A walk through the Guajiro handicraft center in Caracas
A couple of weeks ago, on a Wednesday like today, I had to wait in a well-known commercial area of the capital, while my wife and her sister settled some business.
I have been known to be very patient, and I usually stay close to the vehicle when I wait for someone. You know, in vigil, guarding it. But on this occasion, I decided to walk around and look for something new. It's amazing how fast cities change, even under economies in crisis.
Everything seemed similar, in terms of infrastructure, only changes of names in a few fast food stands, always ready to catch the passers-by boarding public transportation adjacent to the entrances of a Caracas subway station. When I noticed a billboard that read: Centro Artesanal los Guajiros.
I don't know how many times I must have passed in front of the passageway or street. Surely, hundreds, but never, in more than thirty years, had I gone down to snoop out of curiosity.
The Guajiros are an indigenous people trying to maintain their traditions, settled in a cross-border space located on the western coastline of Venezuela bordering Colombia: an arid and hot area, where cacti abound and goats roam. So, finding a Guajira handicraft market in a large metropolis, more than seven hundred kilometers away, intrigued me for the first time.
A black cat came out to meet me, just as I descended the brick stairs. Some people are afraid of them because they are associated with witches. On the other hand, I see a lot of beauty in them and a noble soul. Not for nothing were they revered in ancient Egypt, and I know that among my readers there is more than one lover of these magnificent felines, regardless of their color.
The artisan corridor will be three meters wide at the beginning, gradually narrowing to one and a half meters at the end, after a distance of approximately one block and ending at the sidewalk of an artery known as Casanova Street.
The stores were filled with carved wooden artifacts, clay ornaments, straw baskets, stringed musical instruments such as the Cuatro and the harp, native percussion of various sizes lined with goat skins, maracas, and multicolored fabrics that included hats, scarves, flags, hammocks or Chinchorros, and the typical guajiro robes, just to name a few souvenirs.
One of my hobbies, since I was a child, was chess, and when I saw the boards and the curious carved pieces of indigenous people and Spanish conquistador soldiers, I could not contain my smile. Yes, the nations fuse the old with the new in the cultural crossover.
While I enjoyed the show in general, the cute part of the dessert, for better or worse, was seeing the stuffed fighting cocks in a haughty pose. I lamented their fate and how they lived their lives in a quest for entertainment and gambling. Of course, like the gladiators of old, these beautiful and fierce animals died with honor and not in a boiling pot.
Something I don't want to forget to tell you, even in a generic way, is the matter of prices. For example, a stringed instrument ranges from 40 to 80 dollars, and the hapless rooster is worth about 40.
To be honest, I didn't do my homework on the other items, but I gather that most of them average around $20, except the large hammocks which tend to be expensive.
If you ever visit Caracas and want some Guajiro souvenirs, this is where you should look for them, without having to go to Zulia or northern Colombia.
I hope you enjoyed this short Wednesday walk with me.
A screenshot of the location at #pimnapple.
Originally written in Spanish by @janaveda published in English with the help of www.deepl.com (free version) and corrected with the free version www.grammarly.com
I took the pictures with my old Samsung
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This is place is beautiful.
I love cats too but I don't know if I will like a black one.
Beautiful photos you shared.
Hello, @phyna
Thank you. Well, I guess that black cat in the picture will belong to everyone and no one. The truth is that he was beautiful and very confident. I think that regardless of their color, contact with these animals is very beneficial.
I'm glad you liked the pictures.
Greetings.
what a cool area and walk, I would love checking out all the crafts there
Thanks for joining the Wednesday Walk :)
Hi, my friend @tattoodjay
You are correct! It's a great place full of cool crafts in many colors. I was left wanting to buy a beautiful four. In fact, I imagine shortly to buy it using my HBD.
It's a pleasure to join you whenever I can in your community and it's Wednesday walks.
Greetings.
👍🙂👍
Greetings, Javier.
Thanks for sharing your walk, as always you manage to bring back memories for me.
Beautiful cat, by the way, among the many that roam the house, it has been a long time since I have seen one that is 100% black.
I've looked at your photos three times and I haven't seen a single tapestry. I remember that they were the most representative of that region.
I hope they were exhausted due to the high demand and the artisans could not supply themselves to meet the demand.
May you enjoy health and an excellent day.