Little progress and... no money

In between rain showers we make some progress (I cannot sit still ;)). 

Last Saturday, after a couple of days no rain, we ordered 6 m3 sand for leveling and to make some concrete. I made a 14 cm thick reinforced 'heat resistant' concrete floor for the campfire place including a drain. Only need to fill it up with gravel. 

The additional 20 bags of granito/gravel plaster to finish the path and (in a different color) the border of the Labyrinth arrived. Last night a heavy tropical rain shower. This morning cloudy and the weather forecast promised thunderstorms in the late afternoon. I took a venture on it and plastered five bags of granito today. Hard job but... finished and only a couple of raindrops. Tarpaulins were ready to cover in case of heavy rain. For the path still 4 - 5 bags to go and 5 bags in gold/brown color for the border.

Last but not least... no money. A letter from The Netherlands to Thailand usually takes around four weeks (Dutch tax letters arrive within a week). Already two times ING Bank send me a so called scanner. The first attempt half a year ago. It never arrived. Second attempt (second scanner) two and a half months ago. Again never arrived. I called ING but they had to forward my call to another department and another department and at a certain moment... empty telephone. So I bought a smart phone to download the e-bank app. No way. I needed my ATM card for numbers (valid till March 2021) but... they send me a new card weeks ago and the old one does not work any more 5 days after sending. And again... the new card, so far, did not arrive. So... money at the bank but I cannot get it from my Dutch account. Happy to have a Thai account so we can go on for a couple of weeks waiting to get the new ATM card and for some products we can make use of the credit card.

Frans Captijn

e-mail: pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com

Different light solution and temporary construction stop

This morning we decided to cancel the idea of using Velux roof windows in our buildings. And yes, we feel a bit sad about this. 

It worked out it gives many problems for us to receive them at our site in Thailand because no door-to-door sending service is offered. The costs of shipping for the intended fist order nearly doubled the price of the order and we got a warning of a good friend. 

Personally I like this windows and the combination of glass, metal and wood a lot. Great quality in my opinion. A high price as well but still. My friend warned me just about the type of wood used for the windows. His experience here in Thailand is that the wood is like honey for termites. Especially at the rural area where we are building... we have to deal with many kinds of them. Reason why I decided already not to build in (laminated) wood. Something I really liked a lot.

Some wood we stored here a half year ago already for over 50% is eaten by termites. 

So checking for other light solutions. 

Reading the brochures again of the Jade green ceramic rooftiles we will order I discovered, as a special order, it is possible to get for this tiles a Crystal version (width two basic roof tiles). This morning we checked for availability but they need to be made by order. We decided to go for this and ordered 14 pieces to make an ongoing crystal vertical line on the North side of the guest room of 60 cm width. They will be placed in between the basic tiles in the 60 degrees pitched roof. It's just a try out and we think it fits nice in the design and also shows playful in the evening. 

Because of the weather we decided for a temporary construction stop. There is no other option. We have to deal with tropical storm and rain shower after rain shower and the new building spot already turned out to be a swimming pool today for a second time. The old tree close to the labyrinth is a place for young Fairy-Bluebirds to dry in between the rain. 

So for now we will work on ordering building materials and step by step make progress by finishing and cleaning the labyrinth. 

Frans Captijn

e-mail: pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com

Start of work for the first Pyramid guest room

The day before yesterday we did some land surveying with our tools to get the markers for the digging machine in the right place and North-South direction. We also got the right acid (Hydro Chloric Acid 35%. Liquid you need to be very careful with) to clean the cement remaining on the labyrinth. First I did a small try out because I am waiting for the second order to finish the plasterwork of the floor. After I finish that I will work with the acid to get the pattern and color clear.  

Yesterday night it started to rain. Tropical Storm Noul also reached our area. The whole day we were locked down in a lockdown ;). The road to our site was only mud. This morning the wheelbarrow was filled with rainwater. 

