Hi Don,
Yeah, I think it was back in November or December. I was following a podcast or two about neuroscience and I became convinced that the level of alcohol I had been consuming could have longer term cognitive effects. Studies showed that after 2 months of abstinence the brain could cleanse itself from what they classified as the effects of "chronic" drinking averaging 7 or more drinks a week. For more robust drinkers it could take up to 6 months to accomplish the same level of cleansing. Anyway, 2 months is in the bag and even weirder is that I've started a serious exercise routine. This past month I brisk walked over 90 km even once hiking down the volcano to visit a long lost cajun friend and his goat. I'm up to 51 pushups and 150 bicycle crunches a day. Don't worry! The next time we have a chance to visit, I will gladly sample your fine Flor or Cacique deluxe while discussing the grander things in life. MAHA be damned! I'm all in! jajaja.
The house we're building is on land we already have and I previously ran water and electricity out to the build site, so that is not included in my cost numbers. There is no bank or muni involved here either, we are winging it wild and free. The house the daughter chose was one of the prefab designs with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms plus kitchen and sala. I think it is 82 m² inside the walls. We got the prefab "kit" -- posts and baldosas -- made up at a local fabricator and all be told, that ran ¢1.5 million. The prefab kit for a smaller house could be had for a million or so. We got a crew of 4 to set up the walls, put a concrete floor throughout the house, and repello all the walls for ¢900 mil. The yerno's cuñado is an experienced roofer and they are just going to help the yerno do the roof for free. I forgot about ¢400 mil for cement, dirt, rocks, and a little bit of backhoe action. That'll take us to ¢3.5 million for floors, walls, and roof, not including electrical circuits, plumbing fixtures, windows and doors. We've already got a pile of old tires for drenaje. It could blow past my ¢5 million estimate if I get suckered into buying tile, but I think a modest 2 bedroom, 1 bath, house can be brought in for under ¢5 million if one is judicious in their spending.
Lest you think we be vagos in Guanacaste, I'll have you know that mi galerón is never idle!
What you see before you is but 1 of the 2 strongbacks upon which I will build my fledgling fleet of sailing dinghies. Mis burras are only 94 cm wide and velero will be 6 ft at the beam. I plan to lash a 2½ vara board on top of each burra to provide an ample base for building S/V Nauti Buoy. Hmmm... maybe I need to think a bit more about a better name. jajaja. Anyway, I did chop up six 2x4's and zero fingers while building sawhorses this weekend. I am so on pace for finishing this boat this year! jajaja.
--
Sam "Noé" in outback Guanacaste