Every year around Christmas, massive bulls and “Improvisers” descend on bullrings around San José, Costa Rica’s capital city. The Improvisers are members of the public who get drunk, put on fluorescent t-shirts, leap into the ring then chase and annoy the bulls.

Bullfighting was brought to Costa Rica by Spanish colonisers and is still hugely popular in the small Central American country. Bullfighters there don’t kill the bulls, but animal rights protesters still sometimes stage protests against the events.

I spent Christmas with the amateur bull-botherers of San José, and some of the people determined to end their booze-fuelled fun.

Episodes of Keep Going: An Unexpected Travel Podcast are currently coming out every two weeks, in the usual podcast places and with full videos on the pod's YouTube channel.

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Writing, recording, narration: Jamie Fullerton

Sound editing: Samira Tazari

Music: Olguita Acuña

Podcast artwork: Nini Giunàshvili

Tickets and information for the Pedregal bullfighting: Torosalatica.cr

Zapote bullring: Google Maps link

Karen Elena’s San José animal rights group: Coordinadora por la Liberación Animal on Instagram

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Mexico’s Tren Maya takes tourists around the Yucatán Peninsula, to cities, ancient Mayan ruins and jungle towns. It has displaced Indigenous locals, destroyed sacred sites and caused environmental carnage.

Mexican authorities have touted the Tren Maya as offering a Mayan adventure and providing jobs and transport for poor locals. I spent a month traveling around the railway route to see how the massive project has affected life near the tracks.

Watch full video episodes on YouTube.

Writing, recording, narration: Jamie Fullerton

Sound editing: Samira Tazari

Music: Olguita Acuña

Podcast artwork: Nini Giunàshvili

You can buy Tren Maya tickets from the official ticket website, Reservas.ventaboletostrenmaya.com.mx.

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Northwest Mexico’s Chepe train route is one of the wildest, most ruggedly-beautiful railway journeys in the world.

Starting in Chihuahua city and ending 418 miles later in Los Mochis, the train cuts through vast canyons, known collectively as the Copper Canyon, and stops at remote outposts.

Much of the region is home to the Indigenous Tarahumara people, many of whom are semi-nomadic and have an uneasy relationship with tourists and Hispanic locals following historic mistreatment by colonisers.

I spent 11 days on the Chepe train route, getting off at all the stops to explore the Copper Canyon.

Writing, recording, narration: Jamie Fullerton

Sound editing: Samira Tazari

Music: Olguita Acuña

Podcast artwork: Nini Giunàshvili

Chepe tickets and train information: Official Chepe train site

Creel hotel: The Lodge At Creel

Divisadero hotel: Hotel Mirador

Cerocahui hotel: Hotel Misión

Los Mochis: Hotel Lorena

Gustavo Loreno, guide: +526351049307

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