This morning Phatsamon harvested her first watermelon ever cropped in her life. Not only watermelon but also other fruits and vegetables. Morning glory is spreading everywhere (not always a glory ;) ).
This first watermelon will be a present to her mom.
Roadwork:
As we already shared in one of our blogs, our site is next to a dirt road. From the village it takes around 700 meters to reach it. Unexpected we discovered the local government started to extend the concrete road from the village for a couple of hundred meters. I just saw several women preparing the framework for the extension in full sun. A great job they do.
After they finish their job, there is still 470 meters dirt road to our site left (see pictures) and it will take a long time (I guess) to make this extension. But, we are happy with this first part and, if people start to like to visit our place... who knows... the other part also is quickly made. If so, we hope it will not be a kind of highway through the forest but just a nice not too wide road to make access a bit more comfortable especially during the rainy season.
Frans Captijn
e-mail: pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com
Under the eyes of the Buddha yesterday end of the afternoon we finished to get the permanent form work of the (8.8 m diameter) Labyrinth aligned. It took some time and its really great we have professional tools/instruments to help us to fix this job.
This morning we got the first 'visitor' at the labyrinth trying to find the path to walk. She has to wait for a while. It will take maybe even a couple of months. All depending of the weather and other plans we have to develop and prepare in our process.
Today we will bring the electric wires in for the lights we bought yesterday to give us the possibility to walk the labyrinth in the evening or night. The floor will be 20 cm thick concrete so it will work as a collector for the warmth of the sun. During daytime, because it will take a long time till the Bodhi tree is big enough to give some shade, the floor will be too hot to walk. So this meditative place can only be uses early in the morning, the evening and if wanted during night time. During daytime for sure it will become an eye catcher inviting to see and visit.
Next week we will prepare the double layer wire mesh and will make special and grounding at the four main axes. Depending of the weather, we can pour concrete end of this new week.
After that we can start to make the 'Petite Chartres Labyrinth' pattern. The lines will be of gold and dark blue mosaic glass tiles. The paths of a special layer of glued small round washed gravel. Comfortable to walk barefoot and to really feel connection.
All this work is really a meditation and we take and have the time for it to make it professional and beautiful with our own hands.
Frans Captijn
e-mail: pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com
This afternoon we got a 'GO' from PEA (Provincial Electricity Authority in Surin) for our electrical installation of the control room / pump house and our temporary living space. The installations are approved so soon we get 'normal' power (and price) with a new (final) meter.
Yesterday first I installed the outside kitchen sink with a special grease trap (to protect the soak-away field from grease and dirt), the place for cooking and the place for the washing machine. All temporary till our main house (in a couple of years) will be finished.
We also started to build the labyrinth. First the placement of the permanent form work. Today we started with spirit leveling of the form work. During our work dog Joke (family dog of Phatsamon) came to visit Kadhow and us.
The last couple of days physical work is a real hard job and we need to take many breaks to rest. The afternoons now we have rain showers and thunderstorms (Kadhow very afraid). In the morning high temperatures (around 38 degrees Celsius) in combination with high humidity.
We have and take the time ;).
Find some pictures of the last two days.
Frans Captijn
e-mail: pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com
It took nearly 3,5 hours, lots of telephone calls between different government offices but today we got a so called 'yellow book' for our Knock down home and an address. Although there is not a single house around our site we got street number 6 and house number 196. We also went to the PEA (electricity authority) and will get a new meter now included 'normal' price (electricity for building a house is more expensive in Thailand).
Yesterday afternoon I finished all the pavement and concrete work. A surprise was that Phatsamon arranged several farmers who were working on their lands around us and her brother in law to help with the placement of the over 150 kg heavy Buddha head. Together we succeeded.
The Buddha feels at home although the meditation environment is not finished yet. We now will start with building the labyrinth for walking meditation 'under the eyes of the Buddha' and will order a special plate with a Buddha homage. It will be there when the labyrinth is finished. Something that will take several weeks.
Find some pictures related to this blog about the last two days.
Frans Captijn
e-mail: pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com
The last couple of days we made some small progress. Slow, slow because actually it is too hot and humid to work long times. We really need to take long breaks to get new energy and... drink a lot of water and juice.
The pavement around the Knock down home is nearly ready now. Also the inspection pits are in for the sewage system, the main water and energy lines.
All together a heavy job with 3 m3 sand to transport with a wheelbarrow, tiles of 12.5 kg each, heavy concrete pits and curbs of 24 kg each.
Happy to work together. To safe our backs we both wear a back support belt. Really necessary.
