Masons in Training on the job!

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So in Mexico different people usually do different jobs in construction.  Sometimes you get a crew, like I have working on the house, that everyone can do a bunch of different trades.  Foundation.  Brick layer.  Rock.  Cement mixing, Wiring, flooring, roofs, etc.   But typically for a rock wall you call a mason, and they have a rate they charge.  Also, Masons are a proud trade, and you refer to a Mason as Mason Joel, or Mason Pablo.  Just like you refer to an architect, as Architect Edwin, and so on.

Well I'd mentioned before that one day when I wasn't there, and the guys didn't have something to do, they took it upon themselves to build two very nice round monument planters from two big piles of rocks.  So, I knew that 2 of them had some wall building skills.  I spoke to my architect and asked him while he was supervising the men in the house doing the construction, could I pay him to supervise 2 of my men, my foreman and one other, and show them how to build a masonry wall.  He said he would be happy to.

I spoke with Salvador, my foreman and told him to get one of the other of the 4 men to help him, and that Architect was going to teach them to build a masonry wall that would be a continuation of one that the construction guys had already started.  Oh my gosh!  You'd have thought I was telling him I was going to pay for him to go to flight school to fly a 747.  He beamed.   When today came, they showed up and Architect got them started.  I'm really proud of the work they've done, and this is going to save me some money over what I'd pay a mason, and I can take the difference and pay my guys a bit more for their new "skill set".


In the photo above, you can see there appears to be a large boulder protruding out of the wall.  You are correct.  It is Mayan tradition to just build a way over the top of a boulder if it's in your way.  And this particular boulder had a little dimple in it, that will catch rainwater and serves as a bird feeder.


The wall they are extending will go all the way to the new front porch of Casa 2, with a rock walkway from the porch coming down and intersecting with the rock walkway from Casa 1.












 

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