Week 17

This week the roof progresses as the X spot photo shows they have finnished over half the roof beams and the second floor is getting wire mesh and lath type cross boards for the roof.

To the right of this photo along the property line our first coffee tree is settling in after being transplanted.

Even though this tree is only about 2 feet high it has lots of berries already.

Here is how all of those heavy beams get into place, these guys are strong

Here is the view from the stairway up thru the second floor

Many hands makes the work go fast.

Here you see the view from the right front corner of the lot. in the back the beams are going up on the master bath room.

Well thats it for this week, I took these photos on Mon the 31st as we were gone over the weekend. below are some of the sights we saw on our trip

The trip to La Mana took us thru a little village called Pujili which has a beautifully landscaped central plaza where we waited for the road across the mountains to be reopened, there was a road race taking place and the road was closed until 1 pm.

We also went to the market and enjoyed the vast variety of produce there but first we had to get past the vigilant guard dog

Across from the market was the restaurant. We had to wait for it to open and inside we were greeted by the welcoming dog.

After lunch it was a 5 hour drive over to La Mana up over high country where we were often above 12,000 ft

Here, the view back to Latacunga where we had left the PanAmarican Highway behind

Black Volcanic soil is evident in the cut along the road

Now above the treeline where mostly grasses with a few shrubs thrive

Off in the distance we see burning in preparation for planting of some crop

Its amazing how much road construction there is here in Ecuador. This road is being rebuilt all the way over the mountains. This fact slowed us and the ubiquitous busses and trucks considerably.

Sheep and Lama lined the road side and dotted the landscape

While colorfully attired women tended the herds

Looking temporary these homes dotted the landscape

The view near the top of our climb

Old Adobe buildings sit next to "Modern" cement block homes.

                                               Unique terracing allows more crops

Decoratively dressed natives share road with trucks

Pacific Moisture greets us as we drop down the West side of the mountians

At once the vegetation becomes lush and tropical as it was at our destination.

here is a banana tree with green fruit

It was growing next to the house of Alex Putney who we visited on our trip

The first day we tried taking the Taxi up the hill but the road was so rough the next day we took a more suited vehicle shown below

Well thats our adventures for this week, more to come so

"ya all come back now, ya hear"