Running Agenda
Date: September 17th – 24th
General Update
As we are now closing in on finding a location for Casa Tortuga, we recognize the importance of communicating developments in the various relevant areas. This document will give an overview of the current situation as well as indicating the next steps to be taken in the coming week.
Incorporation of Nicaraguan S.A & Banking
All required steps for the full incorporation of Casa Tortuga Nicaragua S.A. have now been completed. The process of opening a bank account is proving a tedious one and is in the hands of the Deloitte Touche Donkin & Arguello S.A. law firm of Managua. Most Nicaraguan banks require local residency but we have more recently been assured that Banco Uno, will proceed with the opening of an account. Banco Uno is a large and reputable Nicaraguan institution. In the meantime we are using Martijn Priester´s personal Nicaraguan account to transfer funds for daily operations.
We will be meeting with a Nicaraguan accountant who is a friend of Martijn´s and a tax lawyer (Néstor Pérez Romero) later this coming week to learn more about how to best establish acceptable accounting practices. We will also be seeking advice from Deloitte´s in relation to finding a suitable on-going local accountant (who is fluent in English).
Building & Layout Design
Ongoing research and investigation into applicable materials for construction have led to certain broad decisions about the eventual design of the eco-lodge.
This method involves filling 50lb / 100lb polypropylene bags with a suitable and locally available material and then stacking these as one would stack bricks. The process is finished-off by covering with stucco-mesh and then plastering. On Ometepe the three readily and cheaply available materials for this purpose are 1) plain earth, 2) crushed lava rock and 3) rice husks. Taking into consideration the planned natural swimming pool (the digging-out of which will provide us with a considerable amount of plain earth), it will be possible to obtain much of our required building materials for walls on our own property.
Layout design is clearly 100% dependent on the natural features of the eventual property and must not violate important permaculture design principles. However, certain conclusions can already be inferred. First of all, the main lodge will be positioned to take full advantage of the best views available on the property. Furthermore, all walls, walking paths, the natural pool as well as planting areas will be given highly organic forms and shapes. To help us with this we will be inviting José Luis Hernández of Arquitectos Ambientalistas in Managua to provide expertise.
Energy & Infrastructure
Locating the business on the slopes of the Maderas volcano implies specific challenges to fulfilling Casa Tortuga´s infrastructure requirements. After meeting with Suni Solar S.A. of Managua in April it was clear that a hybrid solar / wind system would be the optimal solution for investing in renewable energy. With our new location on the slopes of a volcano that houses a large lagoon in its crater, we are now exploring the new possibility of incorporating micro hydroelectric power using the natural pressure created by this large water source high up at the top of the mountain. Besides our efforts to take full advantage of renewable energy it is still our intention to connect ourselves to the existing power grid.
Availability of water on Maderas throughout the year is guaranteed thanks to its lagoon and access simply requires connecting to the existing network of pipes coming from community water cisterns located at various points high up the slope of the mountain. Our natural pool could be used as a source for watering plants on the property but the focus will be on directing rainwater and rainwater runoff towards water harvesting tanks which will specifically serve for the micro irrigation system.
Most of the properties currently being considered are not directly accessible by road. Manual labour will be used to prepare initial vehicle access using the abundant rocks found everywhere on the island. Needless to say there is plenty of experience on the island for this. In time, we will explore the need to upgrade this basic road.
Land Search
As you will have been able to read in the previous two BLOG updates we are now focusing our search on a specific area on the slopes of the Maderas volcano where we have identified numerous potential properties. The first legal review of documents is underway and the full team will be travelling to the island on the 17th Sept and again on the 22nd Sept to initiate negotiations with owners.
Next Steps:
17/09 – Travel to Ometepe to start preliminary negotiations
18/09 to 22/09 – Obtain legal review of property titles
18/09 to 22/09 – Obtain Casa Tortuga Nicaragua S.A. bank account
21/09 to 22/09 – Obtain professional accounting & tax advice
22/09 to 24/09 – Continue negotiations and analyse property differences
Ongoing – Research into relevant ecological design & construction topics;
• Dry Composting Toilets
• Natural Swimming Pools
• Permaculture Design
• Earthbag Construction (superadobe)
• Self Sufficiency
• Renewable Energy
• Interior Design
Important Sources:
Permaculture, A Designers Manual, Bill Mollison
Earthbag Building, Kaki Hunter and Donald Kiffmeyer
The New Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency, John Seymour
Building Green, Clarke Snell and Tim Callahan
International Technology Development Group – Practical Answers to Poverty, www.itdg.org
General Update
As we are now closing in on finding a location for Casa Tortuga, we recognize the importance of communicating developments in the various relevant areas. This document will give an overview of the current situation as well as indicating the next steps to be taken in the coming week.
