Beach bums

I recently went to Pianguita, a beach site on the "litte Africa" Pacific Coast of Colombia, and it was a very enjoyable experience. We played in the waves, partook in games on the beach (I even got to teach Ultimate Frisbee to interested players), learned about the ever-changing tides (The posts below were the soccer goal earlier in the evening), witnessed all sorts of impressive jungle wildlife (including the featured tarantula and huge Conga ant, which can kill you!), made lots of young friends, and swallowed about 4 tons of salt water.

Alas, my time at the beach is now over, and I'm busy writing papers and taking final exams. :-(

Embassy Notes

The US Embassy kindly sends out emails like the following one periodically:

May 16, 2008: The U.S. Embassy in Bogotá advises all Americans in Colombia to keep a low profile and to remain vigilant as a result of continued military activity and recent extraditions of Colombian citizens to the United States. Although the Embassy has no specific, credible information concerning threats against Americans in Colombia, all Americans are strongly encouraged to exercise caution and avoid areas where foreigners are known to congregate. All official and personal travel outside of Bogotá by Embassy personnel continues to be reviewed, with the exception of air travel to Cali, Cartagena, and Medellín. Embassy personnel are prohibited from taking public buses in Colombia and the Embassy advises all Americans to refrain from using them as well.

Good thing I don't know any other Americans here and have no idea where foreigners "congregate." 80)