And how true that is.
If you want to get anything done in Costa Rica you have to accommodate the propensity of the official and the unofficial community to make things as impractical and long winded as possible. It is the Tico way and one has to just relax into the slow processes involved in just about anything you want to do. Be it paying a water bill, or getting work done, everything takes an inordinate amount of time and effort on your part. It’s not that the system is broken. It is just different. And something to be gotten used to.
We have just completed our very first border run! I cannot believe it has been 90 days since we arrived. It was a simple and uneventful activity which felt a bit like being at an awesome gig and going outside the venue for a smoke but being worried the bouncer won’t let you back in. He did, though, and we are staying to enjoy the rest of the show.
On the face of things we haven’t achieved much in that time but that is in terms of actual construction. The real work has been in the preparation and paperwork. Daniela is the master of the spreadsheet, she has been so busy arranging quotations, prices, deliveries, payments and all things officey, and all in a foreign language. I have no doubts as to who is the manager of this project. Everything is logged and catalogued and filed in its rightful place. She has developed relationships with the suppliers and artfully negotiated many savings. I mix concrete and sweat a lot and tread mud where i shouldn’t. A great team.
We are still awaiting the permits to build but have been assured they won’t be long, a matter of days now. Fingers crossed.
Work has begun on the property though. A new road has been created to the casita plot. And stone put down so that deliveries can get to the site. We did have a major problem with a delivery of stone which got stuck in the ditch of the road going round our property. It had to stay where it was for the night until a backhoe was available to pull it out. Quite a feat considering the truck was full of thirteen yards of rocks. It was like watching a glorious ballet, Swan Lake with Tonka toys. Backhoes can be incredibly gentle and delicate yet also terrifyingly powerful and violent.
I have built the bases for a 20’ container which is being delivered this week. This will provide secure storage for all the tools and materials on site and later a garage space for a quad bike maybe. It was a lot of concrete to mix on my own but rewarding nonetheless. The first concrete pour.
As we are starting to get more rain now i have also made a temporary shelter so I can continue doing things in the dry. We may keep a structure here for parking or storage but for now it is an essential dry space.
The plot for the casita has been levelled and marked out. Next come the trenches for the concrete and block perimeter. So still lots to do before we pour the concrete floor.
We are now the proud parents of our very first saplings. A lime and an avocado. Our very first trees hand planted on the property. I have ordered a whole load more too. It is a long list but we have a lot of space and I want things to grow. An edible food forest. The only problem is that there are a few cows roaming free in the jungle. This is great, i love cows, the problem is that they love saplings just as much. Luckily i had already put a fence of barbed wire all around the site but at the moment we have no gates. I did put rope across the openings but cows ain’t daft. Dip your head and push on in. So a new solution has to be found quickly. I won’t have time to build gates before the work starts on the house but i will figure it out. Maybe build a corral and start farming cows as well as fruit.
Recently I went to see a second hand excavator with a friend. A Tonka toy of my own would be far better than hiring diggers and drivers all the time. We have holes to dig, trenches to make, swayles, root removal and general site clearance and landscaping all needing a heavy machine. So i put in an offer and am waiting to hear. That would be so fun and useful at the same time.
Along with all this work we are having a lovely time. The community on this farm is amazing. We have a social circle already of other like minded people who all want the best success for us as we do them. If you need something or some help a quick message on the Whatsapp group usually provides an answer or solution. Life in Costa Rica is made so much easier with good friends and a network of helpfulness. When the rainy season comes it can be very hard to get around outside the jungle. But all we will have to do is drive up the hill and we are with friends on their balconies sipping margaritas and gazing out at the drenched monkeys in the pouring rain.
Here’s hoping the permits arrive soon.
Pura Vida
I love the Swan Lake ballet with Tonka Toys. Very descriptive. xxx