Build, surf, build. Rinse and repeat.

Hola everyone.

So it's been a while since my last update because the internet here has been down for quite a few days, not a big deal.  I've been just catching up on some reading and what not.  Anyways, the internet is back so I figured I would update this with some of the activities that I've been up to.  I am now feeling much better than I was for the first week and a half and have finally started to get used to living down here.  I'm not going to lie... it's  pretty nice.  We have been busy busy with work for the past week and have gotten a lot of stuff done.  We've made two 40 foot beams from rough cut Nicaraguan wood.. which basically means that none of the wood is the same size and everything is bent and warped.  Apparently when you order lumber down here, the order goes to some Nicaraguans who go out and cut down some trees and use chainsaws to cut the trees into the lumber that you requested.  This lumber is then delivered to you by the company you ordered from.  Which basically means that the wood ends up drying while your using it and turns into some pretty twisted lumber.  Anyways, it makes for some pretty interesting construction.  We've had quite the time making the beams for the house, but they are looking good now.

After spending about three days making and prepping the two 40 foot beams, we rounded up as many people as we could from around the village to come help us lift the beams 12 feet and put them on the posts.  It took ten of us about an hour to get both beams up onto the posts and secured.  But it's coming together quite nicely if I must say so myself.  The structure is starting to come together and is looking pretty fine.  After getting the beams up, we spent the afternoon eating lunch and then surfing.  After surfing we went back up to the property and started leveling and setting the two forty foot beams and building some of the 20 foot beams that will go between the 40 foot beams.  I have been cataloging the building process and putting it in the following online picture album.  I will be putting any new photos of the building process in this album, so if your interested just check in once and a while to see if there are any new pictures.

The past 3 days have all looked exactly the same.  Get up early and go to work for 4 or 5 hours.  Come home, eat a good solid lunch.  Go to Playa Amerilla ( a beach in the bay next to Playa Giante) and go surfing for a few hours.  Come home, take it easy and get some fluids and shade.  Head back up to the property and work for a few more hours in the evening when it starts to cool down.  Rinse and repeat haha.  It's been a lot of fun.  I'm really enjoying the building process because we are making good progress every time we go up there which is always good.  Surfing has been a lot of fun, I still haven't caught and rode a wave in, but I'm getting a lot closer.  It's a lot of fun though.  At first it was pretty daunting looking at these huge waves rolling right for you, but when you realize that you can swim underneath them it gets easier not to panic when your in the thick of it.

This morning we got up early again and went up and placed two of the 20 footers in their spots and it's really starting to shape up.  We're hoping to get the rest of the beams up in the next few days and then head down to San Juan Del Sur so I can buy myself a surf board, boy am I excited.  I think we may be going down and maybe staying over night.  Either way, I'll be sure to take lots of pictures and throw them up here to see.  My cousin has also hired someone to build him a bodega which is basically a secure storage shed.  I have started another photo album for cataloging the progress of the bodega, so if it is something that interests you, check back ever few days to see what's going on with the bodega.

Another note worthy item to mention is that I talked with the owner of the bar and grill next door about the mustache competition and apparently the competition is being cancelled... I was pretty deflated.  But with that news, I don't necessarily need to hack this beard apart until I come home.  So I was thinking of keeping the Nica beard until I get home and then cutting something interesting with it.  Let me know if you think it should be cut or if it should stay.. maybe i'll put a second poll up on the side.. running the risk of having this blog too cluttered.  Yea I'm going to do it, I hate making decisions haha.  Might as well put it to a vote, it is part of my entertainment to come on and look at how many people have voted on stuff anyways.

Alright, so until next time, this is CJAM signing off from Nicaragua.