Running Agenda #5

Date: November 13th – December 10th 2006

General Update
Last you heard we were hoping to sign a Promesa de Venta so that we could take possession of the property while we were waiting for the issuance of 2 key documents. Three weeks later and it now appears this route will no longer be necessary. Rather, we intend to undertake the actual purchase of the land before the end of the month because we expect the last of the documents to arrive in the coming week. We feel that the final sale is now imminent and although we should keep the champagne on ice for just a little while longer, a celebratory glass of wine is permitted!

Specifically, the Solvency OOT, which under normal circumstances can take a year a more to receive, has already been received due to our fast-tracking of the process. The only document now outstanding is the Authorisation to Sell issued from the Ministry of Labour. Indications are that this will be issued during wk3 of December, leaving nothing standing between us and the outright sale.

In the meantime, we have not only started moving our furniture to our new temporary home on the island but are also in mid-swing of organising and costing the construction of the road that will provide us with vehicle access. It is expected labourers will commence clearing the path as of December 12th. From this point, we will seek the advice of our newly acquired Permaculture expert and a road engineer from the mainland.

Legalities
The one remaining missing document is The Authorization the Sell from the Ministry of Labour;

· Authorisation to sell from Labour Ministry (est. - wk.3 December)
But first need to:
1. Obtain actualised Constitutional Act no greater than 6mths old (est. completion date 19th/11) - COMPLETED

Permaculture Design
We had our first two meetings with Christopher Shanks, owner of a permaculture farm on Ometepe (very near to our prospective property) called Finca Bonafide. Christopher has 10 years experience in permaculture design and implementation. When he is not running the permaculture farm or teaching courses abroad, Christopher consults on various large-scale permaculture projects in the USA and the Bahamas.

During our first two meetings together (one on-site, the other off-site), Christopher provided a lot of added value to our planning process by putting forward solutions to problems we had not yet considered. We are now in the process of agreeing consultation fees and how best to work with one another. It is anticipated that Christopher will work very closely with management and Jose Luis Hernandez (our ecological architect). Certain important topics have already been discussed and a few significant decisions made;

1. Sourcing Water
Securing an ample supply of water throughout both the wet and dry season as well as ensuring sufficient storage space to survive a limited interruption of that supply is unquestionably the most important design feature of the entire project. After discussing the matter with Christopher, it was quickly agreed that the added financial cost of pumping water from Lake Nicaragua to the top of the property (approx. 1500m) is easily compensated for in terms of added independence, security, ecological sustainability and freedom to irrigate cultivated land without limit during the dry season. Designing the water system has one of the highest priorities.



2. Managing Black Water (water used for flushing toilets)
Having always intended to provide at least the majority of the private cabins with traditional flush toilets, it is an important design consideration to know how one intends to deal with this black water waste in a sustainable manner. Christopher has personal experience realizing what are termed constructive wetlands. This is a technique of cleaning black water that employs a so-called ´leach field´ of specially layered gravel and sand where specific plant species filter the water over an extended period of time.

3. Site Layout
Having already spent considerable time thinking about the positioning of the various physical elements of the project, we were able to receive confirmation from Christopher of the general feasibility of our ideas. The Main Lodge, Natural swimming pool, 9 private cabins and the Managers Mansion will be located at the top platform of the property while the Dormitory, gatehouse and experimental permaculture farm will be located at the bottom platform.

Road Access
Seeing no further obstacles to signing the sale contract this month, we have now completed the first draft of our strategy document for the creation of a road leading to the property (including costing). Access to the property is paramount for our ability to fully get started with construction and as such this task is considered to be of the single highest priority.

The creation of the road will likely not use heavy machinery but rather take advantage of the low labour costs on the island. It is our intention to find 15 local men with road construction experience and one more senior foreman to oversee the work of the labourers and manage daily operations. Already we have found a suitable foreman and are now in discussion with him to obtain his services for the duration work. Having said this, it appears that the municipality may soon be employing heavy machinery for road-improvement near our location which might be too tempting an option to resist!

Design and Building
We are seeking a quote for a surveyor to spend one week on the property in order to conduct a thorough study of the property’s elevation contours in order to agree the best placement of structures, paths and the road. The decision on the latter will be made in consultation with Jose Luis Hernandez and Christopher Shanks.

