I have never before seen such an enormous symphony of color as I did in Guatemala. The past Spanish colonial influence combined with the vivid Mayan culture and tradition of brilliant colors reflect deeply throughout Guatemala, especially in the Highlands. Xela is the heart of the Mayan culture and community. If you take a walk around her lovely, hilly streets you will be reminded of her past, present and future. You can see it reflected in the lovely colors of the buildings. Some of which are on their fourth generation of color.
Come….take a walk with me through the streets of Xela and experience all the joy that color can bring to the soul.
Looking up to the hills. A typical street in Xela lined in ancient foot-burning cobblestones and a gorgeous splash of color.
From golden yellows to turquoise blues the colors never cease to inspire me and make me smile. Above is a cheerful looking “Tortilleria” where fresh tortillas are made from scratch and grilled hot before your eyes.
As you can see, there are many gorgeous colors to capture and many more to come….
Hues of yellow are a prominent color and they made the buildings jump to life.
Pastels are also prominent throughout Guatemala such as this pretty pink. Balconies would often be decorated with flowers and some buildings even would have a splash of brilliant red or hot pink Bougainvillea pouring down the side.
Layers of peeled paint were left untouched which often added to the charm and mystique. Oftentimes you could see up to three or four layers of paint colors on one building, and if you closed your eyes you could picture what the building looked like over the centuries.
Doors and gates were equally impressive and easily captured the imagination of the unsuspected admirer.
You could spend an entire day or two wandering aimlessly around the curvy streets, finding new subjects to take photos of and stop and admire. The propensity for pictures was incredible.
Some buildings like this one that housed a “tiendra” or shop were in multiple colors. I love the burnt reddish orange against the golden yellow. So pretty!
This home was full of color in the building as well as the flowers jetting out the top!
For some reason I love this one. I can only imagine how gorgeous the turquoise paint must have been before it faded away over time.
These three buildings have some of the most diverse colors I’d seen on one small street!
A nightclub that is yellow but had been pink, green and red sometime long ago. Maybe it was even blue?
Not only were the buildings diverse in their spectrum of colors, the rooftops as well were quite different and fascinating.
Graffiti was also somewhat common on the sides of abandoned buildings. Yet I found it just as pretty as the architecture itself. A work of art in its own right.
Finally, a few more of my favorites. I could have taken hundreds of pictures of buildings!
Stay tuned…my hike to the Santa Maria Volcano is coming up next!
I absolutely love your pictures! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Thank you so much! I was really excited doing the post!
Lovely pics Nicole!
I have to say it’s never been high on my “must see list” but these photos make Guatemala look amazing – it’s moving up the list now…
I loved Guatemala! I truly fell in love with the third world feel and rugged beauty.
The faded colours are amazing. This is not a place I thought of visiting, but it looks interesting.
I love Guatemala and Costa Rica. Yet being in Guatemala really gave me the desire to see more of Central America. I love the roughness of it, the beauty and the third world feel. I hope to make it back soon!
makes me want to go even more now – nice post thanks 🙂
Thanks! I loved it there and now am so interested in seeing more of Central America. I’ve been to Costa Rica which I loved but they are so different. I have more great posts coming on Guatemala….stay tuned! nicole
These colors are incredible. Can’t believe you got so many great photos. I love the peeling, faded paint. Looking forward to more, my friend. Hope you have a wonderful Sunday.
Hugs,
Kathy
Thanks Kathy! I loved putting this post together. It is one of my favorites for its lovely pictures. I feel they really represent the beauty of Guatemala. More ones to come! Happy Sunday!
I love colourful towns. Our house is a beautiful yellow, the house next a soft green! Great pics!
You should take some photos of your house and I’d love to see some of your mysterious italian husband! How about some stories on how you met? Interested readers want to know!
Haha! My husband is a very reserved guy. I dont really like talking about him and our private life on my blog. But I have written a post on how we met!
LOVE the colors! Brings joy and smiles.
Thanks! I love this post too! I miss Guatemala already and can’t wait til we get more colors here in MN….its starting!
Beautiful pics – thanks for sharing!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed them!
Reblogged this on All About Travel.
Simply gorgeous! All of them, but especially the header! Thank you for a peek into Guatemala!
Thanks! I have so many good shots, it is just going to take me some time to get them all uploaded!