Hello Susan and John and all,
I am so glad that Swanny set this blog up for us, so that we can share information. Originally I thought that it would be a great way to share practical knowledge in terms of building materials, ideas, transportation etc. And I hope it still will be. But now I realize that this major life move that we are all making involves much more than pragmatic research.
Pragmatic! What a laugh! Buying land in Bocas may have been the single most impulsive move of my life. I spent about two hours walking the project with Swanny and was only in Bocas town for a total of three days before I agreed to buy the land. It took me over a year to decide what kind of a car to buy so this type of behavior is definitely not typical. But I have heard the same sentiment expressed again and again by people moving to Bocas. Things like “ the minute I got there I felt at home.” It is of course, easy to be wooed by the vacation mentality and to think – “ I want to spend the rest of my life like this.” But hey! I really did. The second time I came back to Bocas I came prepared with a list of people I wanted to make contact with from information I had gleaned from the internet. I had just reunited with Swanny and Luna and seen Zuul for the first time. A friend of theirs, Keith, stopped by to chat and mentioned that there was going to be a meeting at the I-Pat for ex-pats to meet with the Ambassador from the US to air their complaints. At that meeting I met about half the people on my list in one fell swoop. That is how things have worked for me so far in that town – they just unfold in a very natural and almost magical way. At the meeting I heard many complaints and concerns about trash in the streets, the bad condition of the roads, the lack of good medical facilities, unethical business practices and on and on. And so on the first day back into town, I was faced with the very real possibilities of “trouble in Paradise.” And of course the discussion about ROP land was a big topic. I came away from the meeting with my eyes wide open and extremely thankful that I had purchased titled property. And oddly enough I was not at all deterred but the tone of the meeting. In spite of the flurry of complaints there was also unanimous concern that big developers like Red Frog were going to ruin the whole area with their money-dominated mentality. Everyone I talked to had a concern for the environment and also a desire to integrate into the community and to help improve the quality of life for all concerned. Maybe that is one of the things I enjoy so much about the area. The type of people who are attracted to Bocas (with the exception of some of the developer types) are speaking the same language. There is an instant camaraderie in the appreciation for the natural beauty and splendor of the area that is very connecting. And I think that that is even truer on our particular island.
But back to our island…I bought what is now Plot eight in Phase two of the new site plan. It is smack in the middle of the project. I bought according to budget and though being on the water would have been nice I am excited to start working on my little plot. When I returned the following year, I was excited to realize that part of my land extends into jungle. It is cool in there and lush and I am hoping to eventually put in some sort of a mediation/sitting area. I am leaning towards doing some sort of pole construction but won’t really know until I get there. I have been thinking about putting up something very small (like the cabins) to house myself in during the interim, so that I can spend some time getting the feel for breezes etc. When I was there last March it rained almost every day and I then became aware of how soggy the land can be, so there is a lot to check out and figure out before I actually start building my main place. Whatever I build it will be most likely be modest and very open. I have seen some people use cinder block on the bottom level and wood on the top. With termites being an issue, this might be a consideration. Aesthetically, this is not my first choice, but I have noticed that bright paint and well placed foliage can make even cinder blocks look fun if it’s done right. I saw a place in Costa Rica that was done similarly to this idea. The whole downstairs area was living room and kitchen and it was completely open. No front walls – nada! It obviously could not be secured and was subject to the occasional natural intruder – but it was interesting. There is a lot to figure out. And at this point I am totally winging it from afar. But my basic plan is:
1. Clear the land if need be. Check out the high spots and low spots after a good rain and see if I need to make channels to redirect water etc.
2. Select an area for the outhouse and get that established.
3. Build the structure which will support the water catchment container and get that installed. That will give me water and showers.
4. Put up a small structure which will later either be incorporated into the main structure or used to house my kids when they come to visit down the road.
Swanny, in the event you read this – please jump in there and offer all the advice you can – you are after all the only one who has “been there – done that.”
To answer your question Susan – I may rent a room in Bocas for a month or so to get assimilated when I first arrive. But the cost to go back and forth can get very expensive so I am not sure about how that will work out. As the number of people at the project increases I am hoping that we will be able to “car pool” and save on resources and $, but at this stage this is still a little problematic, but not impossible.
Also to answer your question, Almirante is not what you would consider a beautiful town. As with much of the area the level of poverty dictates aesthetics to a great degree. There is dirt everywhere and bad smells sometimes, and dogs walking down the road with huge tumors hanging so low off their bellies they almost touch the ground. There is a constant reminder that everything in much of the rest of the world is not cleaned, whitened, surgically altered, or sanitized. And yet, I find that the more I am in the area the more my eye changes. Rusty zinc roofs against the gray sky can be very pretty. The ever present pot holes slow the ride down to a crawl sometimes – a reminder that life won’t be fast even in this part of the world no matter how much we try to make it that way. And all the different tribes and races are a constant fascination to see and sort.
There is free sawdust in Almirante for the taking and it is good to know this since this is an essential part of “composting” toilettes. To tell you the truth, we were going back and forth to Changinola and Almirante for several days and it all has sort of run together in my mind. I can’t remember if it was in Almirante or Changinola where Luna signed up for a new phone plan. But this is something else to consider. I think it is much cheaper just to get a plan there. Anyone out there with experience in this area?
I could ramble on forever, but if I don’t start tending to my life here, I will never get out of town.
I think in a separate blog I will approach some of the issues that concern all of transplants like – cell phones, computer issues, health insurance. I know that one of the people who purchased land is very big into bio-diesel, so it will be interesting to see how that can be incorporated into our scene too.
No matter what it’s going to be a very interesting ride!
Colleen
Posted on Tuesday, December 5th, 2006 at 2:22 am
Filed under Uncategorized.
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