Hola from sunny and hot Nicaragua,

It´s almost 8 in the morning here, and I can tell already that it´s going to be a scorcher. I wanted to give a quick update to everyone, while I have a minute. I´m back into the routine of keeping myself really busy...which is awesome, except time is flies when your having a blast.

I have another 4 days here before I go home, and am going to continue to try to squeeze as much in as I can. Today I´m going on a surfing-sailboat trip up the coast. There is a private company that charter´s out a sailboat, and Will, his family, and most of his employees are all going. It is...a kind of company party for them. I think I may have had something to do with it, because from the minute I rolled into SJDS and saw the sailboats in the bay, I´ve been bugging him to find a way for us to get on one. So needless to say, I can´t wait to get on that thing.

As far as the house is concerned.....

Will and I took a trip to Managua on Saturday. Managua is a very, very interesting place. It is nothing like SJDS, and almost feels like a different world. Our intent was to go to the faria (the actual name is expecia 09´), and we did...except we drove all around that town before doing so.

The first thing we did was pick up a friend of his, and his business partner Maria. Maria is as much a part of Will´s company.. as Will is, and she is also awesome. She is from Managua, and is a master of negotiating to get the best prices on everything. We also picked up Gaylen, who is one of Will´s part-time employees. Gaylen was an ex-boxer, and in his prime was one of the best in Nicaragua. He is still a guy you wouldn´t want to mess with.

We were first heading to the oriental (meaning eastern..it´s a long story) market, which is the largest open air market in central america. The reason we were going there was that Will needed a part for one of his work trucks. And at this market you could find anything in the world that you ever need. And I mean anything, this place was huge.

The market was a true cultural experience, and I wish had I had pictures, but I was told to leave my camera in the car. It wasn´t the absolute safest place in the world, but I felt a little more comforted having Gaylen & Maria with us. You have to step out of your comfort zone every once in a while. We walked around that place for a bit, and after wheeling and dealing, we got the part and then headed to the faria.

The faria was good, but not as good as we would of hoped. We did get the retaining wall blocks, but that was it. Will and Maria have already set up some very good deals with local contracting companies, so even though we could of saved the 15% on tax, there earlier negotiated prices for re-bar, electrical wiring, and concrete, were much lower than the prices at the faria. For example they get 25% of electrical wiring, 20% off concrete, and the last air-conditioners they bought were at 30% off. We were hoping we could add to these discounts, but we already have the best prices on most stuff.

Will is going to head back there on Friday... after he drops me off at the airport, and see if maybe some of the vendors will be more desperate, and we can get better prices. These guys are all about getting the lowest price on everything, which is really good for us.

Man... I could type all day, of the stuff that I did and saw on Saturday, but I just don´t have time. The one thing I would like to mention is that I am here on a fairly significant holiday for the Nicaraguan people. It is the the 19th of July Dia de la Revolucion... celebration This is the day that the Nicaraguan people got there country back from ¨Somoza¨rule.

The Somoza family was in control of the country from 1936 till 1979. July 19th, 1979, was when Daniel Ortega (the current leader) came into power. If I get more time while I´m down here I will tell you more about the history of Nicaragua, it is really fascinating. Needless to say the Nicaraguans, are very proud people, and the ride home from Managua was a true experience. We passed so many celebrations..and parades. It was awesome.

Well... I need to get some food before sailing, but we are going to the lot tomorrow, and I will take more pictures. I should have some down time tomorrow afternoon, so I will try to get more pictures to everyone, and also talk a bit more about some of the experiences I´ve had down here.

Like the chicken hanging from a rope over the road, while everyone is sitting around drinking and watching this dead chicken. As part of the celebration, they hang a dead chicken from a rope and then ride horses, and try to hit the head with a stick. It´s pretty high in the air so they have to jump off their horses to get to it. I just passed by this event when coming back from surfing, so I didn´t actually get to see it...Damn.

Adios,
Keeley

We have photos...a little more

Just as a clarification of the last post. The photos on the Apple album are in the iPhone photos link in the top left hand corner (not right hand corner). Also if you click on each individual photo it will bring up two arrows below the pics. To the right of the arrow is an i (for information). If you click on the i, you will see that I have included some comments about each individual photo. Just to give you some more info. Cheers.

We have photos!!!!

Hello all... from rainy SJDS,

I´m in a Internet cafe, while it is dumping rain outside.

I want to start off by thanking my friend Tyler for reminding me that I can use my iPhone as a computer, and email the pictures that I took... to all of you. What I did was transferred the pictures to an online album that I have with Apple. I posted some pics of SJDS, our lot, and the surf beach Maderas. It took me a while to do this but I am ecstatic that I was able to get some pictures to everyone. When I get home I will have even more, including videos.

Please go to the link

http://gallery.me.com/dan.keeley#gallery

and then click on the top right corner that says iPhone photos. There are few at the beginning of the album that are not related to this trip, but I posted close to 40 other pics.

