As I mentioned in earlier posts, our first project that had to be undertaken was widening the foot path that went up to the resort area.  The path ran alongside a small hill so the hill had to be cut back to allow for the  widening.  Also, because heavy rains can occur in  rainy season, it was important to build retaining walls along the hillside to prevent erosion.  Wayan thought it best to build a two-tiered retaining wall; one above the other. This was going to take a lot digging, hauling of the excess dirt, and digging out many many rocks from very small to boulders in size.  In order to build the walls,  stones were obtained from three sources: the stones that were dug up were broken into workable pieces, from the villagers who gathered stones and brought them up to the property to sell  for a fair price, and also from local contracting type stores in the city of Singaraja.  We also needed a lot of sand and cement to mix mortar to hold the stones in place.

Before the road was widened, the trucks coming up from Singaraja had to stop before the entrance to the property. They would dump their load then the workers would have to haul the stones, sand or cement in the wheelbarrow or on top of their shoulders or heads to the spot where it was needed.  This work was all done in very warm temperatures.  Despite having lived all  their lives on Bali, the heat could still be an  issue for some of the laborers.  You will see in some of the photos that they have hung up canvas to provide shade to work in.

The hardest part of this segment of the project was hauling all the materials and all the digging of dirt and stones.  Some of the  stones were very large and the only equipment available to move them was human strength and crow bars.  One such boulder was larger than all the rest (see photos) and provided a tremendous amount of frustration and very hard work for the laborers.  They tried and tried to move it using several men.  They tried to break it up, and you will see in one photo that they were so frustrated that they decided to try to burn  it so that it would get very hot and be easier to crack apart.  I don’t believe it worked:-)

You will notice in the pictures that no one is wearing steel-toed work boots by a long shot!  Some of the men have old, worn sneakers, some have flip flops and many are in their bare feet. Can you  imagine doing this kind of labor in your bare feet??  I think not! I  myself can barely walk on any outdoor surface in bare feet!

Despite all the challenges that were presented in this initial work, the workers hung in there and got the job done.  We have been very fortunate that a core crew of workers has been with us from the beginning.  When more workers are needed for some of the phases, people from the neighboring village always seem willing to come out in force to help out. You will see this happening later on when the top of the mountain had to literally be hauled away bucket by bucket; wheelbarrow by wheelbarrow; no bulldozers in this project!  We attribute this loyalty to Wayan who makes sure that the workers are treated with respect and not overworked.  We make sure they are paid well.   Also, because this mountain is sacred to the village, people take pride in taking care of it so to speak.

One thing we never have to worry about is the quality of the workmanship.  It is phenomenal.  Only the best materials are used and time and care is taken to make sure that the work is done right the first time.  Wayan takes great pride in his work and that shows everywhere you look.

I am going to let the 90 some photos that I have tell the rest of this  part of the story.  As you look at them, put yourself in the workers’ shoes and I guarantee you you will quickly come to respect them.  I look forward to your comments, suggestions and questions. Enjoy. Until next time. I will be offline for a few weeks as I travel to spend some time with my four siblings and their families.