17 March 2010

Another great day in the tropics. Warm and humid, but it feels like the breeze is picking up so maybe we are headed into fall and some cooler weather.

This is our refrigerator for the moment. Styrofoam cooler; it does the job. We pick up ice in town every other day and it manages to keep things cool. We still only buy food for the day as we go into town every day anyway. I'm amazed at Juana, the cook, and how she manages to cook for 10-12 people everyday with no refrigeration. She has a four burner gas stove and a counter to work with. The flies are terrible; I don't think I could spend as much time as she does in that "kitchen" as she does. The workers are happy with the food they get and Juana never complains.




This afternoon the workers were filling in the floor of the master bedroom and bath. They've dug out the area for the jacuzzi and are ready to pour the base for it. It looks like it will take several inches of sand/fill to bring the floor up to the right level...and it's all one wheelbarrow at a time. I realized the other day that these workers have not used any power tools at all. The only machinery they have used was the excavator at the beginning of the project when they dug out the pool. Everything else has been by hand!

This view is from the master bedroom out. The square shaped indent is for the jaccuzi and you can see them working on the second level of the columns out over the studio.










Jorge is working in the pool. He is putting a finish on the walls and plumbing the walls; making them straight up and down. The grooved finish is to provide a better bond for the tile adhesive. Once the smooth finish is on, he will get a smooth floor, curve the joint between the walls and the floor, and get it ready for the tiles.