Ajuchitlan

Ajuchitlan is a noted settlement along the coast of South-Western Meta, known for its flower fields. In the early 800s NW a flood wiped out most of the settlement, this of course greatly impacted life for the people of Ajuchitlan but they were not deterred. Over the course of a few decades, they rebuilt completely and even expanded on their original ruins to include separate flower fields and districts. In present-day Aju, there are plenty of precautions taken to prevent floods from destroying the settlement and surrounding area once again. Despite the disaster and toll, it took on the people there are stories and figures that reflect not only the disaster itself but the people who persevered beyond it.

Flood

The 800s saw a wave of storms across the southern hemisphere and is said to be the reason for luxurious flora and innovations in water-based travel and technology. Unfortunately, this also gave way to many floods and changes in wildlife migration, both of which had lasting effects on the ecosystems of the south. In the late months of 843 NW arrived a storm unlike any previously recorded, a week of hard downpours and wind wrecked the fields and slowly took over the homes of Ajuchitlan.

Rebuilt

It took roughly 35 years for the settlement to be returned to a state of normal, the ground was a marsh for most of these years but it did not stop the pace of construction. Many channels were built between sections of Aju, allowing for a natural organization between classes of people, jobs, and states of construction. These channels directed the movement of the water from the coast and acted as a strainer to remove excess water from the soil.

Present Day

Along with the channels of water dividing the city, you will find stone steps and bridges to cross said channels, and many houses still built on top of stilts. Most of these are from the original rebuilding period, though heavily renovated or repaired due to the lingering marsh and yearly monsoons. Stories are also present, not of the loss of struggle of starting anew, but of creatures and beings that visited the land after the flood. Bodies of unrecognized animals washing up on the shore and new flowers which flourished in the marshy lands. These figures and flowers became a symbol for the settlement, and every year just before monsoon season they hold a fantastic celebration to honor them.

Ajuchitlan: An Aztec era placename, in the Nahuatl language, meaning a place near an abundance of water-flower.

Alternative Name(s)

Aju

Related Tradition (Primary)