Meanwhile, in the background for me, but oh so in the foreground for them, things have stepped up in Nicaragua. Some of the permissions to build are proving tricky to get, even though the so called hardest one has been approved. But things have started, rocks shifted and walls being built. I receive almost daily emails on the progress and arrange a visit for May.
The plans for the spa have also been done. It looks great. We tried to see if Hans from Cayuga, the management agency can come over fairly urgently to look everything over in order that we might push on. The workers are getting antsy – they’ve been promised work but none has been forthcoming. I look to extend my stay by as much as a few weeks in order to get things moving….and then comes the call I’ve been dreading….and I’m booked on a flight back to England. It’s my Mum, it’s not looking good. I leave everything in everyone’s hands.
I take a visit to Matthew’s new workshop and get over – excited as he points to a pallet of wood and tells me “that’s your hotel”. As if that isn’t enough, he then tells me that the wood is not only Rainforrest Alliance certified but it has come on an arduous journey from the North East corner of Nicaragua where Hurricane Felix struck. Apparently, the government wouldn’t allow removal of the felled trees so the Ponsons (owners of Morgan’s Rock) bought a tract of land there in order to take ownership of the felled trees so that they could be used for the wood and thus the area also cleared for the local people. One day I will make that arduous journey myself, armed with camera and so be able to tell the story of the wood.
The plans have been completed. Permissions from Marena, the environment agency look to be forthcoming (Matthew reckons it was the biscuits that swung it!) I take Matthew to El Cedrito with Edgar and it’s back to the drawing board once again as he too can see the vision of the spa on Edgar’s island. I meet with Omar to discuss getting my residency amongst other things and it’s off to take my (bad) photo.
Of course, it’s Semana Santa (Easter week) and Nicaragua closes from Wednesday lunchtime through Monday morning so I have to squeeze the work in around it.
Mind you, I nearly didn’t get here – I had an eventful journey – an hour and a half delay stuck on the runway in a very full plane with a bit of a sore head, then a car journey that had us swerving to miss a cyclist and then a high speed blow out caused by hitting a large rock. Luckily there was a spare tyre (this is Central America after all) and I got here eventually.
My new apartment is fine – phew- although I’m not familiar with the area but soon will be.
There’s a massive music convention in Austin Texas every year called South by South West (SXSW). Food, drink, sunshine, music – you can’t go wrong! We went there mob handed this year, held a party and generally did a lot of self promotion along with seeing some fabulous bands and meeting some of our clients. Good and exhausting times. Naturally as Texas is only a 3 hour plane journey from Nicaragua, it was only sensible that I come back at this time.
Edgar owns 2 neighbouring islands to El-Jicaro as well as a part of the mainland. One island is very similar to mine and the other is a tranquil space with fabulous views of Mombacho volcano which has been completely flattened. My brain starts to tick. We have already established that the staff accomodation and laundry etc would be good sited on the mainland to liberate more space on El-Jicaro but wouldn’t it be great to have the spa and yoga centre on the levelled island. I mention this in passing and develop the idea in my head.
My morning meeting (with a lawyer who knows the right people if you know what I mean) is blown out and I jump on the bus to Managua to meet with Matthew and also Edgar the island owner. Matthew and I talk and I realise that everything is a lot clearer and Matthew and Ben will make good working partners.
Edgar is a straightforward likeable man who loves our ideas and wants to help us out as much as possible. He offers to lease us the land and I arrange to meet up with him to see his land and islands.
Back to Granada to meet with Ben and Matt and tell them the good news and I must admit to getting rather drunk and having a great evening annd a rather late night!
I move into Lesley and Bruce’s marvelous apartment. Nadene (friend and “details manager”) and Lesley are still negotiating on the lease – maybe I shouldn’t have stayed for the conversation. Lesley and Bruce are meant to be going on a South American adventure but have been held up for a bit so I’ll be staying with them in the apartment. It’s a bit like being a guest rather than being in my own place but they are a lovely couple and we all get on well.
I visit my first lawyer to ball him out about why the hell my other island hasn’t been registered yet thinking him useless (well he has taken an absolute age about it). He tells me that the government have decided to enforce a law that essentially says that all land adjacent to water cannot be registered and that in fact they own it – AAARRGGHHH. What now? My other island is in limbo and El-Jicaro cannot be registered to Decadent which means changing loads of documentation , I have to become a resident, I have more liabilities and I may have to pay rent on something I already own.
A trip to the island and it turned out to be a bit of a party. Matthew, Ben, another Matthew (Matt) who will be Ben’s assistant, Mitch and various memebers of his family (he is also building a hotel and spa but on the mainland) and last but not least – Skip – an intense artist who apparantly used to live in a cave and has no worldly posessions and is a dab hand with rocks – something there is no shortage of on the island. Once again my fears are assuaged as the peace and beauty of he island washes over me.
Matthew, Matt Ben and I sit down afterwards to chat about progress and logistics and the conversation takes an awkward turn which leaves things up in the air a bit.
I meet Ben the following day for breakfast prior to visiting an accountant with him and Matt and we talk about yesterday’s awkwardness. I need to see Matthew to get everything clear in my head to determine how we all best take this project forward. On the up side, the accountant seemed very switched on and knows what she is doing which is good. Matt and I go over to Mitch’s for lunch, get a building site tour and see some of Skip’s work. They tell me that I’m being very calm about the registration problems but what can I do. I still think that the project should go ahead. Anyway governments change and change their minds!
Matt and Ben pop over to the apartment for pre dinner drinks and we try out a new veggie restaurant (reminds me of student food!) and a nightcap at their friend’s new bar – very nice too!
It turns out that my mother’s cancer has advanced and she has also had a fall at home and is now in hospital. I know that she is in the best hands possible and there is nothing I can do from here or there and I have to carry on as usual. However I feel helpless and lonely and very far from home.