If I were to use only one word for this place it would be color. There is so much of it here. From the clothing to the flowers, painted buildings, artwork, pottery, and kites (more on that later). And let’s not forget the chicken buses. Yes, it’s also a land of volcanos, earthquakes, and lightning storms, but for us, the thing that sticks out the most is the color.
The native Maya wear the most colorful clothes I think I have ever seen. The clothing and fabric, all hand woven, are amazingly beautiful. So, it’s a treat to wander around and take it all in. The street walls are often lined with bright flowers and the inner courtyards are filled with plants like Bougainvillea’s and Hibiscus. Where there are no walls, it’s flowering hedges instead. And if there are no exterior plants, at least most of the houses and walls are painted in bright yellows, oranges and reds. We also wandered through the graveyard in Sumpango and it reminded us of some of the cemeteries in Europe with smaller monuments and way less dreary. In fact, it was a downright cheery place. And at night, even the volcano is colorful.
If you are in the market for pottery, fabric, and beads, this is the place to buy them. We have no place to store things like this, so we’ve been bad little shoppers and reluctantly turned the vendors down. I did buy a small beaded purse though for all the loose change and colorful money. It’s not something I’ll misplace either. It’s pretty bright but in a manly sort of way. No, really.