Progress is sooooo slow sometimes! We've resigned ourselves to another month at Jay's. As comfortable as it is, we are getting more anxious to move into our own home. We are waiting on windows, primarily. Once those arrive and are installed, we will be very close to moving in.

One water tank is up on the water tower and pipes are installed to bring the water into the house. There are still some septic drainage pipes that need to be in place before the system becomes totally functional.

We placed the island in the kitchen this aftenoon. And the appliances are supposed to arrive on Wednesday from Chiclayo. This will complete the kitchen with the exception of the granite.

The workers have been focused on the swimming pool, which doesn't break my heart; although it is at the expense of other things getting done. There will be a wood deck along each side of the pool. Water from the pool will spill over the edge and funnel down to the recirculating tank. It will be similar to the endless pool concept.

We have now made available more funds from the US, so hopefully progress will continue. We are still waiting on the glass; windows. This will be the next big milestone.

Koki will be here on Wednesday, so more things will be finalized. I know we are getting to the end of this; but it can't be soon enough. I am really ready to be in my own space and to be able to organize my own things within it.

We have been buying groceries for the workers everyday. Usually the cook gives me a list and I take it to the grocer for him to fill. Also, we often return to the same market to fill our own personal order. Today as we went back, I had a list. The owner of the market asked to see the list. I told him it was in English, but he still wanted to see it. I handed it to him, he looked at it, and then handed it back to me and said, "It's in English!" They treat us like royalty when we are there and they try so hard to be most accomodating.

While we were in town this afternoon, there was a big celebration going on. The school children were out and about in their uniforms and the marching band was playing as they moved through the streets. What little we saw, the military had a presence....marching with the high steps in tune to the music. Flags were flying and people were gathering. We never figured out what the celebration was all about.









Another stunning sunset tonight. Each night brings us something different. It rarely fails to amaze us.

Work continues. Each day a little bit more gets done. And each day new things come up. We are waiting on the windows, jacuzzi, granite, generator and solar panels. So many things seem to be in the works. And one day, they will all come together.

In this first picture, the worker is tamping down the dirt by the side of the pool. The block of cement has a rebar handle that serves as a compactor. He spread the dirt brought by wheelbarrow out to a predetermined depth and marked by pieces of brick. A wooden deck will be put over the top of this. Along side the pool itself, workers are bending rebar and setting up the pour for the edge and run-off channel.
I took this picture while sitting on the terrace between the master suite and the kitchen/dining room. This spot is going to be a favorite; the view is spectacular and the breeze makes it very comfortable.

This next picture shows the framing for the cover of the cistern. The water tower is built above it. Water will be delivered to the cistern and then pumped up into the tanks. Gravity feed will then provide water to the house.

Wednesday is "market" day. This is the day when fresh produce and products are delivered to Los Organos. Big trucks come in and park along the highway. Products are then unloaded to the various merchants who then load them on moto-taxis for transport to their stall. It's a busy day and there is always much more hussle and bussle.

I'm always amazed at what products come in on these trucks. Each week it seems there is a different load. This week there was some kind of hay or straw, mattresses piled on top of hundreds of dozens of eggs, and various types of produce. Who knows; these trucks bring in everything and anything!


Wednesday during the late morning or early afternoon is the best time to shop for veggies and fruit. You have to be careful though, as some of the shop owners will try to sell you the old stuff. Yesterday, for example, I asked for brocoli and was shown a head that had seen a few days on their shelf. I declined, and the shop owner hussled out to the sidewalk where the fresh produce had been unloaded and found me another head that was much nicer.

We finally got a final accounting from Koki, so we can get funds transfered once and for all. This should be the last large transfer we will need to make from the US to Peru. It will also take us through to the end of the project. Both of us are anxious to get it done....we moved here in September, started to build in December. We're ready to be settled into our new home.

Monday 31 May 2010

We spent much of the morning out at the property with Koki. We talked about a lot of details; location of light fixtures, fans, painting, etc. Each day there are more and more; things I would never think of.

This first picture is of the master suite and shows the color of the house. It's a sand color which we'll use inside and out. The roof is on the master suite except for the one section in the center that will be raised for circulation. Tiles are installed throughout. The toilet is in. The jacuzzi is supposed to come toward the end of this week. The stairs down to the studio will be built at the same time as the doors; a couple of weeks from now?





