Shuffling money and shopping.
Today was mostly about shuffling money. Since I lost my other card in the card eating ATM I am now down to two, the latter never tested here so I am experimenting.
Fortunately the new card worked and I was awash with cash until the palapero showed up and asked for the usual half up front for materials. I had also to make sure I could get enough out the machine for the workers to get their cash at the end of day on Friday/Saturday. The lost card is a significant speed bump to my financial planning and has me on tender hooks now listening anxiously for the churning of fresh the cash each time I use the ATM.
The builders here on Cozumel always prefer cash when available. Cheques take time to process and don’t have the same safe “bird in the hand” feel about them. Credit cards sometimes work for materials but for building work… forget-about-it!
At the end of the day I go up onto our new sundeck for the first time ever and survey the work. (re first time visit - it’s a heights thing!) . We mark the power outlets. Our builder suggests two, maybe three – but we are gringo power hogs and so we mark six outlets and three lights. Always easier to put these things in place during the building process than mess it all up later. For the same reason we went for a water supply line to be installed before the floor was leveled.
I briefly note we have a very good view of my neighbours garden from our sundeck … this will need to be addressed later … but for now it’s a whole new breezy world up here and its looking really good!
We then check if our washing machine will fit the maintenance hole under the stair. When they leave I continue the measuring till sunset and then retire around 9 for a very welcome shower and beer.
Friday
I awake at 5.30 with thoughts washing machines and at sunrise I am back out measuring – the weather is much cooler in the mornings – its always a very pleasant time of day here on Cozumel.
Many are already up and so there is a bit of movement on the street. My neighbour’s workers who start at 7.30 arrive and start chipping away at their project – another repair to a damaged wall from Wilma.
I finally come up with a chalked out plan by 9. Washing machine upstairs and a storage area with side access door for pool equipment. Maybe some little windows – I have a louvered window left over from another building project that will be ideal – things often seem to come together on Cozumel but you do need to keep on your toes and think ahead.
When I measure up I find that the height of the deck and the height of the stair may eventually be a problem for the taller gringos so when the builders arrive we have some more serious measuring to make sure all falls nicely into place. I have an aversion to a spiraling stair option so for aesthetic reasons… and because I want it that way… we eventually decide on a plan that means more elevated guests will have to beware. (“duck or grouse” as the saying goes). My builder suggests helmets at the foot of the stair!
Around two we set off to order a boatload of plumbing and electrical items at Boxito … the bill is high but they take American Express, so all is well! We also get some estimates from two guys in town who supply the necessary items for pool set up and maintenance. One had the lower prices but the other takes the now melting Amex card… it’s a tough choice! We will probably opt for the best of all worlds - a bit from both.
To your average shopper I guess this sounds like a short trip …pop into town, run up a couple of estimates … and spend the rest of the day at the beach – a cakewalk! Not so on Cozumel – the whole venture took the majority of the afternoon. On returning we had still to decide how to add some natural light to the pool maintenance and storage area – probably using vitroblock.
Now vitroblock is one of those things to love on Cozumel. They are thick glass blocks that come in multiple patterns and colours. They add a bit of light in the most awkward of situations and are used pervasively here. Between the three of us we eventually hammered out a solution – the vitroblocks will be hidden within the “vista maya” wall under the waterfall area – it sounds great in practice – will work out well in reality… of course it will!
As if that’s not enough for the day, we also tackled the problem of how to avoid the ease of visibility into a neighbouring garden from our new sun deck… a courtesy taken seriously here on Cozumel. The options were limited … we probably needed to raise our already towering 10’ wall another meter. Less than a meter would not be worth the scaffolding and extra man hours required. It was a decision that needed to be made before the pool was built … alterations after would just be too much hassle … but … the extra meter would be on the boundaries of a hurricane hazard …it would need more support. Since Wilma everyone is treating hurricanes with way more respect. Ok, ok so … we need more varilla (rebar) … so we need more columns.
Our builder draws a very decorative design involving three Colonial columns with adornments. The whole thing suddenly becomes a joke in its extremity of embellishment. The father suggests a mural of dolphins and divers and fish and I throw in the suggestion of concealed spotlighting … we are all beginning to get quite carried away.
Eventually we consider a two column decoration … the all-important hurricane defying varilla will cleverly be concealed in this adornment and we will consider ambient lighting, colonial arches, murals and sky pointing laser lights “à la los angeles” later … the price is the thing for now. The workers, who have been waiting very patiently while we fantazise, are all paid and leave for the day.
The sunset looks good so I venture off for a hiatus to take a few snapshots.
