Colors of Nicaragua

While my personal wardrobe may lack variety in the color department, I always appreciate the use of bright hues everywhere else. On a recent trip to Nicaragua, I couldn’t stop smiling at the tropical colors on buildings, in clothing, on pottery and in fruit juices.

The vividly painted adobe walls of the colonial city of Granada are arranged in brave combinations of red and green, orange and blue, pink and purple—combos that I believe my grandmother would have only allowed when I was a child. But the shocking blends lured me closer. I wanted to be part of the hues, even though I was in drab black and white. Some urban dwellers may be proud of their all-black wardrobe, but in Granada, it’s best to dive in and play with the Crayola colors.

Another town, San Juan del Sur, employed bright shades not only on buildings, but also on the local buses rumbling through on their routes. Emblazoned with names of destinations as well as paintings of birds or trucker-style mudflap girls—one bus may include every citrus hue in its color palate. Add some chrome, and you’ve got a stylin’ ride.

I was so inspired by color in Nicaragua that I purchased a bright pink bag before I left. Its use will remind me that color is never overrated. And I’ll bring it on my next trip to the land of poets and volcanoes to brighten up my wardrobe.

I was a guest of the Instituto Nicaragüense de Turismo during my time in Nicaragua.