this writing, I am still waiting to connect.

But so far, it is all sweetened by – the people. Courteous, amiable, helpful, just really nice, across the board. I’m not being Pollyanna here; we have all heard the Colombia horror stories and they are not just a thing of the past, but so far, so good in terms of my daily experiences.

Much to do and much to explore, virtually and actually as I initiate this year as a Knight Fellow with our exciting digital mapping and crowd sourcing project, which will lead us deeper into the Internet as we connect with real people on the ground as well.

Ciao ciao for now.