Seeing as we shall soon be receiving and storing building materials and tools, it is crucial to have a large and dry space available at the entrance of the property for this purpose. Designing this structure (which will also serve as a temporary accommodation for Martijn) is nearly completed. In line with the Permaculture philosophy of keeping things ´small and diverse´, we are placing this first structure (the Gatehouse) within ½ acre site that will eventually serve as a working example of what Permaculture practices can achieve on a +/-2000m2 plot of land. The site will include; house, compost toilet, Japanese shower, plant nursery, vegetable/herb garden, pond, stables and a fruit orchard. Designing this site in detail is another short-term priority.

Energy
We have received two quotes for the provision of grid access to the Union Fenosa energy system. We are now also firming up our renewable energy requirements in order to then come to an all-inclusive design proposal which will meet our energy requirements. In the short-term any electricity needs will be met by purchasing a generator.

Human Resource Management
In light of the fact that we are now finally commencing with the real on-site work, it is important to have a team member on board who comes from the local community and who can assume the role, among others, of our Nicaraguan representative. A person who can find and supervise local teams of employees, source required materials, advise on agricultural issues and above all someone who knows the property where we will be located.

We are glad to have come to such an arrangement with Sr. Hildebrando de Jesus Rosales. Hildebrando is the president of the cooperative from whom we are purchasing the property and is the oldest son in the family. In the past three months we have spent ample time together and we feel very lucky to have him as part of the team. He is an experienced farmer with some formal education received in Cuba and Managua during the early years after the revolution whose practical experience will be of great benefit to us. Suffice it to say that Hildebrando is as grateful and excited to be a formal part of the project as we are to have him with us.

Relocation of Casa Tortuga
We have found a small cottage to rent on the island which is conveniently located only 10 minutes walk away from the road leading up to the property. The deposit has been paid and Casa Tortuga will begin the rental contract from 1st December 2006 for a yet to be determined period of time. Come December 1st, we will commence bringing across our belongings. Due to the size of the house (circa 32m2) we will be putting in storage all furniture items that are not deemed essential. Also a consequence of the size of the house and, not to mention, enthusiasm, Martijn will not be living in the house but rather will immediately set up camp on the property.

Marketing
Given the location of Casa Tortuga now seems confirmed we are able to take the development of the marketing plan to the next level. One marketing matter of high priority is the trading name. Having found our new location on Ometepe and having had nine months in Nicaragua in which to re-examine all aspects of the project plan, we all feel that the Casa Tortuga name no longer sufficiently reflects the new reality in which the project finds itself. Our unique location on such a unique island merits an equally unique name and so, after very lengthy deliberation, we have decided on a new trading name; Totoco Eco-lodge. Totoco is an indigenous word from the almost extinct Nahuatal (pre-colombian civilization of Ometepe) language. The word means ´its seed germinates´ and as such is extremely suited to our project’s objectives and permaculture aspirations. At this point, we are inclined to use the Casa Tortuga logo since it was originally inspired by an Ometepe petroglyph and the turtle is a wise and ecological symbol.

We will soon proceed to buy the domain name and commence construction of the home website. Moreover, over the coming weeks you will receive notification of our new e-mail addresses which, of course, will utilise the totoco.com.ni extension.

Next Steps:

11th/12 - Travel to Masaya with Hildebrando to visit wholesale hardware store
12th/12 - Work starts on clearing the existing path leading to the property
13th/12 - Meet with Jose Luiz Hernandez to discuss design of main lodge
15th/12 - Visit cleared path with road engineer
15th/12 - Water-system design session with Christopher Shanks
15th/12 - Receive Authorization to Sell from Ministry of Labour
16th – 22nd - Prepare building site for Gatehouse
18th – 22nd - Meet with Orlando Gomez (vice-mayor of Alta Gracia)
18th – 22nd - Complete design of ½ acre Gatehouse site

Ongoing – Research into relevant permaculture and ecological design & construction topics;
· Dry Composting Toilets
· Natural Swimming Pools
· Permaculture Design
· Earthbag Construction (Superadobe)
· Natural Plastering
· Road Construction
· Self Sufficiency
· Renewable Energy
· Interior Design
- Search for rental property on Isla de Ometepe

Important Sources:
Natural Swimming Pools, (2005), Michael Littlewood
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
The Humanure Handbook, A Guide to Composting Human Manure (2005), Joseph JenkinsInternational Technology Development Group – Practical Answers to Poverty, http://www.itdg.org/