The Shops

My original plan to manage my costs was to remove as much of the middle man as possible. After completing the wall and gates I preceded to build the supporting buildings. First I needed a office and temporary living space, a warehouse, metal shop, woodworking shop, and bath facilities for the workers. I used the existing wall from the surrounding wall to reduce cost and and use as little of the property as possible.

To start we had to tear down some existing buildings and remove a few trees. This was the first time I had to hire heavy machinery. They leveled the earth and dug out for a underground cistern. The cistern was to hold the initial facilities water supply which was going to be harvested rain water with approximately 22,500 gallons or 449 barrels. This cistern was designed to cascade into another cistern as the project advances.

Now What Are You Building Exactly?

The Idea

My concept for the property was and still in constant motion. Our original goal was to make it a event center and resturant with a hotel into the future. A place you could get away from the city of a few hours, all day, or the week end. A place were we would offer tours of the volcano, coffee plantations, mountain biking, and caving.

After some perliminary costs were thrown around it became painfully obvious that I had to change how this place was going to be built. Contracting out the work would be faster but beyond my monthly cash flow. I was not going into debt for this project, soI had to modify my plan. First I was going to build workshops, warehouse, cistern, septic tank, grey water system, and a office. I would provide all the tools and facilities and just hire the tradesman to do the work instead of getting a middle man involved. For this plan I had to go to the dougout and get my pinch batter...Don Chamba.

I set out to take full advantage of the land. My design was to use a existing wall and to set the shops, office and cistern. The roof would be a shed type with clay used tiles with a secondary ventilation roof, this would flow to rain harvesting system which would flow to our underground cistern. Between these building and the main foot print would be a patio with colored road pavers that would also serve as the service entrance. We were going to attempt to use the existing hacienda foot print for the rest of the construction.

The Reality

Are you crazy?
Was the most common thing I heard from some of the locals. Why are you investing when others are leaving? Nobody will come here!

While others said it was about time, they need employment opportunities. People need a break from the fast and hectic life in the city and there was a example of such a successful project; according to some, before the civil war there was a park up the road a bit where the the city folks would come up to pass the time in the fresh air. The park was named El Parque del Botellazo after the mayor took to stopping a bottle with his head during the inauguration of the park. The park fell in to disrepair after a mudslide which partially buried the park.

Step 1: fence in the property.
So I went to the building supply store and bought concrete posts and barbed wire. Being a know it all I figured I could handle this. So I show up and set up my posts at the surveyed corners approximately 100 meters by 100 meters. I string my barbed wire and make gate. Just as I was standing back and admiring my handy work my compadre Aris arrives and proceeds to tell me in some many words that I just bought some thief new concrete posts. Hmmm who would steal concrete posts? Lesson 1: someone needs the posts more than you do. It appears that although inexpensive to me the were very valuable to someone with very little money. So what do the locals use: a fast growing tree that has no vale other than being used as a fence post. Guess what no one needs it more than me. KISS- Keep It Simple Stupid. This was a lesson I was not going to learn for a long time. It became apparent that I was going to have to build a wall around the property (400 meters or 1333 ft) if I was going to have any opportunity to store supplies.

Step 2: Find a builder and another

For this I called on a trusted friend: Don Chamba. Don Chamba built my house in the city and did a great job and has vast experince in major building projects a true Maestro. Don Chamba was going to be my project manager, he was to give orders and accept the work on Saturdays. The work of building the wall went to local who claimed to have the necessary experience to build to my specifications. Prices were agreed upon, specification, and drawings were given to the builder. Remember the wall and gate in Jurassic Park? Well you got the idea.

First week the signs began. The local builder did not take kindly to my project managers suggestions. It appeared that to be a mason all that was needed to do this project was a plumb bob and a spatula. ( I don't think he used the plumb bob much) The quality of the work was way below standards and was unable to use the capital molds. After a month or so the original mason quite out of desperation. My rewards was a wall that was so badly built that it had to be taken down. Chamba was capable but he came in at a higher cost, he and his crew would have to commute from the city. A price was agreed upon, Chamba gathered his crew and began the wall.

