This is how history begins…
I always wanted to build something, with my own hands, to remain in history, for humanity, so people can see it and remember me.
We are living all day like in a hamster wheel and what we are leaving behind? Something that even in 50-100-200 years still stands and people can say “look, this thing was built by that crazy guy…”. Doesn’t matter if they like it or not, is something that REMAINS there for long time and your name and history is there.
Some of my friends told me “but man, with your stash of bitcoins you could easily just pay somebody to do the hard work of digging and constructing”. Well… I am not that guy “to pay somebody else to do its job”, no matter how much bitcoins I have. Is about the feeling of building your own house with your own hands, not depending on anybody else. It’s an amazing experience!
So, I found the place, I like it and I start building, with my own hands, my own brain, in my own style, with local materials, natural, simple, organized and strong. A message for next generations and also a living style: natural, simple, wild, isolated from “zombies civilization”, almost self-sustainable (I know is very hard to obtain self-sustainability, but I will try).
At the entrance, I will put 21 stones and will engrave the 21 reasons why Bitcoin will save the world, to remain there, in stone, forever.
The main idea/plan is to have:
- a nice “hobbit house”, digging the dirt, making stone walls and cover with the same dirt on top, planting some aromatic flowers on top.
- a vegetables garden, in front, with wooden beds and self irrigation system (water is at only 5-7m)
- some fruit trees, chickens, goats
- small river turbine (water lily) and solar panels for electricity, running water and filtering, sauna (for long winters)
- satellite antenna (internet, phone, communication)
The parcel is situated in a perfect position, between 2 water springs (no dry season), surrounded by deep forest and a beautiful valley. It is near to an old abandoned village and on the path of the cows that are moving around (in the summer), up and down the valley.
The terrain was found 2 years ago but in March 2021 I really started to prepare it for the building. Cleaning bushes, cleaning the access to the water, making a nice entrance with rocks…
Next phase, started in May, when the weather get better, longer days and not so cold nights. To mention: during the building work, is a camping site, using tent and hammock, cooking at open fire and/or butane cylinder.The work started hard with some damn tree roots and later with big rocks. In June was starting heavy rains, for short period, then sunny so the digging work was with large pause, waiting to dry a bit the dirt (even if it was covered with a large tarp). Hard work, pulling out loads of rocks. But these will be good to use later for the walls, floor, isolation etc.
In June I was digging hard and moving big rocks and my back start hurting. So almost 3 weeks I was in stand-by also waiting that the raining season will finish. July comes with a lot of sun, but a lot and really hot. Lucky with the near natural jacuzzi, so in between 20-30 shovels, one spalsh in the cold river. Also working only in the morning, when the sun wasn’t so hard (8:00-13:00), even then covering with a tarp the “hot working zone”. During afternoon, only cleaning works at the river bed, under trees, small stuff needed, and a lot of splashes in the river.
End of July and 1st week of August it was good working time. Good weather (just 1 day with rain) and not so hot. Also the part with rocks seems to be over, only a small level of compacted small rocks and dirt are under a big level of plain dirt, that is easily carved. I was advancing quite well this start of August. Now the problem is “where to put so much dirt”, so I start building a “helipad” trying to level up the dirt. Still need to dig like 2m more and then a small outside place for the fireplace. Still a lot of work to do. I hope the weather will be still OK in August-September.
The next year… 2022.
I start the work quite late, in mid June. Weather wasn’t so good, raining a lot. So just continuing to dig few meters more, to have enough for a storage room in the back.
After a heavy winter the dirt walls are still strong and intact, like a rock. The soil is really compacted and have a good density, that makes it really hard when is dry. That is good, I don’t think I will have draining “water issues”.
During July and August I had a lot of “family visitors” and I had to stay with them. Not too much time to continue my work. So the digging was really slow. I lost preciuous time this summer. Also beginning of July was too rainy and couldn’t do anything about. When is raining is a “mud hell” in my citadel 🙂
But anyways, end of August and first week of September I could finish the chimney hole and build the base, until the level of the top ground. Remain to come up with the walls and after that, continue the chimney another 2 – 2,5m, to give it a bit more sucking force.
The fireplace will be a style of Rocket Mass Heater, with a big combustion chamber, then the tubes below the bed and go out through the chimney. In this way will be more efficient heat and a nice warm bed.
I was changing the plans: will not make the walls entirely of stones / boulders, but making only the base (circa 30-50cm) and on top of the stone base will use earthbags. Polyester bags filled with all the dirt I fug out. I have plenty of dirt and I don’t know what to do with it. Also the rocks I dug out are not do straight for wall construction, too irregular and too smal. Yes, I have some good ones, big and stable, but enough tio buiold the base of the walls around.
I hope that in Sept – Oct I will have good weather and in special good temperature during the night so I can continue the work, at least to raise the wood pylons and build the structure of the roof. The walls will have to wait until next spring-summer for good weather. During autumn is not good to build walls, winter can ruin everything if is not finished in time.
The work is still in progress… soon more pictures and stories in the Blog Section.
Also you can see the working stages in more details in the Gallery section, and more pictures from the area.