Things are moving along very well at the lot. They are making progress on leveling it, and hopefully will be done by the end of next week. After that... they will start digging holes for the columns, and will start building the retention wall soon after.

I am heading to Managua tomorrow with Will (our contractor) to their annual faira. This is very similar to the county fairs that we have in the states, except they sell all sorts of construction materials (only to registered contractors). It is only once a year...and great thing is that we are able to buy building supplies without paying the Nicaraguan sales tax of 15%. Our intent is to buy all of the rebar, and cement that we need for construction. This is going to save us some serious money...which is awesome. I am also looking forward to another trip threw the Nicaraguan countryside.

I feel that we got really lucky that this annual fair is being held just as we are about to begin construction.

On a separate note, I have had the opportunity to get to know Will really well, and he I think that we are fortunate to have found him. He´s a good guy, and after looking at a few of his other houses that he has built, we are going to have a hell of a nice place.

He has also introduced me to so many people in SJDS, which has been really nice. It kind of feels like Stanley, ID...because after you spend a little time there, you start to know everybody.

I am here for one more week, so I will continue to update this blog and take pictures of the progress at our lot. I hope all is well in the states, and I am looking forward to seeing everyone again.

Hope all is well, bye for now,
Keeley

The Final Floor plan.

Its official, we have started to build a house in Paradise. Its been over 2 years since we started this adventure. To be honest, I am stoked with the progress, better than I expected.

We wired our first installment and signed off on the house plans and material list. Here is the final plan.

Everyone should thank Adam, Tyler and Dan for the countless hours they have donated to the project over the past 20 days. The project is expected to take 10-12 months. We will need to make regular visits over the next year. Any volunteers?

Thanks,

Jared

Pictures and Videos when I get home

Hello all from SJDS.

I had a little down time, so I thought that I would write a quick note. I mentioned in an earlier post that I lost my camera. I was very dissapointed about this...because that meant that I wouldn't be able to show anyone the pictures of the lot, SJDS, Marsella, Maderas, and the rest of the country around SDJS.

The really good news is...for whatever reason, I brought another camera.

As I was cleaning out my backpack, at the bottom of it...was this other camera. I brought it because it is waterproof, and I though it might be nice for some in-water surf pics. I totally forgot that it was there, and I felt like I won the lottery when I saw it.

So now I am on a mission to take as many good pictures, and videos for everyone. I just won't be able to download them here, because I didn't bring the cord. The day after I get home though, I promise that I will post as much as I can. Including videos of our beautiful lot.

On a seperate note, everything is going so well down here. The more time I spend in SJDS, the more it feels like a really small town. I see the same people walking around the street. I'm starting to know where all the businesses, and restaurants are, and even get a feel of which ones are better than others.

SJDS is a beach town, similar to Pacific Beach (in San Diego), except with only a fraction of the people. There are a ton of things to do here. Different companies offer things like renting ATV's, horse rides on the ocean, yoga classes, surf lessons, canopy tours, and just alot of tourist like things. And the food is amazing.

My favorite part of this whole place is Maderas Beach. This is the surf beach that is only 5 minutes from our lot. Maderas is beautiful. When the tide is out, it creates this huge sand beach, with really picquerese rocks implanted all over. It's one of the prettiest beaches that I have ever seen. The best part of Maderas though...is the surf break.

In the week that I've been here, I've seen the waves go from huge(10-15ft), to very mellow. I went surfing yesterday, and it was perfect. I am still a terrible surfer, and the waves were perfect for me to practice on. I would say more than half the people out there yesterday were "beginers".

After I was done surfing, I sat in a lawn chair in the shade, drank a few Tona's (local beer), and just watch other people surf for close to 3 hours. I would of sat there longer, but I had to call it quits at some point.

As far as the house is concerned, things are moving along. I went to check our lot out yesterday before surfing, and they are still leveling the ridge out. There were two nica kids using a pick axe, and a shovel. The land is fairly soft, but the soil is ideal for building on. Everyone we talk too, says that it couldn't be any better.

I am hoping that maybe they start some foundation work before I leave, but we will have to wait and see on that. It's going to be close.

I want to give you guys a little glimpse of this place, so I'll finish this post off with a story...

There is a little casino in town here. Last Friday night...I think, it all blends together here...Adam and I were walking home from the beach bars. As we were doing so, we saw the casino. Now it's pretty hard for either of us to pass a casino, so we decided to walk on in. Inside are 2o or 30 slot machines, a poker table, and a black-jack table. We decide that we would give ourselves a shot at black-jack.

So we go to the bar, get a Flor de Cona (the local rum) & ginger ale. A real delicacy down here. We go over to the table thinking that the minimum will be a dollar or two. It's Nicaragua right. Anyway, we get to the table and I put down 100 cien (equal to $5) and was hoping to get 5 or 10 chips...she gives me one. It's a 5 dollar minimum table. So the last thing that either of us want to do is lose a bunch of money at a black-jack table. So we each buy a single chip, and see where it will take us.