The wall took almost two years to complete. No power tools were used, it was alldone by hand. The foundation for some of the pilasters/columns were five feet or greater in depth. Special wall bricks were made to order. The image to the right shows the main entrance to the property in its early stages.

Same entrance prior to finsh and gate. Note the capitals are all cast in place. Capstones are also cast in place and is also the top bonding beam.

Another view of the front entrance and street side. See top image for a satellite view of complete wall.

The Vision

As I laid on our bed that first hot sticky night unable to sleep in our new home in San Miguel, El Salvador I wondered what had I done. Why did I build in such a damn hot humid place. Having married a truly beautiful woman a true "garobera" I learned some simple facts: June/July/August are very hot and humid. Not the best time to be in el Oriente of El Salavador. October-January was better and the Carnaval in November was the best time, but travel outside the traditional US school summer break was near impossible until our children became adults.

One recurring thought continued in my mind like a old carousel slide show stuck on the same slide; where is the tourism. El Salvador is a beautiful country with plenty to offer, but it lacked the organization, promotion, the mind set of tourism. Now I don't mean turicentros that are no more than a place with a pool, but something like you would see in Costa Rica. In El Salvador you will find a geothermal vent with cows milling about; this same geothermal vent in Costa Rica would be a spa with mud baths and hot springs, why not here?

Yea, I know I heard it all: the country is just getting over a civil war, the country is poor, the people don't want it or are not sophisticated enough! No, not true, Salvadorians will travel across borders and spend their money in Honduras, Guatemala and other places. They want something else they are starving for things to do in their own country, but something different.

Just north of San Miguel on the Panamerican Highway about 3 miles is a turn off to the east, the locals call it "el desvio de Feble" or the road to San Jorge. As you make that turn you notice a imposing feature: a volcano, a big stand alone volcano with a small ring of ever present clouds at the top. At about 2 mile on this road some subtle changes begin you notice the vegetation is greener and you begin to assend gradually at first, then is it steepens. The air is lighter, fresher and cooler. You are now on the skirt of a active volcano officially known as El Volvan Chaparristique or as the locals call it El Volcan.

At about the 3 mile point on this road my wife and I came across the burned and destroyed ruins of a coffee plantation hacienda know as Hacienda Suarez. My wife had childhood memories of this place she had grown up across the road and had the opportunity to have seen it at it's prime. She recounted how the area around the ruins were the owners personal gardens and the rare and imported fruits and plants that still existed here and only here.

Just by happenstance we noticed that some surveying was being done on the property. Being the curious type I asked what was going on. The surveyor said the land was going to be sold as small parcels by the owners and a street was planned down the middle of the remaining ruins. We were able to find the company who was responsible for the sub divisions. They said that the parcels were for sale but had not marketed them yet. We inquired that if we bought all the parcels around the immediate area of the ruins would they not build the road. After a back room meeting and a few phone calls we has a deal. The initial out lay was for 13 lots and over the years it grew to 24.

This area is known as the Volcan, a hamlet of homes in the dense vegitation with towering trees. The locals enjoyed the country the cool air the afternoon breezes, the darkness and stillness of the night, and so did we. But it lacked all the neccessary services, there is electricity and phone service, but no water. The large land owners had tried drilling for wells but gave up after very expensive attempts to find water. The locals live by drinking harvested rain water from their roofs and stored it in ground tanks or any way they could. Those with means were able to have potable water trucked up and stored in tanks. Cooking was almost 100 percent done with wood.

We began to clear up the over growth and after cleaning up the ruins we would invite our city friends up for a cook-out and place hammocks between the trees and just past the time. All would comment on how nice and cool it was up here. They would love to spend time up here if there was just the facilities they wanted. You know, creature comforts: running water, flush toilets, and security. I began to think about places I had seen in my travels, in Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua, Belize, and Mexico. I could do this, a local get away, a simple spa, restaurant, and hotel and tours of the local natural wonders that surrounded this area. The fever began slowly at first, then it ran and hard it ran , the fever was on, I was going to build.
Si se puede!