Incorporation of Nicaraguan S.A & Banking
All required steps for the full incorporation of Casa Tortuga Nicaragua S.A. have now been completed. The process of opening a bank account is proving a tedious one and is in the hands of the Deloitte Touche Donkin & Arguello S.A. law firm of Managua. Most Nicaraguan banks require local residency but we have more recently been assured that Banco Uno, will proceed with the opening of an account. Banco Uno is a large and reputable Nicaraguan institution. In the meantime we are using Martijn Priester´s personal Nicaraguan account to transfer funds for daily operations.
We will be meeting with a Nicaraguan accountant who is a friend of Martijn´s and a tax lawyer (Néstor Pérez Romero) later this coming week to learn more about how to best establish acceptable accounting practices. We will also be seeking advice from Deloitte´s in relation to finding a suitable on-going local accountant (who is fluent in English).
Building & Layout Design
Ongoing research and investigation into applicable materials for construction have led to certain broad decisions about the eventual design of the eco-lodge.
This method involves filling 50lb / 100lb polypropylene bags with a suitable and locally available material and then stacking these as one would stack bricks. The process is finished-off by covering with stucco-mesh and then plastering. On Ometepe the three readily and cheaply available materials for this purpose are 1) plain earth, 2) crushed lava rock and 3) rice husks. Taking into consideration the planned natural swimming pool (the digging-out of which will provide us with a considerable amount of plain earth), it will be possible to obtain much of our required building materials for walls on our own property.
Layout design is clearly 100% dependent on the natural features of the eventual property and must not violate important permaculture design principles. However, certain conclusions can already be inferred. First of all, the main lodge will be positioned to take full advantage of the best views available on the property. Furthermore, all walls, walking paths, the natural pool as well as planting areas will be given highly organic forms and shapes. To help us with this we will be inviting José Luis Hernández of Arquitectos Ambientalistas in Managua to provide expertise.
Energy & Infrastructure
Locating the business on the slopes of the Maderas volcano implies specific challenges to fulfilling Casa Tortuga´s infrastructure requirements. After meeting with Suni Solar S.A. of Managua in April it was clear that a hybrid solar / wind system would be the optimal solution for investing in renewable energy. With our new location on the slopes of a volcano that houses a large lagoon in its crater, we are now exploring the new possibility of incorporating micro hydroelectric power using the natural pressure created by this large water source high up at the top of the mountain. Besides our efforts to take full advantage of renewable energy it is still our intention to connect ourselves to the existing power grid.
Availability of water on Maderas throughout the year is guaranteed thanks to its lagoon and access simply requires connecting to the existing network of pipes coming from community water cisterns located at various points high up the slope of the mountain. Our natural pool could be used as a source for watering plants on the property but the focus will be on directing rainwater and rainwater runoff towards water harvesting tanks which will specifically serve for the micro irrigation system.
Most of the properties currently being considered are not directly accessible by road. Manual labour will be used to prepare initial vehicle access using the abundant rocks found everywhere on the island. Needless to say there is plenty of experience on the island for this. In time, we will explore the need to upgrade this basic road.
Land Search
As you will have been able to read in the previous two BLOG updates we are now focusing our search on a specific area on the slopes of the Maderas volcano where we have identified numerous potential properties. The first legal review of documents is underway and the full team will be travelling to the island on the 17th Sept and again on the 22nd Sept to initiate negotiations with owners.
Next Steps:
17/09 – Travel to Ometepe to start preliminary negotiations
18/09 to 22/09 – Obtain legal review of property titles
18/09 to 22/09 – Obtain Casa Tortuga Nicaragua S.A. bank account
21/09 to 22/09 – Obtain professional accounting & tax advice
22/09 to 24/09 – Continue negotiations and analyse property differences
Ongoing – Research into relevant ecological design & construction topics;
• Dry Composting Toilets
• Natural Swimming Pools
• Permaculture Design
• Earthbag Construction (superadobe)
• Self Sufficiency
• Renewable Energy
• Interior Design
Important Sources:
Permaculture, A Designers Manual, Bill Mollison
Earthbag Building, Kaki Hunter and Donald Kiffmeyer
The New Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency, John Seymour
Building Green, Clarke Snell and Tim Callahan
International Technology Development Group – Practical Answers to Poverty, www.itdg.org
posted by Totoco Management at 11:06 AM
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