Beams, anchors and frames

 This was what the casa looked like on Dec 12.  Internet is so slow I haven't been able to post.

The frame of the gates got painted.          The front gate door getting a stain.

  The delivery of the cement beams to do the bovda ceiling.

The maestro wasn't expecting the delivery, so called on family and friends to come help unload this heavy load.

 

All stacked and ready for when the ceiling gets started.      The beams have rebar

The top of the walls are being rounded.  The forms are held in place with bent rebar.

The dalas are formed with boards that are tied with wire.  When the cement has hardened they cut the wires and save them to recycle.

The dalas are supported by tree limbs where openings for doors and windows are.

The front of the house is getting fake columns.   Using a sona tube that has been cut in half and then anchored to the castello they pour cement to fill both at the same time. 

Compacting the dirt on the floor so that it's nice and even and can put rebar and cement down.

Moved to the Property

We moved to the property so we are now in the 
 middle of all the construction.














I couldn't resist and climbed to the roof of the motor home to see what our view would be like. 




This is the view looking west.

This is the view looking South.  This view will be much better from the house as the motor home is parked to the far side of the lot and the view we will have will be from the opposite side.













It is amazing how little tools the workers use.  Colored string tied to rebar is how they level everything!  The Maestro marks with a colored pencil along the string for different placements of castello or whatever else they need to mark.

 They are taking the forms off the dala.  Notice the shoes and balance of the worker.

Electric lines placed in the dala before they pour the cement by hand.





Our first load of house brick.

The first coat of plaster.










This is how they support the corner castellos before they pour the cement by hand.



















The house has been started.

Construction and Turtles

There is a turtle sanctuary two places on the beach.  I don't know when they released the turtles.  I'll have to find out who to asks so I can watch.  Since the holding tank was overturned I guess I missed it for this year.









Labels to establish when the turtles should hatch.
















They are putting in the castillos (columns) in the wall surrounding the casa.
 





The top of the dala has a protective coating so that water doesn't wick into the bricks of the wall.
 

















The first bricks laid for the wall. 

        The wall is going up FAST.



 
                 

Tom and Raul watching the proceedings.













A plumb bob to make sure things are straight.  Nothing fancy on the construction jobs here.
  























The start of the house, footings and castillos.


 The castillos are being anchored to rebar, then concrete poured to keep them in place.

 Moving right along!  

These men work very hard in the heat and sun, no slouches in this group of workers!












The gate and the door in the front wall starting to be assembled.

Sewer Fittings and Wall Foundations

There was supposedly a sewer connection to the lot.  We couldn't find it, and so a new line was installed from septic tank down the road and then a connection to the property.

 The wall between the properties was started.  The footings were done in a day.  Very hard work.  All the rock was moved by hand, as seen in this photo and the cement was mixed in an old fashioned mixer and hauled by wheelbarrow to the men in the trenches.

                                                 
                                                  Adding water to get the right mix.
 

 Footings being cemented.

 Sandals being worn.  No regulations for attire.



Pretty straight forms without  any levels, and these footings are for the wall.  Imagine what they will be for the house!

Rebar being formed to anchor the column.
                                                                                          The trenches for the house were dug.

Slowly advancing

Woke up one moring to this beautiful skyline.  Thought we might get a storm, but the day turned out beautiful.

Yesterday we had a storm with thunder and lightening and then the rain came down in buckets.  The wind was VERY strong and Tom and I were trying to hold down the shade cloth which was blowing and billowing.  We had to get it anchored down or the awning would have been toast.  Don't know how strong the wind was, but it sure made a mess in town.  It was a big storm.  The streets were flooded in some places and the electricity was out, as well as the internet.

Late in the morning there were people on the beach and people swimming.  The dark skies and cooler weather didn't seem to bother them.  Even if it did threaten rain.



The power pole for the  property has been installed and you can see Tom wiring in the power line. 

We had to go to Cihuatlan, about an hour away, to the power company to fill out the paperwork for the electric meter.  We were told it would be 1-3 days, but they had the meter and the power line to the main line installed the very next day!  Our timing must have been right.





This is the church in Cihuatlan and the power company is on the street behind the church.














 

We also have water to the property.

We now need a sewer connection, there is a holding tank, and there was suppose to be a connection on the property.  Apparently the connection was never installed,  So on Tues a backhoe will dig up the street and Raul will installed the pipes and fittings.  Once the sewer is installed on the property we can move the motor home over.

The plans for the house were completed, but we had to make many changes so hopefully they will be ready on Tues and then we can apply for our building permit, in La Huerta.  Again
1 to 1 1/2 hours away.  We put bids out to 3 builders and one builder had an  outrageous one.  One has not returned with a bid and the other we are thinking about. 
  

Progress

We now have an address in Perula, Cancun 5.  Yippee.  That means we can begin developing the property.  The house plans have been approved so we can send them out to bid to decide on a Maestro (contractor).  We have contracted with Raul to build our gate and door that will be in the wall surrounding the property.  He is also going to build the Mufa (this is the post where all the electric is attached).  We have begun. 

 A thunderstorm cloud.  The weather has been hot and humid and many days the water has been choppy.  No swimming or kayaking.








That spec is me kayaking on one of the good days.  This was the first time I'd been able to try out my new sit-on-top kayak.  It's perfect for this weather, I can cool off by splashing water on me and not worry about it.  The water will flow back out. 

Note of interest

While we have never been scared to travel in Mexico, we did have an interesting occurrence this trip.  We were coming into the city of Vicam south of Guaymas on Hwy 15 and saw semi's backed up for several miles in both directions.  As always, a helpful local waved us to the other lane so we could pass all the semis.  In the middle of town a tall cone was set up to make us stop.  Realizing that they were not military or police we were a little startled.  An older man came to the side of rig and asked for money.  Not knowing what the issue was and we don't speak Spanish Tom just said we had no money and didn't understand.  Another man came over and removed the cone and waved us through.

Looking at the internet for Vicam, Sonora, there is an issue between the government and the local people about an aqueduct being built.  So the stopping of the semis was a protest.  I guess it was lucky that we didn't have to wait with the semis.


ON A HAPPIER NOTE!

Our property in Punta Perula is officially ours.  We are now in the process of trying to get an address, as we can not get electric, water or building permit without it.

Our realtor, ROSALINDA and now friend has been doing ALL the running around and paperwork to get things approved.  Without her there is no way we could have done what was necessary.  She knows all the steps and who to contact within the county.