For the Buddha column I did some bricklaying and came up with the idea to 'paint' the brickwork afterwards with cement powder mixed with only a little bit sand. After drying this afternoon I put two layers of special varnish. On top now is a dark green plate of marble.
Because of painting the cement 'paint' mixture, the wall got in a special way dark grey and at some places the orange stones, on the background, are still a bit visible. The effect is a kind of brown/green column. Inside filled with reinforced concrete.
We stopped a bit early today to go for dinner by scooter. Kadhow likes to run over the dirt roads through the forest. Just around the corner, not even 100 meters away from our site and next to the rubber tree forest, he discovered and hunted a Varaan. Very excited to see this (big) animal who ran away to climb a rubber tree.
We discover more and more the new 'house animals'. Some nice, some (ants) we really need to find a way to deal with ;).
Some pictures of the last days.
Frans Captijn
e-mail: pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com
Step by step our process is going on.
Last Monday we went to the Or Bor Tor (The Government's building department) of our area to deliver some papers and pictures about this first stage we reached of our process. Enough to start te process to get a house book and address.
Last week we decided to add a small sunroof and automatic rotating fan in front of the Knock Down Home (East side). In the morning it is already too hot to do our meditation and yoga and to have breakfast.
Having our truck back after many problems helps us to get construction materials again. I did some bricklaying to make a column for the Buddha Statue. Vibrating the concrete inside things went wrong and we quickly had to break down to start over the next day. On top is a green marble plate.
Also we picked up the basic framework to start building the labyrinth. Possible we can start with it this weekend.
At the moment we are painting and paving and hope this will be finished on Friday.
In the mean time the first Lotus flower and two waterlilies showed themselves in the pond.
Frans Captijn
e-mail: pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com
After three weeks in 'hospital' finally we got our truck back.
More than 50% of the engine is totally new.
We have to drive slow (max 60 km/hr) for a while because there is special oil in the engine and we have to come back after a short time (amount of kilometers to drive) to change oil and can drive normally again.
Happy to have the truck again to help us.
Welcome Home.
Frans Captijn
e-mail: pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com
The village we are living in, for four days already has no public water. It is very, very hot and dry for already a long period of time. Rainy season on it's way. People wash themselves in nearby lakes but it is hard to do laundry or the dishes.
At our place with our private water supply we have more than enough water. So we offered family members to shower at our place and wanted to bring water to the most needy with our truck but... still no truck (If everything is OK we will get it late afternoon today again).
Our washing machine is in Bangkok and we cannot go to pick it up. No problem because we can use the machine of Phatsamon's sister and brother in law. But without water... no clean working cloths.
Yesterday Phatsamon decided to pick up the waiting laundry again and wash at our place by hand in the cement basins. She did a great job.
During her washing I did paint and fixed the floorplanks of the stairs, bench and small table I made. This morning I finished and wanted to start to create the pavement around the site office.
In not even ten minutes the sky turned black and again we got a huge storm. Now... with rain. And although the roof above the veranda has an overhang of more than two meters, not a single spot dry on the terrace.
Just in time we were inside after protecting our tools against the rain. So far the storm and rain broke our sun-shelter/tent. At least this morning we have a half day off ;).
The positive thing in this morning's heavy rainfall? The huge amount of water offered me the opportunity to level the base for the labyrinth.
Frans Captijn
e-mail: pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com
During education for constructional engineering and architecture I was told one of the hardest jobs in building is to make a stair. I have had that experience in Riyad (Saudi Arabia) at ARAMCO where, together with my team, I had to design and create a marble staircase.
Here no marble staircase but still a small stair and a relax bench. Real puzzles. It took us nearly four days to get it all fixed in a (meditative ;) ) good style and with the right dimensions.
This afternoon we put the metal in oxide primer and put an second protection layer on the floor planks.
Temperatures last week of around 45 degrees during the day and in the night not lower than 34 degrees. So... Saudi Arabia again. But... so far we survived sweating a lot and drinking (no alcohol) a lot.
For those of you who are following the news of our truck... It is still in 'hospital'. No virus but sick of a crazy expat who, we believe, has a university degree in faking engines and maintenance. Over and over again we get phone calls from the garage to have a look how things were maintained / repaired and, afterwards, got a kind of beauty salon treatment to show great...
We hope we will get the truck back beginning next week. Is has a nearly new engine at that moment. Hope to have a lot of safe kilometres to serve us during the long process still to go. Looking forward to a nice 'welcome home'.
Some pictures of the last days.
Frans Captijn
e-mail: pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com
