The monsoon really took the wind of my sails as far as my hopes for the garden were concerned. My cousin Harvey, an experienced commercial farmer from the Big Island, told me you never know what to expect when dealing with nature. Between weather and insects there are so many forces you have to account for in order to make it through to harvest. Not eager to give up hopes for a bountiful harvest, I formulated a new strategy. Due to the many hazards (torrential rain, insects, salt water floods, and monkeys), the best solution was to make the plants mobile. I purchased plastic potting bags, and Ross and I spent an entire day lugging soil from a rich deposit deep in the forest. I can only hope the new garden eventually bears fruit! 
After getting some fun surf for a couple days, it was finally time to get back to work. With booking requests for the lodge coming in daily, it was time to begin expansion. For less than a month’s rent in the states, we are having a 8m x 4m extension added on the back of the lodge. As construction began, the owners of the lodge needed to take a supply run to Medan, leaving me to take care of the lodge and monitor construction. 
In order to complete the building safely, some trees needed to be cut down. Many of the have died due to the post earthquake increase in sea level, and having them hanging over the new structure is a recipe for disaster. At first, Ross and I were eager to give a hand in pulling the trees down as the master chainsaw man sliced away. After a near death encounter with a stout 150m tree, we became a bit more cautious. 
Mate, really enjoying the blog. It is fantastic to see you happy and successful in the following of your dreams. :)
ReplyDeletethat camera on your surfboard is kick ass! take a few more videos man... I wanna see you from that angle when you get some mad air!
ReplyDeleteyour adventures are making me salivate in thought of my next trip to southeast asia. It simply can't come soon enough!