Telegraph article today

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/centralamericaandcaribbean/dominica/


A interesting article in today's Telegraph by Gavin Bell entitled:-

Dominica: The Caribbean's Lost World

Job Interview

I have a telephone interview next Tuesday for a job in Dominica.
I'm nervous - it's bad enough having a face to face but long distance on the phone with time delays and lots of 'pardons' will be a challenge. So, that's 4 sleepless nights from now until then....

Solar/Life Insurance/Monty

Well, I received 3 solar lamps - 2 for the garden and 1 hurricane lamp, from China this week even though I didn't pay for them. They felt sorry for my bank fiasco on the transfers. They are great - in the garden and lighting up every night. This photo looks like daytime when in fact I took it at night so you can see how bright they are - sometimes my camera is just too efficient for me. Anyway, I now have to decide whether to buy more. By the way, you may think our grass needs cutting but I actually had to find a spot where Ollie couldn't find them and carefully destroy the solar panel tops - they are very attractive.........

Life Insurance - got it here in Belgium this week as trying to obtain it long distance was not the quick process we thought (even if we had signed it all). It should be finalised on Monday when we have to sign yet another form for the NBD and that's the last, inshallah, piece of the loan jigsaw.

I got the latest pictures from Montenegro and the landscaping is looking great and the site cleaned up. However, the municipality having nearly finished the road outside have just dug it all up again, to relay new water pipes. Our next guests arrive on the 7th June, the clock's ticking....

Swimming Pool Filtration

Found the filtration system we want - Ionclean by Parkinson using an Amp Dolphin Ioniser negating the need for large amounts of chlorine. This will be combined with a solar heating system and solar powered pump. This system can be designed in England by a company called Fieldway. Avoiding chlorine is our top priority - it is a toxic gas and was used by the Germans in the 1st World War. It makes your eyes sting, if you breathe in too much your lungs suffer. It corrodes metals and rots clothing. The greatest concentration of the gas in a pool is on the surface of the water which is where you breathe if you are swimming. Imagine a professional training 5 hours a day - you won't be surprised to learn that the Americans have used Ag/Cu ionisation in their training pools for years. Children with any tendency to ashthma should keep clear of chorinated pools. Some American research has shown that cancer of the bowel can be attributed to chlorine. In the West most people drink it in their water intake. This is at too low a level to do you any harm but it tastes horrid, hence bottled water and the use of carbon water filters.

In a hot climate the chlorine in a pool soon diminishes due to 'out-gassing' so you need to measure it constantly and top it up. Sometimes the chlorine is made by using a salt generator. The name is misleading. They use salt (sodium chloride) to generate Chlorine.

The best alternative, without spending a fortune is silver/copper ionisation. Positively charged ions of silver disable the deleterious bacteria (negatively charged) while the copper causes the algae to flocculate into bunches which get removed by a sand filter through which they would normally pass unscathed.

Here endeth the lesson for today.

Champagne's on ice

At the 11th hour, bank cheques waiting for dispatch, the life insurance document had one signature missing. The one that said 'owner', I presumed that meant the company. It didn't. The bank won't release the funds until it is signed and a scanned copy won't do. Fedex are sending it back this time. Another delay and more than annoying for our builder, us and everyone involved.
Then at 8pm, our first guests in Montenegro rang and said they were moving out as they couldn't use their pushchair up to the apartment as the temporary road is gravel and not concrete. They want a complete refund. Also, there was drilling next door and the building ban doesn't come into force in Montenegro until 1st June so builders work around the clock in the last few weeks before the summer curfew. What do do, they were the ones that asked to bring their dates forward a week.
It wasn't a great Friday night all round.

Jock's photo!

Dox arrived in DOM. Money's in the bank Frank. All systems are go. Our builder, Oliver, is very happy and so are we. Andy says we can open the $100 bottle of champagne tonight and even drink it. Wow! Then it's Cava from then on I guess. Desmond the gardener can start landscaping too. I sent him some exotic Latin names from my 'How to Garden in the Caribbean' book. He thinks I'm bonkers and sent me a plan of what he is going to do with all English names on. At least I showed an interest. Yesterday I bought 2 water barrels - they come with little taps on and everything (!). Then came my fatal error. I explained to Ollie how they worked. In an island where it rains most days I'm not sure our water barrels will be topped up for long.

Splish splash

The landscaping at the apartment in Montenegro is all finished and the pool is being filled as we speak. Can put this one to bed for now too, phew.

Friends and family rates of course:-

www.holidayrentals.co.uk - Property Reference 77447


Now we are working on how to build ours in Dominica incorporating solar power and an eco but reliable sand filtration system. At least we've found an expert to help us and can nod wisely at his suggestions....we are also learning about wind turbine power too. Who'd have thought it eh....will be wearing crocs next...