This morning it was dry (for a couple of hours because at the moment it is pouring rain again, the gap is filling with rain water and Kadhow is trying to find shelter). The operator of the digging machine called and wanted to come. OK for us. Even the pujabahn (major of the village) came to visit us for a short while. 

Before the operator with his excavator could reach our site he needed to repair the road at a couple of places because it was damaged by the heavy rain. After that he started to do his job. It took about four hours all together and he delivered again a good job for us. 

We can and will leave this gap for a while before we level to start with the strip foundation.

At the moment terrible weather again. No power, internet and water in the village. Happy to have our own generator so Phatsamon can cook. 

Frans Captijn

e-mail: pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com

Some obstacles to deal with

Today we got some obstacles or hick-ups in our building process. In The Netherlands I have great experience with using the Danish Velux roof windows. 

For our building process we put them in our designs for the guest pyramids, the main house and the meditation/yoga/tantra studio. 

We got official Thai government building permission permission to use them in our buildings. 

Last week, as a try-out, we started to order only for one of the guest pyramids the Velux windows and blinds. 

Velux International has a world wide network of dealers but... not in Thailand (so far, they say). That does not say I cannot order the windows but...

It worked out, so far, the service of Velux only reaches to the harbor of Bangkok. Although Thailand does not have a dealer yet, they do not offer any door-to-door delivery as most international companies do. Sad to get this message.

We are trying to find a solution with them but for us it is not possible to drive 18 hours to pick up a possible order at the harbor in Bangkok. So we hope they will come with a solution. Living in an online shopping world now there must be a possibility and... we offer them a great opportunity to show their wonderful windows in Thailand. My neighbor in Chiang Mai offered me the possibility to buy a (much cheaper) Chinese brand but so far I am not in to this. 

We are also trying to find other options/solutions now. 

Another obstacle we have to face is the hollow concrete core floor slabs in our design are not available in Surin province. So we have to find other solutions for our concrete floors. 

It's all a part of our process. 

Happy many people are following us to discover the solutions we will find. Many expats are facing the same problems with the availability of Velux windows in Thailand. 

We keep you posted. 

Frans Captijn

e-mail: pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com

Another step finished. Also electricity supply to guest pyramid rooms fixed

Rhis morning all digging, closing, cable and connection work done and finished. And, the best thing... all working. 

So the electricity and water supply for the guest rooms to build are fixed and the basic connections for the main pyramid house are already made. 

Another step in our process is finished so now we can start the work for building the first guest pyramid room. Power and electricity needed for building are available now. 

In the mean time we slowly make progress with the labyrinth. This afternoon again two bags of granito plaster in between some rain showers. We think at least we need another two or three weeks to complete this.

Frans Captijn

e-mail: pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com

Water supply fixed and slowing down again

We just finished the main water supply over nearly 90 meters for the two guest pyramids and also already the pit and main water valve for the main pyramid house to build. A lot of digging, gluing, connecting, fixing and closing the slot again.

We think we can fix the electricity connection on Monday. 

Happy my son Rik gave me a good advise out of his sewage experience to first put a layer of sand and just above that gravel. So we changed that concept as he offered us. 

Temperatures during the day here are now around 38 - 39 degrees C and humidity around 90%. Not really inviting weather to work ;). So we take a lot of breaks in between short activities. 

Kadhow and his neighbor calf friend early in the morning, just after sunrise do their yoga exercises while I water the fresh gravel pavement I poured the evening before.

Time for a cold beer with ice now,

Frans Captijn

e-mail: pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com

Loosing weight and sweat

Digging and working on the water and electricity supply for the guest pyramids and the pavement of the labyrinth really feels as a hell of a job. Draining energy so to say. Temperatures during the day are around 38 degrees C and humidity 85%.

For me it feels as an ongoing exercise I once, as a young student fire-service officer at the Dutch Fire Service College, had to do at the Fire service college in Moreton-in March (GB). Discovering your personal boarders working in full protection suit and with breathing apparatus under the same conditions as we had today ;). 

