Carnival en Barranquilla

Barranquilla, Colombia´s fourth-largest city, usually doesn´t hold a lot of interest for travelers. But for one week every year this maze of bland concrete buildings transforms into a colorful, raging street party. The only way to witness a bigger party in South America is to attend Carnival in Rio. Emma, a delightful Irish girl I met on the beach, accompanied me to the rum-filled festivities. After two nights of non-stop salsa dancing and drunken debauchery we reeked of flour, foam, sweat and greasy street food. By some miracle, we found a hotel room the last day and were able to shower and change into our black dresses for the final parade - a funeral procession for Joselito Carnival. Crowds lined the street, taking pictures of Colombian beauty queens dressed in their most provocative mourning attire and weeping for the death of their beloved party. I wanted to weep with them, but, like these good Catholic people, I believe in resurrection.