beach bum n. Informal A person with no regular occupation who habitually loafs or idles on beaches. The lifestyle of a beach bum is usually one of leisure. Also see photo on the left. I'm back in Santa Marta, a popular resort-like city on the Caribbean coast where I taught English four years ago. Oddly, the city isn't all that photogenic and my photos prove it...I don't have any. But I really like it here and have adopted a complete beach bum lifestyle. The surr...

It just doesn't stop. Following the parades, it's time to hit the street and meet the hosts of this amazing party, the local Colombians. The guests of honor, if you haven't yet figured it out, is rum and aguardiente. The parties continue until the wee hours in the morning when you need to make a critical decision, sleep or go to an after party. And don't forget, the next parade is just a few hours away as well. It's all a balancing act really and you just go wit...

Boobs and Booze....and lots of each. This is the ultra simple explanation of Carnival in Barranquilla, where it is estimated that over 100,000 cases of rum and aguardiente (the local firewater) will be sold to quench the thirsty, frenzied crowd of thousands over four days of non-stop partying. And although some of the boobs on display may be fake, the alcohol definitely is not, as my internal organs will attest to. Four days of this kind of behavior will have yo...

My bus trip to San Gil is memorable for one reason and one reason only; a Belgian girl named Han. Han has one of those unique, way-out-there personalities that always keeps you guessing about her sanity, sobriety, and general knowledge of how the world actually works. Today, her fascination was drawn out the bus window to the sides of the country roads where plump, fully plumaged, healthy looking chickens roamed freely about. Her amazement literally amazed me an...

Even Colombia recognizes a rare gem when they find it and the colonial village of Villa de Leyva is living proof. The town has been around since 1572 and modern architecture is almost non-existent. Colombia has been protecting it as a national monument since 1954. There's not much going here but the people are friendly and welcoming. The two days I spent here passed by slowly with me just walking around the quiet old streets pretending to be a National Geographi...