Digging the slot around 40 cm deep and nearly 100 meters length, putting the heavy copper electric wires in a pipe, fixing the water pipes, closing the slot with gravel and sand again, etc.. Sweating (both of us) and loosing weight. The two daily cool beers waiting at around 5 PM tasted great (again).  

Yesterday we bought for the two guest pyramids the toilets, sinks and (Hafele)taps and Electrolux hot water showers and fans. Phatsamon made a good deal at Home Mart. Happy we can store them at her mothers house for a couple of months. We bought two sets because we want to be sure to have the same interior of the guest rooms. The inverter air condition units (Panasonic) we will order later. 

Working on the pavement of the labyrinth we discovered we do not have enough mortar. So we ordered 20 more bags. 5 Bags in a kind of gold brown color surrounding the outer ring. Find a picture of our progress so far. Be aware after finishing the pavement we need to clean and clear with acid. After that the 'walls' and the 'path' will be clear visible (we hope ;)). 

Frans Captijn

e-mail: pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com

First activities second stage. Water and electricity supply and again birds watching

Working on the top layer of the labyrinth is going very slow. Although I get more experienced in it the weather does not allow us to do about 1,5 - 2 m2 per day. It is the way it is. We just had to stop again because of a thunderstorm and cover the just poured gravel for a while to finish this gravel after the rain stops. 

During the day is is very hot and humid. Temperatures till around 40 degrees C. Sweating (and drinking) a lot. So we work for a short while and stop again to have a short rest. 

Although we will build only one of the two guest pyramids we got permission for, we do the preparations for water and electricity for both already. At the site we want electricity underground. We do not like concrete electricity poles and lines on the land. At the site we work with copper wires in special pipes connected with the site distribution station for electricity and water. For the water supply we make use of Thai Pipe 13.5 bar (high quality and thick) PVC. 

Phatsamon and I are digging the trenches for the lines and water pipes. Really a hard job but... good additional exercise ;). 

A small side distribution station with two electricity meters and a pit with two water meters are ready now and waiting for the connection with the main distribution station. For the building process we arranged a water and electricity connection close to the place where we start building the first guest pyramid room. 

And again, during breakfast and work, several beautiful birds visit to have a look at the site or in the adjacent rice field. 

Frans Captijn

e-mail: pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com

Red Ixora around the labyrinth and easier working with the gravel

Because we only can work in the late afternoon on the gravel path (a kind of Granito) of the labyrinth, we already bought the plants for the decoration around. We choose the Red Ixora (Western Red Jasmine flower). The same I used for the big Chartres Labyrinth I made at The Spa Resort Residences (behind my house) in Mae Rim/Chiang Mai.

The choice for this flower for me is easy. Fist of all I like the sparkling red color that attracts many butterflies. Second thing is the plants are high resistant to the heat (very high temperatures we have here) and sun. After deep rooted, they do not need much water to survive. So, we hope this will work out. 

The only worry is that the last step of the plastering work of the Labyrinth is to clean with acid to get the cement out and clean with a lot of water afterwards. We hope this will go well for the plants. To be a bit more sure we only cut the base of the plastic plant bags and put lots of great soil underneath so the roots will find their way down soon (we hope) and will not be disturbed too much by the cleaning process. The plants are on a distance of 40 cm from the concrete labyrinth base.  

Another discovery we made. Working with the gravel/plaster/granito did not give me a lot of fun. It's really very hard working. We followed the manual printed on the back of every bag. Only 3 liters of water is preferred on a three component mix of 20 kg. That made it hard to work with and to get a flat and clear service. 

Today we checked again. Actually it say a minimum of 3 liters water depending on the job. So I added about half a liter of water more and this made working much easier (and quicker). Hope to see the results tomorrow.

Last night a friend of Kadhow wanted to visit him. Not happy with that. He or she left her footprints in the fresh pavement. I tried to fix that this afternoon. 

Frans Captijn

e-mail: pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com