Construction

Construction has started here again. Before we we get into more detail than you may want to have about our project, we thought we would review our priorities with you. Now most people with limited funds would be thinking about maybe purchasing a stove/oven or a washing machine or maybe a vehicle. Not us. It has been pretty warm and still here and the skeeters are thick. So, literally, rising to the top of our list has become a way to get to the roof. Right now, the only way is by ladder and Peggy's whimpering about climbing the ladder has gotten to be a little much. So......



This time we're putting in a door from the top of our inside stairway that will lead to the roof of our back porch. From the porch, there will be a metal stairway made that will get us (actually only Peggy) without whimpering, to the roof of the house. This is a "before" shot.

Here are some of the "materiales". Sand and gravel were dumped on the front sidewalk. Blocks are stacked inside our gate. Cement and other materials are stored on the back porch. Usually concrete is mixed by hand out in the street and then carried in plastic buckets. Mortar for the block is being mixed, also by hand, up on the porch roof.

That's Alvaro, son of the contractor, on the porch roof. Pulpo (means octopus), the contractor is to the right. His real name is Elias. Most guys here have a nickname. We don't know why, but they do. You can see the wall going up. It'll go up even to the top of the house. The second tier of the stairway will traverse up this new wall. Almost all of the chipping necessary to attach the new construction to our house is done by hand. The men work from 7:30 until about 5:00 with an hour and a half for lunch. It is great to watch father and son working so well together. Pulpo has tremendous experience and good ideas. He listens attentively to changes that we have and is very willing, even eager, to change the design accordingly. Alvaro is a strong, hardworking young man who is learning to be a master in his own right. Both are used to working with Americans and they speak Spanish very slowly for our benefit.

They're making good progress. We're thinking that it'll be 10 days or so before completion. Maybe longer as estimates of cost and time are almost always overly optimistic! That's okay, we can wait!