WAYUU Red, Beige, White

A little personal story in Wayuu land.

My first visit to Colombia dates back to 1993. At that time, the civil war was really intense. The paramilitaries occupied almost the entire northeast territory of Colombia, the Guajira desert, land of the Wayuu Indians. This land was highly coveted because it was rich in coal, and many train convoys stirred the interest of the various guerrilla factions. It was then impossible for me to go there. Too dangerous. I knew that their hammocks were among the most beautiful in this country, and a Colombian friend allowed me to make a remote connection with the Wayuus. I ordered my first hammock asking for a particular embroidery in the fringes. First, the name of my company "Tropical Influences", then lizards as well as butterflies. The lizards being fixed in the fringes, they cannot catch the butterflies. As a sign of eternal peace, that was the message I wanted to convey to the artisan who would put her heart into weaving this hammock for a Frenchman she could not meet.

The hammock arrived many months later. I had not provided a drawing for the lizard because, as desert inhabitants, I was convinced they would know how to represent it wonderfully. Oops, they look a bit more like mice!!!

This hammock below is over 20 years old. We regularly display it in front of our store in full sun. Its colors are still very vivid and have faded very little.

Many years later (2005), a Colombian president named Alvaro Uribe managed to carry out a major cleanup in the country. The guerrilla was held at bay, and it was then that I was able to start traveling all over this country and finally meet the Wayuu Indians. I never knew who had woven my first hammock. During my first trip to the Guajira desert, I was able to see the damage caused by the civil war. There was a place with exploded railway tracks and about twenty abandoned train wagon axles on the sides of the road.

This country is magnificent and its inhabitants are smiling, generous, supportive, and caring.