Paradise or tourist trap? Rustic sanctuary or stuck in the past? We asked visitors and natives what Fiji means to them. The answers were diverse and sometimes surprising.

There were no naked people at Vancouver’s Wreck Beach, but there was a greying hippie feeding seagulls and a friendly bearded fella named Cloud.

This would have to suffice as a taste of this naturist mecca, where in the summer, thousands gather wearing nothing but a smile.

We happened on this notorious beach by chance: the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia was charging $14 a person, a few notches above the limits of reason for budget travelers.

Bob Blumer is a madman, and therefore, my favourite TV chef. So when we were invited to an event promoting BC tourism with him as host, we had no choice but to go.

Damn.

That about sums up my thoughts on the response to that video I posted of my colleagues’ reaction to my yearlong trip.

On Facebook, on Twitter, and on a few blogs, friends and friends of friends happily passed it on to their networks and, before I could say “unintended viral marketing”, I had a massive spike in traffic on this blog.

I’m honoured. And a little scared. I made this video thinking only friends and colleagues would see it. I never expected it to multiply through the miraculous butterfly effect of the retweet.

What would your coworkers say if you left your privileged, endangered job to prance around the world for one year? This is what my coworkers said.

Cartagena is a city that seduces you from every angle and through all the senses, and food is no exception. Here is a recipe for one of Cartagena’s tastiest street treats.

If you have a very large entrance to your home in Santa Marta, you turn it into an Internet cafe. And if you have pets, have them perform cute wrestling matches for the clients to keep coming back.