A Day Late and about $3000.00 short.

The power company engineer ( that term is applied very loosely ) finally showed up, a day later than the appointed days they specified. His whole concern about the electricity was where I wanted to mount the meter socket. Then there was the question of 120/240 volt single phase service. He wanted to add poles at $700 a wack, add a transformer about a half mile away at $3000 and, man oh man, was he ever worried about where I wanted to mount the meter socket. I don't know where he went to school but I am sure one of the courses he took was in how to milk the gringos. After all was said and done - I agreed to build a place to mount the meter socket and he agreed to use the existing transformer a half mile away and the existing high tension line to carry a 120 volt 50amp service. I will install the underground service to the guest house when the addition is done. The cost will be in the $100 range, after the cost of the ever important meter socket ($20) and pole for the service drop ($25). It's no different here than the U.S., a little common sense will take you a long way.

The gate is finally done. It takes about twice as long to weld with 1/8th rods at 70amps but that's all I can get out of my rigged up generator/welder outfit.

If I let the welded wire run wild over the top of the gate. In the U.S., I would have someone suing me tomorrow. As it is, I won't just have the wire running wild, I will string up barbed wire on top of that. The folks here use broken glass embedded in the top of walls and steel bars in the windows - an ounce of prevention I guess.

I'll be in town for a day or two, so I will probable post tomorrow about a thing or two.