Capture the Colour

I’m sure it comes as no surprise to my usual readers that I am a color fanatic.  I root it out no matter where I am, though usually I’m drawn to places that wear it right on the surface.  As part of the Capture the Colour competition with Travel Supermarket, I have selected five photographs from my travels to represent five particular colors:  blue, green, yellow, white, and red.   Enjoy the photos and wish me luck!

Blue:

Jerusalem, Israel:  This city had nearly as much blue as Greece, which isn’t surprising considering their shared Mediterranean roots.  Blue is the color of water and clear skies, and brings to mind a fresh sea breeze, something in short supply in a desert city.  This small shop in the center of the Old City was full of beautiful blue and white Armenian pottery, and the owner was a kind young Palestinian man who was thrilled to be able to practice his English with me and the cute Greek woman reflected in the mirror above.

Green:

Jerusalem, Israel:  I don’t mean to over-do the Jerusalem theme, but is there a city more full of contradiction, conflict, beauty, and color in the whole world?  This alley in the Christian Quarter was as tranquil as the aqua-green walls that lined it, despite being in the (sometimes volatile) center of a historic blend of cultures and beliefs.  In the backdrop, you see the dome of an Orthodox Christian church.  In the foreground, a sign written in Arabic.  And somewhere in between, a conservative Jewish woman walks by in the shadows of so much history.

Yellow:

Cartagena, Colombia:  These brightly colored women are Palenqueras, reigning from the mysterious and unique town of Palenque.  Most of the residents of Palenque are descendents of African slaves, and they still use their own language, maintain their own style of music and dance, and are known to practice a sort of voodoo, according to local legend.  In Cartagena, they make a living taking photos with tourists in their brilliant dresses and selling tropical fruits and candies.

White:

Cuzco, Peru:  This may look like snow at first glance, but these are in fact salt mines on the outskirts of Cuzco, Peru.  Each square is owned by a different person or family, and consists of a hard layer of white crystallized salt covered in a thin layer of warm salt water.  I was surprised to find that the water was warm to the touch, unusual given that it appeared to be flowing down from nearby snow-capped mountains.  At a small tienda nearby, you could purchase plastic baggies of Flor de Sal (flower of salt) for an inflated price.

Red:

Moscow, Russia:  Everyone expects to see a lot of red in Moscow (what with the communism and all).  In fact, the Russian words for ¨red¨ and ¨beautiful¨ are nearly the same (¨krasniy¨ and ¨krasiviy¨).  What I didn’t expect to see was a bright crimson Spiderman wandering aimlessly around Revolutionary Square amid tourists and tributes to the past.  Epic photobomb.

And to complete the Capture the Colour competition, I’d like to nominate five other bloggers to take part in the challenge:  

The Adventures of Mona

The Thirdeyeworld

Loni Found Herself

Peach, Plum, Orange

Beautiful Geometry

Find more info here:  http://www.travelsupermarket.com/c/holidays/capture-the-colour/