This next picture shows the building of the water tower. The tower goes up another level and the water tower and hot water heater will sit on top. The cistern sits right underneath the tower.

This is the piece that Georg is objecting to as he believes it obstructs his view. This picture is taken from Georg's property and, as you can see, it obstructs his view of the hilside; not the beach. If you stand far enough to the right, it might catch a bit of the beach. We did look at other options, but other locations weren't viable. As it is, this is a compromise that Georg originally agreed to.

Georg did call us last night from England where he's on business. The phone connection wasn't good so Doug finally resorted to e-mail; explaining how the decision was made. Georg wanted to blame Koki, the architect, but we've explained that Koki works for us and we make the decisions. We haven't received a response yet.









T This next photo shows the kitchen/dining room/living room. Much of the inside is done; tiles laid, and walls painted. Most of the electrical wires have been run and are awaiting fixtures. The island in the kitchen still needs to be set but is waiting for the gas line to be redirected slightly so the oven will fit into the cabinet. The stairs and the interior doors still need to be built.

All the aluminum frames for the windows are in place. The glass is ready to be shipped and is waiting on the truck. Koki was hoping the windows would be here more than a week ago.







Here you can see the workers laying the tile on the terrace between the two main buildings. This same tile will be used for all of the outdoor areas that are tiled; terraces in front of each structure and the "reception" zone outside of the front door.


After all the consultation at the construction site, we took Koki to lunch to pin him down about costs. It has been impossible for us to track what has been paid for and what has yet to be purchased. For example, Koki asked for a certain amount to pay for the wood. What he purchased was wood for the roof but not the stairs or doors. But he also paid the workers with this payment and purchased other tiles. Hopefully we will have a final accounting in the next day or so. We told Koki we wouldn't pay him any more until this happens. Just a little motivator....

30 May 2010

We arrived in Mancora this morning after a seventeen hour bus ride at 9:00 a.m. This seems like a lot of hours, and it is, but it is a comfortable ride. The seats lay back 180 degrees so you can sleep much more easily than on an airplane. Each seat also has it's own TV screen where you can choose music, games, or movies. Most of the movies are is Spanish, but will have English subtitles. The bus provides blankets and pillows, plus dinner and breakfast. The cost for the bus is about $50. The cost to fly is about $400 plus the cost of transport from the airport in Piura which usually runs about $80.
Our friend Ferruco met us this morning and took us to Vichayito where we've been staying with Jay. We quickly unloaded and headed out to our property to see the progress there. Jay came out with us.
We were disappointed that things were not further along, but also excited to see what progress had been made. The tile for the floors in the kitchen/living room and the master suite have been laid. Also the tile for the outside terraces is laid. The outside and some of the inside walls have all been painted. The aluminum slides for the windows have been installed and the windows are ready and awaiting transport. The roof has not been finished, which is probably a good thing since we decided the underpart, (ceiling) needed to be painted. The roof is made of OSB lumber and at this point is only varnished. The particles of the OSB, to me, seem unfinished and not appropriate for the kind of house we are building. We are in the process now of deciding what color it should be painted or stained. In the master bath, workers were installing the toilet and the shower fixtures. The sinks still need to go in. The wood floor and the false ceiling are not in yet either. The jacuzzi is supposed to arrive tomorrow. To me, it looks like another month before we get in.
Tomorrow we will sit down with Koki and go over the final stages of the construction. I hope we can lay everything out and end up with a clear plan.
Both Doug and I are happy to be back home. Stormy was so glad to see us.

