November 2019- April 2020
So today we own a land of 2.5 manzanas in Nandaime, a small farming village located about 25 minutes south of Granada, on the road to San Juan del Sur, 5 minutes from the Panamerican, in the heart of the most important touristic axis of the country.
A small village that is, in fact, rich in history since it was the first to export mass commercial cocoa from Nicaragua to Europe.
Thank you to the Menier chocolates, which we already benefit from experience and reputation for quality.
We enjoy here a unique climate, refreshed by « las brisas del Mombacho », a wind of the lake that comes crashing against the famous volcano, which offers us a great perpetual breeze. This fresh air (unique in the center of the country) is conducive to the culture of cocoa, that fears intense heat. In addition, the soil, enriched with volcanic earth and ancient minerals inherited from the time when Nandaime was under the sea, makes the place perfect for culture in general.
Here, everything grows without problems.
For the purpose of this trip, we rented a room at the top of a pharmacy until we could move into our new building.
For several reasons: the price, the fact that the doors are hermetically closed for the cocoa fermentation process and for the speed with which we can benefit from a floor, a roof and four walls: we chose to build in containers.
Two weeks ago, we bought the first two, but since imports and exports have been declining in the country since April 2018, containers are rarer than usual… which increases their value. In the end we would want four, but for this year, we will have to (unless a miracle) be satisfied with two.
The delivery was impressive! Two 40-feet trucks, a crane… The whole neighborhood was there to see that 😀
It allowed us to meet the people from the neighborhood and explain a little bit about the project.
Last week, we went to see the electricity company. We will have it in only three weeks… So many papers, procedures. It’s been 3 times that we go to the office of the Disnorte Dissur, 3 times we are told that this is missing, that is lacking… Passport, proof of residence, inspection of bomberos (firefighters), official request to have a pole removed on our land, an official request to ask for electricity… All in duplicates, in photocopies, and I do not know what else.
Not for nothing that there are plenty of families who illegally connect to the poles! Muy complicado!
In the meantime, we had the water installed.
Our cuidador * has dug us a trench from the main pipe to where we will have to install a water tower.
As our piping did not fit in the taxi of Candido (the best taxi driver of Nandaime!) Our pipes had to be delivered on horseback.
As I mentioned before, here, we sometimes live like in another century 🙂
So we’ll have to buy the water tower and build a structure of 4 meters to support it.
We need a water tower because in our barillo, La Orilla, we only have water every other day for the moment. We have contributed financially to a new project that is coming up, planning water 24/7 by next year. Apparently, it should be done in 6 months, but we prefer to insure in advance.
Anyway, with a water tower there is a good chance we have a little more pressure, which, virtually, does not exist here. 🙂
What is good is that in our barillo, the water comes from a common well. It’s not the water of the city as such. We were happy to learn it, basically, because even if it has certain disadvantages (for now at least it seems): we can irrigate the soil with the water of this well, which comes from the sources of Mombacho.
Pure water.
El Cuidador tells us that here in La Orilla, the water bill is $ 4 per month for a large family. So to irrigate the plantation, we expect to pay around $ 40-50 per month during the dry season. We will irrigate by drip, it should not take us too much …
Future will tell.
At this moment, we are waiting for Claro’s call to get the Internet installed. Essential before moving into our new home. But Claro does not have a great reputation, even though it’s the largest supplier in the country. We will have to shop I guess.
Yesterday, we found our welder / painter to make our doors and windows on one of the two containers in which we will make our personal spaces: toilet, bedroom, kitchen, living room. We will paint everything in white and possibly build a straw roof. Here, we call it the ranchito style.
We are lucky, El Cuidador knows how to do this type of roof!
But we are focusing on the essentials for the moment. Once liveable, we will see what is left of finances for the rest.
If we have enough money for this year, we will first have to plow the land because it is super hard! It’s volcanic soil so it’s going to be difficult to plant anything without first making the soil lighter. And, again if we can, we will plant our protective trees before sowing the cocoa next year. Because cocoa grows half-shade and for now, our land could not be fuller sun than it is right now!
So we will first have to plant coconuts, cashews, bananas, avocados, mangoes, lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit, almonds, jocotes. We have most of these trees for free, because it grows in nature. For the rest, Catarina: the capital of nurseries in Nicaragua! It is located only 15 minutes from Nandaime. We should find there what we are missing.
Again, this is to be followed…
* cuidador: the one who watches the house
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FRANÇAIS:: ESPAÑOL
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