Life at Cerro Velero

We have made ourselves right at home at Cerro Velero, quickly falling into our new routines.  I wanted to give you a quick tour around the house and show you what we've been up to...

This is the house from the front (water side).  Down below is the "garage" where we park Cricket (this is what the owners named their boat).

From the "garage" is the dock which ends at the beginning of the 105 stair accent up to the house.  The first time I climbed this I thought I was going to pass out.  I can now do it with ease until I try to carry a 40lb. bag of dog food with me, which I did yesterday...  Phew!  Talk about a work out!

This is the house from the back (jungle side).  It has a complete wrap around deck that is amazing.  The kids have fun running around in circles and there are multiple sitting areas for different times of the day.

On the bottom level of the house is the bathroom, outdoor shower and clothes line to hang our laundry.  The water tanks are behind the bathroom (you can see 1 of the 2 in the picture above).  To the right of this is a workshop area for building.

There is also a kayuko (kayak) garden in the backyard.  I spent some time today working in the garden and transplanting a papaya tree that had gotten to big for the garden.  There is basil, squash, cilantro and a few other herbs I haven't figured out yet.  There is also a few pinas (pinapples) planted just beyond the garden.

Here are a few pictures of the deck, the first being the back.  We often hang out back here in the late afternoon when it is too hot out front.  The second picture is the front.  Beautiful in the mornings and at sunset.

Not a bad view, huh?

On the second level of the house is the kitchen looking out over the water and the kids' bedroom.

And on the third level is the master bedroom with views of the jungle out back and the water out front... pretty spectacular in a lightning storm in the middle of the night!