Return to Peru

We arrived in Lima just before midnight last night and cleared customs shortly thereafter. We settled into the hotel shortly after one this morning. The flight was uneventful, just long. The beds were quite welcome.
Our friend, Luis, met us this morning at 10:00 and we were off to shop. Since the house is close to being finished, we needed to get some living room furniture and kitchen appliances. Most of what we had seen in the north wasn't anything we were interested in; very much like everyone elses and not of very high quality. We found a very nice living room set early on in the day, although we looked through several more stores in various parts of Lima. Once we settled on that, we went for lunch. Appliances came next. I was shocked when I looked at my watch and it was already 6:00p.m. We ended up with a refrigerator, stove top, oven and hood, microwave, washing machine and two TVs. We also received a free coffee maker, blender and rice cooker with our purchase. The next step was to arrange for all of this to be transported north, but by the time we reached the transport company, they were closed.
We went into Miraflores, a nice section of Lima, for dinner at a Sushi bar. Doug and I are not experts when it comes to sushi, so we shared a platter of various items. Luis was not enamoured with the whole idea of sushi, but had some kebabs that we quite tasty.
Luis' oldest daughter is enrolled in a "Japanese" school in Lima. Those that can afford to send their children to private school, do so and this is one such school. She is learning Japanese as well as English and is immersed in cultural experiences.
Back at the hotel, we settled in but there's a band playing in the park across the street. The music is very loud..... hope they don't play too late!

Another floor poured

Workers today were pouring the floor for the piano room/bar. Soon thereafter, they poured a step and then on to the floor of the living room. These will still need to have a finish layer poured on top and then they will be ready for tile. Other workers were finishing the walls in the laundry room. And others were beginning to make the forms for the upper beams of the bungalows.

I think the next few weeks will really show progress. I only slightly regret not being here for it. We've chronicled the progress from the beginning and it seems not to be such a good time to leave, but the urge to visit family and friends stateside won out. I plan on giving my camera to Chino, the maestro that is on the job most consistently and asking him to take photos for me.

Doug and Melany rode the horses back to El Refugio today. The family packs up and heads back to Lima tomorrow. This time it only took them two hours.

I spent the better part of today gathering documents to submit to the bank here. The bill of sale for the truck and the bill of sale for the property were no problem. We called Koki yesterday and told him what documentation we needed from him. Amazingly enough, a contract arrived by bus this afternoon. The only thing lacking is to print some documents from the computer. A simple thing, yes, when your printer is working. Ours, however, apparently doesn't function unless all the ink cartridges have sufficient ink. And, these ink cartridges are not available here in Los Organos. I think I will download them onto a memory stick, take them into town and have them printed there rather than drive to Talara to try to find them. Another thing for our list of things to buy while in the states!

Government catches up

Doug and I traveled to Talara today. We had several things in mind. First, our bank in Peru had some private documents for me and since we don't have a physical address, they sent the documents to the nearest branch in Talara. We also wanted to withdraw some money to give to Ferruco so he could buy the groceries for the crew while we are on our trip to the US. Also, we wanted to buy another cable for the laptop so we no longer had to share. The cables had been toasted by the electrical system at Georg's.
The documents at the bank requested documentation from us for the large transfers made into our account from the US and the large transfers we've made out of our account. This didn't surprise us, as we expected someone to question the transfers we've made in order to build this house. They are asking for documentation as to where the fund originated, what the relationship is with Georg, and what our relationship is with Koki's company. The other piece of information they want is documentation for the purchase of our truck. The bank has seen a lot of transfers coming in and many going out. They now want to know where this money has come from and where it has gone. There shouldn't be any problem providing the information to the bank; except that Koki hasn't come through with a contract or specific invoices for his costs. We have 5 days to produce the documentation....actually only 4 as we leave for the states on Monday. The big issue is money laundering and drugs. In the long run, I don't think this will be an issue.
We contracted with Ferruco today to buy the groceries for the crew and deliver them to the job site while we are gone. We figured we are averaging somewhat less than S/.500 a week to feed a crew of 12 of 15. We gave him S/.2000 for the three weeks we will be gone which should cover all his expenses.
Sanchez and his wife, Juana have agreed to take care of Stormy for the time we are gone. Stormy will enjoy running around the property and I think both Sanchez and his wife like Stormy. Their view of animals is not as pets. They serve a purpose. The dog on the property, Escot is a watchdog and that is what he is supposed to do. I don't think Sanchez ever played with Escot until we arrived. Stormy is somewhat of a prima-donna as far as they are concerned, but they do enjoy her.
Doug and I went into Mancora this afternoon for a late lunch/early dinner. We went to "El Aji" which is a Mexican restaurant. Excellent food and large portions, so we were well satisfied. We also had some HUGE margaritas; I think they were 20 ounces. Started off our evening so well.