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Welcome to Villa Dos Colinas!!
Puerto Cayo, Ecuador
It took a while... but we finally have our sign hung at the entrance gate, showing our name: Villa Dos Colinas. (Two Hills Villa.) Hopefully the locals will soon identify us with the name!
We are still working hard - trying to finish up our little rental casita. It is really turning out nicely - rustic, with an Ecuadorian flavor, but a very comfortable place to stay. Windows will go in on Friday, and still need to run electricity and water to the site, but we're working on it!
Weather is still on the cool side, but very, very comfortable. When the sun comes out, it is just gorgeous!
Check out our progress in the latest photos and the slideshow below:
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Martes, 8/6/2019:
Time to do some burning of the limbs and weeds from the continuing cutting of the back hill. It is really smoky, but that's good in that it drives the snakes away! And that is definitely a good thing...
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Martes, 8/6/2019:
The trick is to keep the piles small so that the fires don't run away on you. The wind just about always comes from the west, so it blows away from our buildings. Burning was a little scary for us at first, but we're getting used to it now!
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Miercoles, 8/7/2019:
The job today, per "Don" Douglas, was to build some stairs from old tires into the quebrada. To be able to get down into the ravine, Doug really needed some steps down this steep hill.
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Miercoles, 8/7/2019:
Luckily, our friends own the tire repair shop in town, and delivers the old tires to us for 50 cents each. Now Doug can water his fruit trees much more easily.
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Miercoles, 8/7/2019:
A few more piles of plant debris to be burned on the back hill.
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Viernes, 8/9/2019:
Hooray! The new lighting on the Malecon has returned. This makes a big difference as they remain lit all night, and look beautiful from our property.
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Jueves, 8/15/2019:
Ceramic tile being installed on the kitchen countertop. Santiago prepares to cut a tile to size.
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Viernes, 8/16/2019:
Having finished painting the letters and varnishing the wooden sign with our name - "Villa Dos Colinas" - it is finally ready to be hung!
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Viernes, 8/16/2019:
Doug directs the hanging of the sign... Wilter and Santiago both show their fearlessness of heights to execute Doug's plan!
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Viernes, 8/16/2019:
With the sign hung, the guys "carefully" return to the earth. Yes, if you need a tall ladder, you just nail wood slats to two pieces of big bamboo!
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Viernes, 8/16/2019:
Job complete! Doug, Santiago and Wilter, all safe and sound.
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Viernes, 8/16/2019:
Back in the little casita, a close-up of the tile work in the kitchen.
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Viernes, 8/16/2019:
"Oh, my aching back!"... pobrecito. Doug in his workshop below our house - trying for my sympathy for working so hard??
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Lunes, 8/19/2019:
A pretty sunny day in Cayo! The view down the hill toward the backside of the new casita.
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Lunes, 8/19/2019:
From the front porch of the new casita - a beautiful view of the ocean!
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Lunes, 8/19/2019:
Casita bathroom: shower floor has been inlaid with tile pieces... Doug's idea was a "sunburst" effect around the drain.
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Lunes, 8/19/2019:
Work continues in the casita kitchen.
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Lunes, 8/19/2019:
The casita from the front - photo taken from the pathway that leads from the front gate up to our house. (Pacific Ocean in the background!)
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Martes, 8/20/2019:
Another sunny day! We purchased this roll of "fiberglas" window screen which was recommended for the salt air environment. Here the guys prepare to cut pieces to install the screens on the high windows in the backside of the casita.
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Martes, 8/20/2019:
Our geranio (geranium) given to us by one of our friends is in full bloom and doing great!
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Martes, 8/20/2019:
The two wooden pieces which will form our "two hills" on the front fence have been stained and varnished... ready to install on the bamboo facing the road.
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Martes, 8/20/2019:
Woody checks out the driveway while on our walk... the plants are growing and the whole landscape looks better every day.
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Martes, 8/20/2019:
Looking into the quebrada from the driveway near the front gate. The sugar cane and bananas and plantains continue growing - can't wait to pick our own fruit!
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Martes, 8/20/2019:
"Almendra". Just inside the front gate we planted a small almond tree. You can also see a second almendra in front of the bamboo fence on the right side of the photo.
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Martes, 8/20/2019:
Doug descends the tire escalera from our house to the new casita.
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Martes, 8/20/2019:
Doug discusses the water installation with Wilter and Santiago.
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Martes, 8/20/2019:
The walls have been covered with a layer of cement and are just about ready for painting.
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Martes, 8/20/2019:
Great view from the bedroom area window in the casita!
