Construction starts here at the river. Every day, construction workers pull up their trucks in the creek next to our house to pick up rocks. These rocks end up in projects like this instead of concrete:
This is what it will look like in the end:
Constructions workers wear no eye protection or gloves. Scafholdings and ladders are made of bamboo and very basic. There are no railings on the scaffholdings. Workers use very few power tools. Never seen a jackhammer around here. Everything is done with hand tools. Work conditions are sketchy.
Road construction is special. Due to the lack of cones, this is one of the things they use in a hole in the street.
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As this building gets taller, he work conditions only worsen.
So, why is there so much new construction going on in Vilcabamba?
They are taking down old traditional homes to build high-end new condos for Americans and Canadians, like this one:
These look nice but we feel that Vilcabamba is losing its old colonial charm... Too bad.
A few houses were remodeled respecting the local style.
This house is the most gorgeous remodel we have seen around here.
Old construction is mostly bamboo rafters and mud walls. Bamboo has to be harvested at the full moon or it will be destroyed by bugs, so we were told. But if done right, it lasts a very long time and remains bug-free.
We doubt these old homes will be remodeled in their original style. In 10 years from now, they may all end up looking like condos.
Let's come back in 10 years and see what has become of these old homes. Maybe someone will remodel them in the traditional Ecuadorian style... That would be nice, like this home:
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