MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

President Bush loves vacations

President George W Bush is far ahead in becoming the first US president who has spent most time on holidays in the last 36 years, reports The Washington Post.

President Bush began Tuesday his annual summer vacation in his Texas ranch at Crawford where he's expected to spend the next five weeks.

So far writes The Washington Post, president Bush has spent 20% of his presidency in Texas and Tuesday marked the 319th vacation day in his ranch since he took office in January 2001.

In the three and a half years of his current mandate, the Washington daily forecasts he will easily overtake the record of former president Ronald Reagan.

Apparently Mr. Bush has plans to visit friends, drive a bicycle and cut wood.

However his agenda also includes some interviews and meetings.

Thursday he will be receiving Colombian president Alvaro Uribe, the Bush administration staunchest ally in South America, plus holding talks with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

Vice president Richard Cheney represented Mr. Bush at the funeral of Saudi Arabian King Fahd.