Casa Loros Bed & Breakfast

Progress Report

November, 2005

This is the Casa Loros Progress Report for November, 2005.  Remember to click on the thumbnails to enlarge the photos.

These photos were taken during the weeks between November 20 and December 2, 2005.  It was during this time that the site work began.  We'll begin with photos of the property as it appeared when we arrived and continue with many photos of the site work in progress.

Each group of photos is immediately followed by a description of each picture left to right.

Let's begin with a description of the Casa Loros Property.  It sits on top of a small mountain approximately 800 feet above the valley below.  It is approximately 15,000 square meters (3.7 acres) in size, and a lot of the land is almost vertical.  On top of the mountain there are two plateaus, one above and behind the other.  A driveway connects the private road up the mountain to the lower plateau, and another connects the lower plateau to the upper one.

1) The first photo shows the driveway from the private road to the lower plateau.  It was taken from the road looking up to toward the lower plateau.

2) This one shows the same driveway but looking down from the lower plateau toward the private road.

3) This shows the driveway from the lower plateau to the upper one.  Both of these driveways are much steeper than they look.

4) This shot shows the face of the lower plateau taken from the private road.

5) Another of the face of the lower plateau taken from our neighbor's lot below us.  The electric pole to the right of the photo belongs to them.  You can see our electric pole in the top center of the photo. 

6) Here's a better photo of our electric pole which sits on the Southwest corner of our lower plateau.

7) This is of the upper plateau before the site work began.  The mound you see surrounds the original water tank.  Notice how the grass has grown up since last May during the rainy season.

8) Contrast 7 with this one which was taken approximately 3 hours after Kingsley's team of Nicholas and Rafael began work.

9) Here's Rafael with his machete cutting the grass, shrubs and small trees from the sides of the property.  It was amazing to feel the cool breeze begin to blow after the vegetation was shortened.

10) This shows the beginning of the removal of the original water tank. 

11) Here's Nicholas on the backhoe/front-end loader removing more material from the back of the tank.

12) And here's the tank finally exposed.  It will be broken up and pushed over the side as part of a terrace that's being built around the property to assist with erosion control.  More about that later.

13) And speaking of driveways, the next few shots show the transformation of the driveway between the lower and upper plateaus.  The amazing thing is that this work only required about 3 hours.  This shot shows the original driveway after it was flattened.  Compare this to photo 3.

14) Now you can see the beginning of the new driveway which will replace the original.  Rafael is headed back to the slope to continue his machete work.

15) Nicholas continues to operate the machine as Kingsley looks on.

16) The new driveway continues to take shape.

17) Getting close to completion.

18) And finally done.  If you're wondering why a new driveway was needed, look at the stake with the florescent bottle on the left side of the photo.  That's where the Southwest corner of the house will sit.

19) This shows some of the stakes that mark the outline of the house.  A view of the Pacific is in the background.

20) The next step is to remove approximately 6 meters (18 feet) from the face of the upper plateau.  The front of the house will "hang" over the edge of the upper plateau and rest on the lower one.  The house will sit in the "hole" left after the face has been cleared.  This shows Kingsley ensuring that Nicholas understands what needs to be done.

21) Nicholas continues to remove the face of the upper plateau.

22) Nothing is wasted.  The material that is being removed from the upper plateau is used to build a new terrace that will encircle the property at the same level as the floor of the lower level.  In this view, you can see the beginning of the new terrace as Nicholas begins to build a turn to the right.

23) Here you see the new terrace being created.  This is dangerous work.  The material is pushed over the side of the mountain until it is at the proper level.  The machine is then driven out on the loose soil, packing it down.  This is repeated over and over.

24) This shows the angle of the slope on which the new terrace is being built.

25) Here's the new terrace from the other side of the upper plateau.

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