Inspection and obstacle day

This morning two inspectors of the Or Bor Tor came to check the road and also visited our place. They promised they will repair the dirt road for now. In the future a concrete road will be made but they work piece by piece. This year 170 meters only and they will start the other side (far from us). So we will see and have to wait how long all will take.

Happy they had no complaints at all about our building process and progress.

Two days ago we ordered 190 m2 wire mesh and 288 meters of rebar for the concrete foundation to make and the floors to finish of the main house. 

Surin has a special factory that welds this wire mesh (mats). The amount we order always is too small so we have to wait for companies who order the same thickness and maze width we want. Lucky the factory could deliver our order within one day. Today we picked up all in one time with our private small truck. 

In the afternoon we ordered 5 m3 sand and 2 m3 gravel for equalization and to make some concrete by ourself. The main amount of concrete will be brought by the concrete factory with special concrete trucks. 

Surprise 1 was they already came to deliver the sand and gravel this afternoon at around 3 pm. 

Surprise 2 was both trucks sink to the axes into our land. The top layer of the land after the long monsoon actually is dry now but this heavy weight was too much for the road at our land. It took nearly three hours for the trucks to 'free themselves' and we finally needed the help of a tractor that after three attempt finally succeeded to get the empty trucks out.    

Sad thing now is we have the gravel and sand at a place at our location that is disturbing the further building process so we have to arrange something for that. 

We already made a reservation for the formwork to make the foundation but maybe we have to change the date for a week or two because it's to risky for heavy concrete trucks so far to deliver. Depends how the weather will unfold. 

It's dry and the rice, that's still alive after the long monsoon, starts to flourish. Causing me allergy of hay fever. A couple of weeks medicines again. Every year the same so used to it but still unpleasant.  

My son told me we always have adventures. True and better than only watching and doing nothing. So let's stay positive and optimistic. 

Tomorrow a new day with new adventures I guess. 

 Frans Captijn

email:   pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com

 

Start of buiding the main house.

Today we could make a start with our main house. It was possible for the excavator to come to our place with a special truck.

Early morning a farmer came to cut the grass for the last time to feed his cows.

The excavator was able to dig the construction site. The soil easy to handle after six weeks of heavy monsoons. 

We also brought in the 45 meter underground main electricity lines (2 x 16 mm2 copper) from the pumphouse/control room to the place where we will install the Siemens consumer unit and a 1 inch waterpipe to the place were we will install the house water distribution station. 

Happy we also could install the underground electricity lines (2 x 10 mm2) to the small workplace/storage room to build between the control room and the back of TED's. 

A new bird keeping an eye on the work yesterday and today. 

All together a busy day with great weather for the first time in weeks.

The soil now has to settle and dry a bit before we can start with the foundation / formwork. In the mean time we can go on finishing guest pyramid room 2. 

 Frans Captijn

email:   pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com

Trying to slowly start up again

Four days and three nights no rain so far. Sure the monsoon is not over yet but it's slowly getting (and we hope staying) dryer. 

Yesterday Phatsamon found some forest workers in the forest while we were walking with the dogs. She asked them to 'clean up' our place a bit after five trees fell down. This morning very early they came for free. They sell the wood to a company. Ok for us. A win-win. 

At the moment we work on everything at the same time. Not really my thing but we try to do what we can do with the construction materials still left. So we are working on the outside pavement, inside and outside painting of parts installed, installing electricity and flat ceilings, tiling and even land survey. It's all a bit unorganized and nothing really can be finished yet, but we still have enough to do. Nothing for me to sit and wait. 

We hope on Monday (if no rain will come in the mean time) the excavator can come to dig the place/construction site to make the foundation for the main house. 

Yesterday we discovered we cannot finish the inside ceiling because the company run out of stock of splendid planks. Not sure yet when they are there again.

In the mean time we got a message the special foundation blocks for the house we had to order six weeks in advance, already arrived in Surin. One month too early. So they need to wait. The road is still too weak to carry the weight of a loaded truck for delivery.

The bananas are growing well and also our Kingfisher friend is back on site again. 

Up-date October 15:

A new depression with rain and for us very low temperatures arrived. So for sure no digging machine on Monday can work here. Happy yesterday late afternoon we found seven packs splendid planks. So, after the rain stops we can finish the inside ceiling of the second guest pyramid. 

Frans Captijn

email:   pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com

Without transportation everything stops...

This morning for the first time in weeks a dry and a little bit sunny morning as the first picture shows. But, if we believe the weather forecast, not for long. A new depression with heavy rain and thunderstorms is on it's way. 

At the moment it feels as being and working in a hot steam sauna. 

Because of this morning nice weather surprise we walked a bit longer with the dogs. They were happy to run again, although most in the mud. 

Actually we were not even surprised anymore, only sad, to see the amount of serious damage of the road to our construction and living site. Several places over 60 cm deep and nearly two meters wide erosion. At one place over three meter deep. Dozens of trees collapsed around us and several block the road. Only at our own site we had to deal with four nice trees that fell down. 

And we are not the only ones who have lots of damage. The village, the town, the province, many provinces in the North-East and North, are suffering of (very dangerous) collapsed highways and roads, houses under water and collapsed trees. We are sure we are not getting priority for necessary repair and this will takes weeks after the heavy rains stops. 

For us it's not possible to leave or enter our place with a scooter, car or truck. We have to walk nearly one kilometer to the house of Phatsamon's mother in the village to take our Mazda to go to town to do some shopping for the next couple of days and after that walk back with the shopping bags to our site. Several shops in town we could not reach because of flooded roads.

Yesterday we had to walk through 40 cm water and mud to do that. An adventure but not really a pleasure.

Find some pictures of this morning of our 'lockdown' situation and for sure you will understand this will need and take some time to repair. In the mean time we have no transportation and we really ran out of construction materials. As a slogan in The Netherlands says: "Without transportation everything stops". 

Unfortunately big chance within two weeks time we temporary have to stop our activities. Even our 'friend' with his excavator, although 4-wheel drive, cannot come to us. 

Happy yesterday I could repair most of the damage caused by the fallen tree of the neighbor. Also the other three trees are into pieces already. More than enough wood for many campfires (and BBQ's). 

The good thing of all is that Phatsamon shows her creativity in self supporting using for instance the seeds of the trees that fell down, finding and preparing mushrooms and use all kind of herbs in the garden raw to eat or for cooking. Our first banana's also are arriving. We will stay healthy 😊.

 

It's not realistic to think any longer, as we intended, to invite and receive guests/friends for an overnight stay the last months of this year. We will not be ready to do so. We hope beginning next year we can offer a warm welcome. 

It is the way it is... 

Frans Captijn

email:   pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com