If you would like a desktop size version of any of these shots - just drop me a line to blog at casa olivia (all one word) dot com
Fortunately the new card worked and I was awash with cash until the palapero showed up and asked for the usual half up front for materials. I had also to make sure I could get enough out the machine for the workers to get their cash at the end of day on Friday/Saturday. The lost card is a significant speed bump to my financial planning and has me on tender hooks now listening anxiously for the churning of fresh the cash each time I use the ATM.
The builders here on Cozumel always prefer cash when available. Cheques take time to process and don’t have the same safe “bird in the hand” feel about them. Credit cards sometimes work for materials but for building work… forget-about-it!
At the end of the day I go up onto our new sundeck for the first time ever and survey the work. (re first time visit - it’s a heights thing!) . We mark the power outlets. Our builder suggests two, maybe three – but we are gringo power hogs and so we mark six outlets and three lights. Always easier to put these things in place during the building process than mess it all up later. For the same reason we went for a water supply line to be installed before the floor was leveled.
I briefly note we have a very good view of my neighbours garden from our sundeck … this will need to be addressed later … but for now it’s a whole new breezy world up here and its looking really good!
We then check if our washing machine will fit the maintenance hole under the stair. When they leave I continue the measuring till sunset and then retire around 9 for a very welcome shower and beer.
Friday I awake at 5.30 with thoughts washing machines and at sunrise I am back out measuring – the weather is much cooler in the mornings – its always a very pleasant time of day here on Cozumel.
Many are already up and so there is a bit of movement on the street. My neighbour’s workers who start at 7.30 arrive and start chipping away at their project – another repair to a damaged wall from Wilma.
I finally come up with a chalked out plan by 9. Washing machine upstairs and a storage area with side access door for pool equipment. Maybe some little windows – I have a louvered window left over from another building project that will be ideal – things often seem to come together on Cozumel but you do need to keep on your toes and think ahead.
When I measure up I find that the height of the deck and the height of the stair may eventually be a problem for the taller gringos so when the builders arrive we have some more serious measuring to make sure all falls nicely into place. I have an aversion to a spiraling stair option so for aesthetic reasons… and because I want it that way… we eventually decide on a plan that means more elevated guests will have to beware. (“duck or grouse” as the saying goes). My builder suggests helmets at the foot of the stair!
Around two we set off to order a boatload of plumbing and electrical items at Boxito … the bill is high but they take American Express, so all is well! We also get some estimates from two guys in town who supply the necessary items for pool set up and maintenance. One had the lower prices but the other takes the now melting Amex card… it’s a tough choice! We will probably opt for the best of all worlds - a bit from both.
To your average shopper I guess this sounds like a short trip …pop into town, run up a couple of estimates … and spend the rest of the day at the beach – a cakewalk! Not so on Cozumel – the whole venture took the majority of the afternoon. On returning we had still to decide how to add some natural light to the pool maintenance and storage area – probably using vitroblock.
Now vitroblock is one of those things to love on Cozumel. They are thick glass blocks that come in multiple patterns and colours. They add a bit of light in the most awkward of situations and are used pervasively here. Between the three of us we eventually hammered out a solution – the vitroblocks will be hidden within the “vista maya” wall under the waterfall area – it sounds great in practice – will work out well in reality… of course it will!As if that’s not enough for the day, we also tackled the problem of how to avoid the ease of visibility into a neighbouring garden from our new sun deck… a courtesy taken seriously here on Cozumel. The options were limited … we probably needed to raise our already towering 10’ wall another meter. Less than a meter would not be worth the scaffolding and extra man hours required. It was a decision that needed to be made before the pool was built … alterations after would just be too much hassle … but … the extra meter would be on the boundaries of a hurricane hazard …it would need more support. Since Wilma everyone is treating hurricanes with way more respect. Ok, ok so … we need more varilla (rebar) … so we need more columns.
Our builder draws a very decorative design involving three Colonial columns with adornments. The whole thing suddenly becomes a joke in its extremity of embellishment. The father suggests a mural of dolphins and divers and fish and I throw in the suggestion of concealed spotlighting … we are all beginning to get quite carried away.
Eventually we consider a two column decoration … the all-important hurricane defying varilla will cleverly be concealed in this adornment and we will consider ambient lighting, colonial arches, murals and sky pointing laser lights “à la los angeles” later … the price is the thing for now. The workers, who have been waiting very patiently while we fantazise, are all paid and leave for the day.
The sunset looks good so I venture off for a hiatus to take a few snapshots.
If you would like a desktop size version of any of these shots - just drop me a line to blog at casa olivia (all one word) dot com
posted by casaolivia at 10:43 PM
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