CURRENT SITUATION : September 2022

FIRST CHECK THE ORIGINAL 2021 PROJECT PAGE
Get a better understanding about the land, the weather and original planing.

JANUARY 2022: THE PROJECT STARTED. I bought a Hyundai Elentra + a 125cc moto.

JUNE 2022: MY WIFE AND KIDS WENT BACK TO FRANCE.
It means that I would have to be in and out for the next years.

JAN-AUG 2022: 1st VOLUNTEERING SEASON: We had 67 Volunteers from 18 different countries

12 SEPT – 13 NOV: GOING BACK TO FRANCE

WHAT IS DONE

We have electricity on the land.

INFRASTRUCTURE:

Water tower structure with 2500 L capacity
Dry toilet Elevated
Dry toilet 1st version
Shower (without roof)
Urinal
Palapa Private (capacity 2 people – Queen size bed): Ocean view, Ladder, Secured wood box, bamboo wall on the back for more privacy.
Palapa small dorm (capacity 3 people – 1 bunk-bed + 1 mattress on the floor): Ocean view, Ladder, 2 secured cases to put the luggage.
Compost place
Secured wood box to store the building tools.

The BIG PALAPA DORM isnt finished yet. The main structure and roof is finished.

LAND IMPROVEMENT:

Retention wall: we started to build the retention wall. it helps redirecting the water where we want it to pass by.
Erosion control: We planted Vetiver to avoid erosion and protect the Palapas.
Natural Fence: We planted Pinuela + Cactus to start making the natural fence and see how it goes
Irrigation system (we have a tubing system with holes to water more than half of the fruit trees)

FRUIT TREES: (The goal is to have as much variety as possible and start producing Vegetables in 2023)

We got part of the irrigation system done with perforated flexible tubes.

5x Coco (6 years old) + 8x Coco (1 year)
3x Plantains + 4x Bananos
1x Grocera + 2x Lemon + 1x Orange + 4x Goyavas (1 is giving fruits)

SECURITY:

The last 2 weeks of the first volunteering season, i employed Edgard Mendoza to secure the place from 1 PM until 6 AM.

He will continue taking care of the place by night for the 2 months that i am gone.

ISSUES

– Raining water: Make statement of what happened in between September and November (highest raining season) Need to have it under control.

– Noise: People have complained about the noises: 4:45 AM Bus horn like crazy, then 5 AM, then 6 AM then 7 AM.
Also the dogs barking, the noisy chickens. I bought 100x earplugs in order to sell/provide them to Volunteers / Clients

– Management of projects with many volunteers: We had issues to get everyone busy when we had too many volunteers. We were missing tools (only 2 hammers, 1 pick axe, 2 saws…). We need to get multiple projects where different tools are needed to balance well and avoid having people doing nothing.

The PALAPA to RENT

Water Tower + WC + Shower

THE BIG PALAPA (not finished)

Natural Fence (Pinuela + Cactus)

Retention Wall

PLANNING 2023

1st DECEMBER: I WANT TO START RENTING THE 2 PRIVATE PALAPA (5-6 people) + 2 Tents

THIS IS NOW ON:
BOOKING.COM => www.booking.com/…..PALAPAHOSTEL
AIRBNB => https://airbnb.com/h/palapahostel

1st MAY 2023: Main facilities finished to be able to operate as a hostel (Dorm 12 + dorm of 4 + private Palapa: capacity of 18 people + 3x WC + 3x Shower + Shared kitchen + Bodega)

ORGANISATION

HOUSE: I will rent the same 3 bedroom house located at 300 meters from the Palapa Hostel

SECURITY GUARD: Either having different guards to cover 7/7 – 24/24 ——OR—- Having Monday-Friday 5 PM – 6:30 AM + 24/24 on Weekends

1x EMPLOYEE: Employ someone to help me managing the project with volunteers and logistic.

1x WELL BEING VOLUNTEER MANAGER: 1 month minimum (1p) – (1st december)
Organized, easygoing, friendly, speaking english and spanish (intermediate required) to insure the well being of the volunteers
– Insure the communication
– Handle check-in/out
– Help me to organise the different volunteering projects
– Creating fun activities for the free time

I made this guide book to present to volunteers (Shops / security…)

SOCIAL MEDIA & ONLINE PRESENCE:
I really need the help of volunteers to reduce the time I am spending on this. The Marketing Strategy page has been built to have this part better organised.
I made a A4 Plasified sheet with QR code to let volunteers follow and tag us on Instagram

INFRASTRUCTURE

– Make sure the BIG PALAPA BUILDING IS FINISHED (1st Floor mostly to become a dormitory).

– Move the INTERNET antenna from the house i was renting to the Land (1st December)

– Buy pickup car to carry construction material (Izusu / Toyota Hilux/ Mitsubishi L200) + Sell the Hyundai Elentra

– Improve fence: Natural fence extension + garden fence + barbwire on top of the wall

– BIG PALAPA DORM:

Purchase or make 4x bunkbeds
Fill up the ground floor with earth/sand/rocks
Bring the Kitchen on the ground floor of the BIG PALAPA.
Bring the water + Electricity.
Purchase Metal 12x or 16x lockers

– Build “BIG ROOM”: Just a 8m x 4m room with metal bars for the door and windows to be able to live on the place and store valuables.

– Palapa 4x Dorm: Build or buy a bunk bed.

– 2x Elevated Dry Toilets (Extension of the one already built).

– 2x Showers

– Water backup system (Blue barill)

– Kitchen: Build the kitchen with Natural building Technics.

– Pila / mini swimming pool (3m x 2m x 1m height): install a cover system on top (shade during the day/protect while not used) + clean it every 2 days + might install a water filter. Build a chill place with roof and soft wall behind it.

– COB OVEN: Build a cob oven to be able to cook bread and pizzas

– Build the first Casita if we got time.

FURNITURE // SMALL PROJECTS // ACTIVITIES

FURNITURE

– 1 more table
– 2 more benches
– The kitchen cupboards
– Sofa lounge place (maybe made of palettes )
– Install the 2 Palapa direction posts in the village

SMALL PROJECTS

– SIGN POSTS: 2 direction posts in the village
– Paint the back wall in white (for Graffiti / paintings…)
– Vernis & Lin oil (Aceite linassa) on the 2 palapa
– Clean the trash of the neighbour
– Build a water filter for the neighbour washing clothes
– Trash system
– Compost put a fence to avoid chickens inside
– Protect the water tower metal from rust

FOR FUN / KEEP PEOPLE INSIDE

– Selling beers from the fridge
– Traction bar
– Card/chess/board games
– Ping pong table
– Beer pong
– Petanque field
– Swing Chair

THE KITCHEN PLAN (first idea, need to work on the plan)

THE KITCHEN PLAN (Second idea, On the side of the PALAPA)

DECEMBER

JANUARY

BARBWIRE FENCE above the wall on the back

1- Insert/plant metal bars (pick/dig hole into the cement and recover with cement), 2- Attach barbwire to all the metal bars (probably weld them).

THE PILA : Lets make a BiG BATH!?

ENTER: 1/2 inch almost at the top.
EXIT: at the bottom of 3/4 inch or 1 full inch + another exit of 1/2 inch at 30 cm high.
We will start to manage the cleaning every 2 days with volunteers
We need am electrical pump for the water to flow at least 12 hours a day + filter + products