From Tijuana in the north to Cancun in the south, Mexico’s fantastic hand-painted signage is a national pop-cultural treasure. It would be fascinating to explore the regional variations in colors, typography and imagery. I discovered some great signs in the town of Sayulita, about an hour north of Puerto Vallarta. Here’s a great painting of a can of Cerveza Modelo that looks like it’s launching on a refreshing trajectory into outer space.

Monkeypete wishes he were on vacation in tropical Sayulita, Mexico. Instead he is working in Los Angeles on a gray day and feeling a bit gloomy. This morning I was feeding my escapist daydreams with photos from last year’s trip, and I came across these pics of some lovely hand painted signs. Sayulita has an exceptional sign painter, who’s lively and skillful work evokes the spirit of the great carnival sideshow banner painter Snap Wyatt. Next time I’m there I’ll track him down and do an interview. If you find yourself in Sayulita, be sure and have dinner at the Sayulita Cafe : the service is great, the margaritas are strong, and the molcajete is exceptional.