Random Puerto Rico Weirdness

Here are some random weird pictures that don’t really have a place, but I just have to share. Though we are adapting well to our environment sometimes there are still moments here where we both just look at each other and say “WTF?!”

Ford Trax on a pool table strange sightsA Quad on a pool table!?

Farmers Market
Some sort of wild cucumber…looks like a plant from another planet!

Bar BathroomApparently this bar bathroom was made for visiting mermaids too…check out the conch shell showerhead and coral rocks

Fake Pig RoastThey really like lechon here…even when it is made from old rubber tires!

David BowieEven our chickens are a little wacky!

Wheelchair Cassie
And you never know who or what may photo bomb you whilst hanging out in a wheelchair!

Big IguanaAnd I don’t think I will ever get used to living in Jurrasic Park with these huge lizards!

Pink bromeliadAnd the colors here feel like we live in a cartoon

Rob Towel PlayingAnd check out our drummer, Rob! lol

Britton and his coffeeWalking around half naked is still sort of weird, but I love it!

Island Time literally
I still just don’t understand why they put an old ceiling fan and a clock on a bamboo stick outside? So many questions!

strange-sights-mushroom-house
Like, What? A mushroom house?? This is such a cartoon!

guavas
When the guys at the loza store give you guavas that look like avocados and laugh because your confusion is a sure way to tell a gringo from a Boricua

pitomba
And we continue to find new fruits we have never eaten before in our lives like this pitomba we have growing on the finca… it’s a little like an apricot

tarantula
And also finding a huge tarantula in your work boots!!

img_4067
So…that nicely tiled trough is the urinal….why???

please-do-not-wash-feet-funny-strange-sight
Apparently a lot of weirdness happens in bathrooms. When you live in a beach town…people like to wash their sandy feet in the sink

This place is so fun…and weird. But so fun. I love it. It’s like a dream: weird and wonderful.

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Tile Floors are Installed!

We just accomplished a major milestone in building the cabin! We have just finished installing the tile floors! This was quite a process not the least of which was just simply bringing over the supplies. Before they could even start on the tiles they had to bring over almost 30 sheets of plycem (concrete backer board). Each one of them weighed over 130 pounds! Then they had to move over all the boxes of tiles as well!

Britton and Waldemar floors
Installing each of the concrete backer sheets!

Cassie and Waldemar
Preparing the tile with Waldemar starting with the center piece

Tile Line
Beginning the tile from the center out

One special touch we added was a tile mosaic in the center of the room under the large ceiling fan. It complicated things a little but I think it is pretty cool. We bought the last one in the tile store and so we had to cut some parts special for it, but it turned out very nice.

Design
Mosaic design

Lechada Grout
Installing the grout

Floors
Shortly after installation

Doorway
After the first mopping

For a more in-depth how-to on this tile installation you can watch this video; there’s some pretty funny bloopers at the end too:

Once we finished with the tiles we were able to accomplish something else that we are super excited about: bringing over the full-sized fridge and stove! These were very tough to move over because they, like everything in the cabin, had to be brought over by hand. No dolly was used.

Fridge loading
First they loaded it from the shed into the truck and drove it half-way down

Trail
Then they carried it through the jungle

Britton and Waldemar on the bridge with fridge
Across the bridge

Fridge at the house
Up the stairs, and to the house!

And yes, their backs were pretty sore after this! But we are super excited about the floors and what it means. With the floors and the walls basically finished, that means we are nearly ready to move everything else in too! Next up, the toilet and finishing work on the bathroom!

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Trapped in an Aguacero

This time of year we just always must expect rain. It doesn’t usually last very long, but it can come down in sheets. One Sunday we went to the farmer’s market and then the grocery store, but we got trapped in a downpour AKA an aguacero!

Cassie Farmers MarketFun chatting and checking out all the wares and goods of the Rincon farmer’s market

Grocery Store blocked up

The rain was coming down super hard and we humans tend to not like to get wet. So everyone got backed up in the store by the exit.

Cassie in an aguacero at the store

We managed to squeeze through the crowd huddled at the doorway and wait outside under the metal roofing and watched the rain.

Wet Cat

When we got home we found poor Kitty ready to come on inside! Life in the tropics can be a bit moist in the summertime! Over by the cabin we have an intermittent creek that is usually dry but when an aguacero comes down we have a full-fledged river and waterfall! Check this out!

These rains can be a challenge to navigate and it makes things like the Fiestas Patronales a little muddy. But it also makes everything SUPER green and lush. Because of all the rain we have to keep things mowed a lot more but I just love the finca this time of year because it is just so beautiful.

Cassie mowing
Those big clouds usually mean more afternoon rain!

We both get out and mow the upper meadow area about once a week! It’s hot, hard work and the ants are out en force but if we didn’t do it things start growing wild and vines overtake the fruit trees. I actually enjoy mowing now that things are a little more manageable and there aren’t as many stumps and huge rocks to break the mowers. And I love how it makes the farm look like a park.

Yard workBritton and the chickens doing a little yard work

 

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Fiestas Patronales de Rincón 2016

This weekend we attended the annual Fiestas Patronales in Rincón as we have for the last couple years. It’s a fun weekend of carnival rides, live music, fried foods and sugary or alcoholic drinks, people watching, dancing, games and gambling and more. This year it was a bit wet and muddy due to some tremendous afternoon aguaceros (downpours), but we still had a great time. It always reminds us a little of the Greeley Stampede  back in Colorado and the summer fun there. For these Fiestas Patronales this year we met up with a few friends and enjoyed the festivities. Here are a few pictures and a video of our time.

Carnival rides
Bright lights, loud music, swirling rides and fun times!

Playing pica
Learning and playing Pica

I finally learned how to play pica. It is essentially roulette. Instead of betting where the ball will land on the roulette wheel though, you bet which little wooden horse will come in first place. There are 24 spots and you win 20 to one on a number. Like roulette though you can bet on the line or a quadrant and earn a little less. Not very good odds, but fun to play for a while.

Pica
The bets are placed with a domino

BK CK Lichi
Britton, me and our friend Lichi

Pinchos Aranitas
Carnie food like pinchos and arañitas which translates to little spiders. A nest-like bowl of shredded and fried plantains with lettuce, tomatoes, onions and bbq chicken

Cassie Carnival 2
I had as much fun as any kid could!

We also really enjoyed the live music! It’s always so impressive to see these bands perform.

 

 

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