This huge warehouse of a store has literally piles and piles of textiles from all the various regions of Guatemala. You can buy the smallest scraps as well as the largest bolts of cloth, all which were handwoven. The owner is an old expatriot, who I met walking around town. He is tan and leathery, a tall hippe, and he told me how he travels around the country buying Algodon fabrics. The prices are not as low as you could find in the local open markets, but everything is gathered in one place for the American who may find bartering squeamish (like me). I bought a unique wooden mask for Rick here, but there was also a fabulous selection of traditional clothing, sweaters, hammocks and rugs. It's worth a visit just to learn about the various types of fabrics, as each pattern comes from a distinct region of Guatemala. Some are very sophisticated with subtle detail, while others are more straightforward and joyful in their use of color and line. The shop itself is a riot of color, as handcrafts are massed on tables, strung across the ceilings on ropes, hooked on walls, and lined on shelves, while the textiles are thrown in grounded rowboats, piled in heaps on low tables, and hung on racks splaying their many arms towards the customer.
tel (502) 832-2605, www.allgodonesmayas.com