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Martes, 8/20/2019:
Maestro Rayita arrives to measure the openings for the windows. Wilter watches as Rayita checks the level of the wood frames that Wilter installed for the windows. (He got a thumbs up on the level - good job!)
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Martes, 8/20/2019:
View of the casita looking toward the west.
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Martes, 8/20/2019:
Meanwhile, Gina starts painting "mountains" over the blue color she painted the walls of the outdoor shower.
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Martes, 8/20/2019:
Today's catch! A quick (1/2 hour) bus ride to Puerto Lopez to the fish market on the beach, and for less than $20, this is what we came home with. 3 pounds of calamari, a pound of swordfish, and a whole dorado (mahi-mahi).
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Viernes, 8/23/2019:
Maestro Rayita returns this afternoon with our new windows... they are basically built onsite, and are amazing.
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Viernes, 8/23/2019:
Kitchen and living area windows are in. Santiago and Wilter have also "cleaned" the cana picada, and it's ready to be varnished.
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Viernes, 8/23/2019:
Kitchen and living area from the inside of the new casita.
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Viernes, 8/23/2019:
Front of the casita with the new front windows!
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Sabado, 8/24/2019:
New windows installed, and the bamboo on the front has been cleaned and varnished - and looks great!
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Sabado, 8/24/2019:
Casita kitchen. The bamboo on the wall looks so different when varnished... very happy with the way this is turning out.
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Sabado, 8/24/2019:
Casita interior looking into living area toward front door.
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Sabado, 8/24/2019:
Casita front porch. With the oceanview from the porch, this will be a great place to sit and enjoy the breeze! With the climate here in Puerto Cayo, we find ourselves spending a lot of our time outdoors.
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Sabado, 8/24/2019:
Backside of the casita. The cana (bamboo) has been "cleaned", but when these walls are varnished, they will have the nice sheen like the front wall...
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Sabado, 8/24/2019:
Today, Doug was ready to attach our "dos colinas" logo (the two hills) to the bamboo fence at the front entrance.
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Sabado, 8/24/2019:
With the front hill in place, he attached the second leg, or the "back hill"...
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Sabado, 8/24/2019:
Success.... job complete! Very simple, but we think it totally fits the property. Two beautiful hills, overlooking the gorgeous Pacific Ocean!
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August 5, 2019
Another beautiful day in Ecuador! Our faithful companion, Woody, enjoys one of his favorite spots - near the pool...
The plants continue to grow, and we continue working on the new casita which is coming along quite nicely. This is also "whale watching" season, as the whales have traveled from Antarctica to have their babies in the warm waters off Ecuador - and now they are playfully on their way back south, and visible in the waters off Cayo's beach.
Check out our progress in the latest photos and the slideshow below:
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Miercoles, 7/24/2019:
Checking on the progress on the new casita... this is fun! The cana picada is going up on the outside, and our vision of a "rustic, Ecuadorian style" casita is taking shape!
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Miercoles, 7/24/2019:
Today, half of the roof sections are in place - Doug and I have been busy painting the other half which will go on soon.
We love the cactus on this property, and they are an important part of the landscape plan. Here, the front of the new casita is blending in with the "dry forest" landscape of Manabi Province.
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Miercoles, 7/24/2019:
Another view of the front side of casita.
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Jueves, 7/25/2019:
Inside the casita... looking west towards the ocean. Brick walls define the bathroom; kitchen along the backside; with living and sleeping area on the front.
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Viernes, 7/26/2019:
Maestro Cristobal delivered the gorgeous sign he made for us for the front gate. Gina painted the name (yellow) and a border (blue) that he routered into the wood (again, laurel). After Doug varnishes the sign, it will hang below the roof at our gate.
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Martes, 7/30/2019:
Doug is busy working on painting the cement sides of the stairs and cistern - a nice warm brown color puts on the finishing touch!
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Martes, 7/30/2019:
Great job, Doug!
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Miercoles, 7/31/2019:
Final roof panels are painted, so the guys finish installing the roof!
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Miercoles, 7/31/2019:
We continue to be impressed with the work ethic of our "guys"! Wilter and Santiago have done the bulk of the work on this casita by themselves. Here we simply say "poco a poco"... little by little, and the job gets done!
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Jueves, 8/01/2019:
A beautiful sunny day in Puerto Cayo! When the sun shines, the ocean is the most gorgeous blue color... and again, Woody enjoys his spot on top of the world next to his pool!
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Jueves, 8/01/2019:
Our palapa, pool and house from the "backside"... the landscaping is slowly filling in, and all the plants have been growing like crazy with the rain we've been having.
