Saturday, November 26, 2005
CONSTRUCTION: DAY 6
An agreed upon half-day of work, the team begins to make some finishing touches to the septic project. After a late lunch at the barrio president's home, a little time in the city is planned for the late afternoon.
Clearing the horses from the project site.
The toilet house is now receiving the bulk of the work effort. As it's the weekend, a few more barrio residents arrive to pitch in on the project.
Erman returns from the city with a stylish new haircut. Laura can't resist a photo.
Beth is up to her neck in mortar.
Dave and Laura put on a brick-laying clinic.
Decorative brick "flowers" mark the three clean-out pipes (buried about six inches) for the three septic drain pipes.
The septic tank lids are curing. Note the short PVC pieces used to create openings in each lid for maintenance. Also note security tape around septic tank -- this should definitely keep kids and cows out!
As early afternoon and the end of today's workday arrives, the walls for the toilet house are nearly finished. Getting oh-so-close....
Touches of beauty exist everywhere -- even on a septic system project site.
Early afternoon brings lunch at Chicho's. Barbacoa -- large slabs of meat slowly cooked for hours. Delicious, particularly chased with some cold beverages.
Comer!!! It's tough to refuse Chicho's enthusiastic urgings to eat, eat, eat!
Beth takes a closer inspection of the process.
Brandon and Ryu getting comfortable around the grill.
After some off-the-grill appetizers, we sit down to a very big meal and leave with very full stomaches.
Late this afternoon we go on the hour-long bus ride to downtown Santa Cruz. A little souvenir shopping is the agenda for the evening.
Walking the streets of Santa Cruz.
Laura and Beth look through some colorful clothes.
After sunset (7:30 pm) the cathedral glows in the evening.
One bonus cultural event: we attend the high school graduation ceremony of Mauricio and Walter's younger brother, Juan Pablo.