To make a long story short...we couldn't lose. The next 15 hands went our way. Davis was doubling down, splitting cards, and just betting on everything. I was just betting every hand. After winning every single hand in less then 5 minutes...we grabbed our chips...walked the the cashier, and ran out of that casino. They had our another round waiting for us, but we were gone. We won about $80, in that amount of time, and on the way home we stopped at this restaurant bar. We met everyone at the bar, and used the winnings to buy the entire place a round. It was awesome.

Just one of the great moments of our trip down here. I truly can't wait till everyone sees, and more importantly...experiences this place. It's so special.

Cheers,
Keeley

Finally a little time to write.

Hello all, from SDJS.

I am sorry for that it has taken me few days to post, but it has been go..go..go this whole time. Between working on the house, surfing, eating great meals, lounging on the beach, and a few happy hours, it´s really a tough life down here.

Adam left this morning, so I finally have a little time to catch everyone up on what is going on down here.

For starters...dirt has been moved at our lot. We were up there on Thursday or Friday, and they have started to level off the top of the ridge. They are digging it out with shovels. It´s hard work, but they are doing a great job. Our ridge is fairly flat where most of it will be built, so there isn´t a ton on fill. They are going to make the whole lot flat, and it will probably be only a meter below where the top of the ridge is right now. It should feel like the deck is floating slightly above the trees, and the ridge.

Like I mentioned earlier, Adam and I were up there earlier in the week, and did a rough staking of the lot. After making a few changes to the plan...making it better... we went up there and staked it where the house is actually going to be.

The west house corner is probably 15 ft from the corner of the lot, on the flattest part of the ridge. This side of the house are the money views. Waking up in the master bedroom, and looking out the window, you will be able to see a good amount of ocean. It´s really awesome.

The deck is going is going to wrap around from the back of the house to the side where the master bedroom is. On the master side of the house, there will be 2 views of the pacific ocean. And the other view is a tremendous view of inland Nicaragua, with a volcano in the far distance.

The absolute best part of this house...even though the whole thing is going to be sick...is the captains perch. The view from up there should be above the canopy of trees, and we will have close to a 180 degree view of the ocean. Right now is the wet season, so the trees are completely filled in. We can see the ocean pretty good right now threw the trees, but when the leaves fall off (in the dry season), it should be pretty spectacular.

I do have some most unfortunate news however...I lost my camera. There was a bit of stupidity involved on my part, but needless to say that it´s gone. Luckily I have my iphone with me, so I will still be able to take pictures with that, and will go to the lot tomorrow and take some more pictures of the work that has been done. I will also post some other photos of SDJS, and the surrounding area.

I have to apologize for the quickness and probable mis-spellings in the earlier posts. This is the first time that I can actually sit down in an internet cafe, and take some time to collect my thoughts.

To let you know a little bit about this place, it´s really quite special. Adam & I have spent a lot of time meeting the locals that live here, mostly gringos, and they all love it. In SDJS, there are alot of businesses that are owned by gringos (non-nicaraguan). A Canadian couple owns one of the better bars in town, that is right on the beach. They had an open-mic night last Thursday, and it was more like a real band. The husband plays a mean harmonica.

Another couple just opened an Irish Bar. It opened on Thursday night. The woman is from Ireland, and has a thick Irish accent, and her husband is a local from SDJS. I can´t remember her name, but his is Roberto. We sat and talked to him for probably an hour. He brought every piece of memorabilia back straight from Ireland. 14 suitcases.

There is also a nice coffee shop called ´´El gato negro´´ (The black cat) It´s a coffee shop slash book store, and they have a great selection of English Books....very rare in Nicaragua.

Another couple just opened a bakery. We stopped by there after surfing on Saturday morning, and had one of the first loaves that they baked.

Needless to say, there are alot of entrepreneurs here, and a nice balance of locals and gringos.

There are also alot of backpackers here. Lots of college kids, staying in the hostels. They´ve filled this Internet cafe that I´m in right now. I´m pretty sure there all on facebook.

Another good piece of news is that we met another one of our neighbors..Felix. Felix is from Spain, but has moved here to retire. He build his entire house with only 5 other guys. It took him 3 years. That´s not to discourage anyone, His house is huge and he definitely took his time to make sure everything was perfect. It is a most impressive house.

The sun is going down, so I am going to walk over to the beach...have a Toña, and watch the sunset. I´ve probably typed too much anyway, but not close to everything we have done or seen. I will have a lot more down time this week, so I will continue to post.

I hope everyone is good in the states, and if anyone has a question about anything, please make a comment, or email me, and I will try to answer.

I also really hope that I can get some more photos for everyone tomorrow. I´m waking up and going surfing first thing, so I will stop by the lot and take some more.

Adios,

Keeley

More to come..

Just a note...

I will take better pictures of our lot and post them. I am going to lower the image quality, and that should make it easier to upload. That is all I have for now,I have to give this computer back. Hope all is well up north. Cheers