Sturdy houses and larger buildings are built using blocks which are made with clay soil which is readily available and cheap. A simple wood form is filled with mud mixed with straw. The block is left to dry in the sun until it is hard enough to be used for building.
It doesn’t snow here (even though the altitude is above 12000 ft) so snow loads are not a factor in roof construction. Houses are finished in stages as money for things like doors and glass for windows becomes available. Initially the roof is thatch but the sign of prosperity is a house with a tile roof. The brown of the mud is the standard colour and during an election campaign, Political Parties will paint the outside of your house for free to advertise their candidate. Less drab that way.
photodyssey 
