WHAT'S IN MY WAYUU MOCHILA BAG?

First thing you may wondering is what is a Wayuu Mochila bag? Here is a little history on the people, where they live and how they sell their bags.

Wayuu bags or mochilas are a traditional craft that has been practiced by Wayuu women for hundreds of years. The craft of crocheting these bags is an art that is learned by Wayuu women from a young age.

The Wayuu people’s beliefs and environment influence each bag’s pattern and color, turning each different bag into a window onto the culture and traditions of this beautiful indigenous group.

The Wayuu community is an indigenous group that lives in the northernmost part of Colombia in a region called La Guajira. Although the region is breathtaking with the contrast of the bright orange desert sand against the crisp blue ocean water, the people are very poor, living in small mud and wooden huts.

In order to sell her bags, she must get them to a larger town or city. Sometimes, a representative of the village will gather all the bags produced by the women from the village and go and sell them in the city.

Other times, the woman makes the trip to the city herself and sells them to a provider that will commercialize them and add the strap.

These bags are so uniquely designed with no two ever being the same, each bag is threaded by hand by the Wayuu people. On average, double threaded Wayuu bag takes about five hours to make, while single-threaded bags take 10 hours in total. This of course does not count the strap, as it is usually made by the men of the Wayuu community.

As a large majority of people from the indigenous Wayuu community have little or no access to education, so crocheting these Wayuu bags is a skill that they have become dependent on to bring in a major part of their income.

Below is a video I found on youtube showing how Wayuu Mochila bags are made. The commentary is in Spanish, but you can clearly see how the complex inherited knowledge that Wayuu women apply to making their famous mochilas, as well as the remarkable skill involved in crafting a Wayuu mochila.

{source: Bogotastic}

So, here's a look into my Wayuu Mochila bag and what I keep in it. I've only carried it a few times as to protect the fibers from wear. It's definitely a unique bag with such an amazing history. Love the overall authenticity of it, where it comes from, how it's made and.... l love my bae for bringing me back such an awesome souvenir from the beautiful country of Columbia! xx! MVC

My summer bag must haves {yes it changes with the seasons}:

cell phone

ear buds

keys

wallet

emergency bag: hand sanitizer, hand cream, cuticule oil, nail file, clippers, tweezers, comb, brush, breathe spray, deodorant, floss, band-aides, perfume,

makeup bag: w/eyeliner, mascara, face primer, foundation, face powder, face blotting papers, lip stick, lip balm, mirror compact

tissue

antibacterial wipes

envelope for coupons and receipts

mini address book/notebook

dr. sebi's nutritional guide

stylus pen {for cell phone}

advil

monthly previsions

rain bonnet

cotton swabs {for dabbing corners of watery eyes & preventing eyeliner smudges}

gum and mints

small bottle of water

NOTE: A lot of the items are sample sizes. Samples I got free from companies, online orders and trials. These are perfect for your bag to keep the weight down.