Just call me the camera killer

In the course of a week, I managed to break Kyle's camera (by trying to film a dust storm) and lose mine, so we are without photos until I can get another one. This means I can't show you pictures of the 5000+ bricks we've made so far. Just imagine an ocean where each wave is a single brick. There's a pier at one end, which is actually a giant stack of bricks. In the foreground is the brick press, it's arm like the mast of a ship, diligently churning out brick after brick.
This is the scene in Tongo now as we prepare to start the foundation and really get going with construction. Excitement is in the air (along with frequent dust storms - cameras beware!)

Enter Sandman

With over 2000 bricks and counting, we've begun preparing for work on the foundation by bring truckloads of sand and gravel to the site.




Group Jaba-Ji (Onion Sauce) is still in the lead, although Tiga-Diga is inching closer. More as it happens!

Peanut Butter vs. Onions

Brick making has officially begun and is now in full swing! The first 3 days were spent training men in the village how to use the machine and how to properly mix the dirt, sand, and cement.




The first brick! (Isn't it beautiful?)






After the training, the men were divided into 3 teams, which I nicknamed: 1) Group Tiga-Diga Na (Peanut Sauce), 2) Group Jaba-Ji (Onion Sauce), and 3) Group Saga-Saga (Leaf Sauce). The teams would alternate days to split up the work and would compete with each other to see which could make the most bricks in a day and overall.

Meet the dream team: Group Jaba-Ji. After Tiga-Diga set the bar high at 372 bricks the first day, Jaba-Ji took the reigns the second day:


They worked with enthusiasm and gusto and by the end of the day turned out a whopping 378 bricks!


Then they took a much deserved break:

When I left this morning we'd made just over 1,000 bricks and counting. Only 11,000 more to go!

Flying Buttresses!

We got the brick press to Tongo in the back of a truck, and have successfully "installed" it on the work site.  This consisted of cementing it into the ground so it won't wiggle around.  Now it needs to cure for a few days, then we'll start training the village on how it works!

Look familiar?  Yes, those are the leftover bricks from the well project, being used as flying buttresses.  I also see a striking resemblance to another structure....