Profile information
Host rating
85 %
Last replied
16 Apr 2024
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 2 days
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Details
Description
We are Frank and Heaven, a couple who fell in love with permaculture and natural building during our 2 years of exploring the African continent. We are building a natural cob home in Baja and hope to start a more formal natural building school in the future.
The program we run is a work trade for 4 days a week working with Frank on the site. We load the work truck at 8 am, drive 15 minutes to the worksite, and return to unload by 4 pm with a half-hour break for lunch. We will be making and building with cob (a mix of clay, straw, sand, and water) a building material used for thousands of years around the world to build natural homes. We will also be installing windows and performing some light woodworking. Our goal is to spread the knowledge of natural building and want you to leave here with a better understanding of cob and sustainable building. You will have 3 day weekends to explore all that the local area has to offer which includes hiking, surfing, hot springs, kayaking, bird watching, and more!
We are both 31 years old, we met when we were at university when we were 18, and we've been married for 2 years. We love living in Mexico and hosting American and international workawayers. We love showing people from the US that Mexico is a safe and welcoming place and especially sharing travel tips on our favorite places we've been to in Tijuana and all over Baja California. If you're nervous about crossing that border, please reach out and we can share travel tips to make you feel comfortable and safe.
Frank is Mexican American and loves sharing his fatherland and indigenous styles of building with interested builders of all skill levels. Heaven is Texan and enjoys preparing the meals during your stay and ensuring you are comfortable and well taken care of. We both speak Spanish and love sharing the language with our students if they are interested.
We live with our sweet and friendly dog Chica in a big beach house about 15 minutes away from the site where we are building the cob home. The beach we live on is famous for the natural hot spring that comes up through the sand. It's a little-known secret that you can dig a hot tub in the sand!
You will have your own room (with wi-fi!) in our home and 3-day weekends off to explore the area. We have lots of tips for where to go and nearby points of interest include the famous Bufadora or Blowhole, Valle De Guadalupe, famous for wineries, and Ensenada is a foodie capital of the world (specializing in fresh seafood)! It is also very easy to get around using local transport which costs less than $1 each way, making the city of Ensenada accessible for exploration.
Please let us know if you have any questions and thank you for considering our project for your workaway!
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Travelers will have the opportunity to practice Spanish on the work site and in our home. You will learn about natural building, basic carpentry, and design. If you stay long enough you will also have the chance to help plaster the walls using a natural lime material. There is also the opportunity to meet other local natural builders and tour their projects which include strawbale buildings, super adobe "earthbags", cob, slip-straw, waddle and daub, and more. Ensenada is also home to a fantastic cultural museum providing visitors the opportunity to learn more about the area's unique history.
Help
We are building a home made from cob, a mixture of clay, straw, sand, and water. This material is used to build a toxic-free natural home and is a much more sustainable method of construction. The rock foundation is complete and the walls are at about 40% of their height. The daily work is comprised of making cob mixes and integrating the material into the walls of the home. Placing windows, nooks, and other design elements is also a part of weekly activities.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: FluentThis host offers a language exchange
This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
You can contact them directly for more information.
Accommodation
You will have your own bedroom in our home. During the work week lunch and dinner are provided and oatmeal, bread, eggs, etc. will be available for you to prepare your own breakfast. On days you are not working, you are welcome to use the kitchen which is stoked with vegetarian essentials and Mexican staples (rice, beans, tortillas, fresh veggies, etc.)
What else ...
We are located in a beautiful part of Baja famous for fish tacos, surfing, diving, climbing, and hiking. We have wonderful friends in the area who organize excursions and we are also full of tips for weekend getaways. When planning your visit, you can either fly into Tijuana or San Diego (check prices for both!). If you're driving down from the US, we recommend that you drive to San Diego, cross the border and take the toll roads to Ensenada. We are located about 2 hours south of San Diego and the tolls cost $10USD total.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
The work exchange is Mon-Thurs and we have had students in the past work digitally on the weekends.
Space for parking camper vans
We have a big driveway where you will park and you can sleep in your vehicle if you prefer that.
Can possibly accept pets
Let's talk about it! We have a 15-pound dog who is a bit nervous, but we can chat :) we have hosted other dogs before.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Hours expected
5 hours a day, 5 days a week
