Our Renovations: Mexican Style

 The progress has been amazing, we expect completion June, 2012. 

Oh...sorry.... pretty impressive heh!...but  not our renovation.....ha ha! 


This is the new Museo del Mundo Maya ( Museum of the Maya World) in Merida; 35 minutes from our home. 


OUR RENOVATION:  Not as ambitious as the Museum,  and expected to be completed by April......


Mexican construction materials:  Cement Blocks, with Rebar structures for the corners; plus 3 layers of cement, Rich ( course), Reboko (less course)  and Macilla ( smooth). 

The house has been neglected for many years so mucho reparacion ( repairing) necesario.  














Rudy is the cement mixer... he mixes and carries in buckets on his shoulder to where they are working on the property.  Here he is mixing cemento blanco... white cement. 

Our labour costs for Martine and Rudy at 8.5 hours a day for 4.5 days a week is $5,000 pesos. 


The guys live with the jefe ( boss) Don Lauro and  the $5,000 pesos goes to pay their salary, accommodation and food.  It is not unusual for workers to come in from the local pueblos ( our guys are from  Halachó  )..They work Saturday morning and then take the bus home to their family in the pueblo until Monday night when they return to Don Lauro`s.  


OUR XMAS THANKS TO THE CREW

The rest of the crew is finishing the house above while Martine and Rudy work for us, so we and Chris/Les from Sask., whose house it is, put on a mini-fiesta on Christmas Eve Day for the crew, as is the tradition. 


AQUA DE POZO ( WATER WELL)

 These cement rings are for our Well which ended up being 5 rings  or 12-15 feet deep.  Rudy dug out the sand by hand until he reached water and continued until the water is the depth of the bottom ring.  

Dig...add a ring..Dig some more...

                                                                                                                         add a ring .

Hard on the back 

Heavy, Heavy

YEAH... WE HAVE WATER !!!!!Only took a couple of hours. 

THE NEXT DAY, OUR CONTRACTOR TOLD US WE HAVE "DULCE" SWEET WATER, NOT SALT WATER. 

Estoy pintando ( I am painting) the Bodega before Gord installs the Water System.. softener, filters, ultra-violet light, pressure pumps.  


Pintura            - paint
Pintura Tienda - paint store
Pintando         -  to paint
Pintas             - you paint  
Pintan             - they paint
Pintamos        - we paint 
The challenges of learning Spanish. 


 WORK CONTINUES 

New Windows installed by Julian and Mario Lozano: It is great to have windows and screens throughout the house that slide easily, lock without difficulty and stop wind, sand and bugs from coming in. 

                       Open to the Beach Access

Closing us in for Privacy 

                                    A combination of skillful hands and paciencia ( patience)

Closing in a couple of windows  ..that's an outdoor bar you see behind Gord 

 A new wall with glass blocks along the top in our dining room instead of a window that we never opened cause it faced the beach access. .

New Bamboo Gates 

Plumbing Pipes are delivered... the car is all aluminum, and is 36 yrs. old... 

We buy as much as we can from the local tlapaleria ( hardware store).. Prices are comparative to the bigger stores in Merida and we are supporting the local economy.

     

The first of our new doors.... beautiful craftsmanship by Luis Geraldo..  At Luis's request, Gord will be showing he and his workers how to install European hinges and some other tricks of the trade.    Gord will be the  carpintería de maestro  ( carpentry teacher).                                                                                 

Now that the door is on the new bodega, Gord will set up the sistema de agua ( water system) n it.

They started on our Casita today; polished countertops, reno bathroom, new ventanas  (windows), puerta (door) and tiled floor.  In the meantime, I am collecting and breaking sea shells to add to the cement for the countertops. 

Gord and I will move into the casita when they are ready to work on inside of the house... 

OFF TO SPANISH CLASS

While the work continues, I have started Spanish Class one day a week.  

The view while waiting on the beach road for my ride outside our house.  The weather has been great.. 23-25 degress. Perfect for walks on the beach and for working outside.  

Hasta Luego till our next BLOG.