102 steps!!

For the last three weeks the major focus of most of the workers has been the terracing. As of yesterday they have put in 102 steps, all connected with pisas (floors) and planters and supported by retaining walls. This whole area of development has certainly changed the look of the cliff, but we are trying to keep it as natural as possible by adding stone facing. They of course have had to break the solid granite away to be able to put in all the terracing and steps. They have one jack hammer and lots of picks, pick axes and shovels. So like almost everything else all of this has been done basically by hand.

Here are a few different views of some of the steps and retaining walls.We now have to figure out a way to light 102 steps so when our guests are wandering around they can do it safely!We still have one other area to finish with terracing, but this will only add maybe 10 or 12 more steps.

This week they also laid down the cement flooring for the area that will be our outdoor kitchen. We call it an outdoor kitchen but it will consist of a grill, frig, sink and a burner. Certainly not a whole kitchen, but it will still be perfect for our needs and very convenient.

The most exciting thing though this week is that they started our fire pit.We are perching it at the edge of the cliff and the views down from there are spectacular.We will put two built in benches on each side of the pit and it will be raised up about 3 feet. I imagine people just sitting there, even without the fire, because the views of the waves on the rocks below will be incomparable.

This week we have also had them put a window in a bathroom, where there was none.We chose not to put one here to begin with because it faced the back wall of our bedroom. When they started to put in the shower we realized how dark and hot it was so we had them knock out the wall. Everyday we are making it up as we go along. One of our biggest dilemmas, beside, tiles, floor, paint colors etc. has been how to finish the bar and the fireplace. Both of these are huge parts of our main room (which we have to name yet) and we could not decide on what to do. We finally found some white flat rock (we really wanted large round stones but could not find them) and decided to put this white rock inside the bar.Now that they are doing it we are not sure we made the right choice, but it is kind of late now. I woke up the other night in a panic thinking, “Now what are we going to do with the fireplace??!!” It is only 6 feet from this white rocked bar!! I drove to Cabo that day and brought home a bunch of samples. I think we decided on a multi-colored slate. Gees this is hard!!!! Now what floor do we put in to compliment all this stuff.

Well we are plugging along here and for the most part happy with what we are doing. We second guess ourselves often but then we have a cerveza and say to each other….everything is great! Two more months and we will be bringing in the furniture...OMG!!! That will fly by before we know it! Gotta go! Got things to do!

BTW...Did you know there are 58,903,685 shades of white paint??? O.K. I exaggerate, but try to pick an off white paint color!! Do you want one that has tan tones, pink tones, yellow tones, brown tones, beige tones, azure tones...well you understand my dilemma...today I am off to the paint store...