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Jueves, 8/01/2019:
At the end of the drive behind our house...this is one of the pretty views of the ocean. Doug heads down the hill towards the new casita.
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Jueves, 8/01/2019:
View from the drive behind our house...Doug has finished painting the sides of the cistern; and he recently trimmed all the "vetiver" grass, which will eventually grow almost together to form a barrier to stop water erosion. Great stuff, which we were introduced to by our grading contractor.
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Jueves, 8/01/2019:
On the way down the path to the little casita, this plant blooms...not sure if it's considered a "weed" or not, but we have many on the property. Our gardener called it a "yucca de raton" (literally, mouse yucca) - not sure why, but I think it's pretty!
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Jueves, 8/01/2019:
Wilter and Doug lay out a walkway and steps to reach the front porch of the casita from the pathway that runs from the front gate up to our house.
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Jueves, 8/01/2019:
The view towards the ocean from in front of the casita. We envision a "garden area" for vegetables in the area near the casita.
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Jueves, 8/01/2019:
Northwest corner of the casita. The front porch runs the length of the building (with a great ocean view!)... windows in the bedroom area and bathroom on the oceanside.
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Jueves, 8/01/2019:
Backside of the casita, with high windows in bathroom and kitchen...lower window in kitchen over the sink. Walls are brick with cana picada (cut bamboo).
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Jueves, 8/01/2019:
Southeast side of the casita.
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Jueves, 8/01/2019:
Inside the casita. Work has begun on the layer of cement which covers the bamboo on the side walls. No cracks or holes to let in bugs or the "elements"...
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Jueves, 8/01/2019:
Looking towards the front porch from inside the living area. There is one large window, and another smaller window with bamboo poles beside the front door.
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Jueves, 8/01/2019:
View of kitchen and brick wall enclosing the bathroom.
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Jueves, 8/01/2019:
Here you can better see where the cement has been applied to the inside of the bamboo wall. This will then be painted - and Gina is going to paint some "tropical foliage" on the walls. We'll let you know how that turns out!
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Jueves, 8/01/2019:
Wilter works on the walkway to the casita. The rocks bordering the walk are cemented in place, and gravel will then be added between the two rows of rocks. Cement steps will be poured up to the porch.
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Jueves, 8/01/2019:
Front of casita.... great view of the ocean from the path and the porch!
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Jueves, 8/01/2019:
Paulo working to clean out the area in front of the casita, near the front fence line. (View from the driveway outside the gate.)
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Jueves, 8/01/2019:
View from the street below our entranceway. The vetiver is growing well here also - hopefully we won't lose any more soil from the rains.
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Jueves, 8/01/2019:
Taken from the street which runs beside our property to our entrance.
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Jueves, 8/01/2019:
Closer up on the street at the bottom of the hill. The two story palapa makes a very imposing sight.... both from the coastal highway, and the highway to Jipijapa to our east!
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Jueves, 8/01/2019:
Our "casa primera" (the septic tank!), the first thing built on the property, has turned out to be one of the most useful things here. Located off the drive directly behind the house, we find ourselves using it for a "staging" area for storing water bottles/beer cases, etc. to take to town for refills...
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Jueves, 8/01/2019:
Great view on a beautiful day! The "carne de perro" plants beside the stairs are growing like crazy, and so thick & pretty...
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Jueves, 8/01/2019:
Another million dollar view!
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Jueves, 8/01/2019:
Yes, life is definitely good in Ecuador!.... Woody enjoys another of his favorite spots. From here, he can see everything happening on the highway (that is, when his eyes are open!)...
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Jueves, 8/01/2019:
A "group" of papaya trees near our house... we were told that papayas would not produce fruit if there was more than one tree in a location - but these appear to have the beginnings of fruit forming.... we'll see!
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Jueves, 8/01/2019:
It wouldn't be home without a pepper bush or two...our most productive "ahi" bush is right off our front porch. Although, Doug has to fight off the mockingbirds occasionally, as they seem to love these extremely hot peppers!
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Lunes, 8/05/2019:
The steps to the front porch of the casita are now done....much easier than trying to climb up the hill.
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Lunes, 8/05/2019:
Looking up the pathway from the front gate towards the new casita. Wilter did a great job in connecting the path to the walkway and steps to the porch!
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Lunes, 8/05/2019:
It's a beautiful sunny Monday in Puerto Cayo...great day for watching the fishing boats return with their catch. They all return to the same spot on the beach which they call the "marina".
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