warm sub tropical island commune needs help

Discussion in 'Communal Living' started by gringo_in_caribbean0, Aug 21, 2005.

  1. resincake

    resincake Member

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    hi,

    I currently live in the UK .. and am looking for exactly the type of commune, that it seems you offer. I am not exceptionally physically strong (but am more than willing to help) , but I do have a wide academic background (including a university degree, various RSA certs, etc). I am a budding artist and web designer, and believe that I can offer creativity and perhaps a new income source. Also, I am experienced in hydroponic growing and have done that a number of times, with tomatoes and 'similar' plants. I do not think i would need a visa or anything, just the cost a the flight and a tent ..

    I do have one question, however. I have a pet dog, who goes everywhere with me .. would he be able to come with me ? If so .. I think I am in .. I will PM you further after reading your repl to me enquiries ..

    thanks in advance, buddy ..

    Russ.
     
  2. gringo_in_caribbean0

    gringo_in_caribbean0 Member

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    hey a dog is ok with me as long as it dont hurt things like kids and animals. but im not sure about entry of the dog to here. i know comming from the states it isnt a problem but no idea of the requirments from UK
     
  3. FreedomRyver

    FreedomRyver Member

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    Hi how ya doing?
    if your willing I am serious about joining you guys down there(along with my lady friend), I wrote a post early in this topic if you want to check it out. Let me know what the deal is.
    thanx:)
    Joey
     
  4. gringo_in_caribbean0

    gringo_in_caribbean0 Member

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    hello again all.
    i have been getting many private emails from people who read this post and that cool, but id like to save us all a little time . could the people just wanting a free ride vacation spot not bother writing anymore? PLEASE.

    not trying to be mean or rude but we work and live here and would love others of like mind, but we dont have the time to baby sit PEOPLE who come under false pretences.

    i can understand a visit to see if you like what is going on here thats cool. but when people arrive and just by the way they talk its easy to tell they just want the free place to stay for a short time.

    in the past we have been very receptive to visitors in hopes it would attract like minded people but besides 3 families all others seem to be just looking for free vacation.

    so i guess i will have to narrow the request of people to join us to family folk. married divorced what ever. but with children.

    and one other thing is we do not preach to each other here. we pretty much keep political and religoeus beliefs to ourselves. we do talk about it if both people talking are willing but nothing is ever forced one the others here. so no matter how benine or inecent your beliefs are on those two subjects, unless you can hold your tounge and not argue again please dont waste our time.

    in short i hope to answer some common questions
    we have 4 familes now all single parents

    children ranging from 2 to 16 and many in between

    8 sheep

    2 horses

    a few cats

    a few dogs (seems all the kids like having a dog to call theirs,and tag along with them while doing chores)

    2 goats

    around 350 acres

    1/2 mile of beach

    few acres of wild rice

    7 concrete buildings all in need of work

    off grid_ meaning we use little eletric but when its needed we produce it and store it in batteries and when power is low recharge the batteries with a generator.

    we have TV and satalite

    at current even though we have buildings most of us live in tents in our own little areas on the land so we all have our own space to do as we wish during free times.

    we share meals and we take turns doing the cooking so its chefs choice on meals

    all money we make is common

    some of us work off the property others work only here.

    we make items that we sell to the turist industry

    i make horse drawn equipment like wagons & buggys

    i also make wood furniture

    fishing is great here with 1/2 mile of beach surf fishing is a common thing here.

    we are located on the north west side of the island where MONA passage meets the ATALANTIC OCEAN

    the land is leased.

    how much we pay really isnt a concern of anybody else but us that live here so stop asking.

    yes it is leased from the goverment and it is possible to lose it. but the property was empty for nearly 50 years, and is of no strategic importance so i doubt that will be a problem.

    no we are no swingers and we dont have orgies, as i have tried to say before we are very family oriented.

    we take turns taking the children to and from school.

    this area still has an active coast guard base and english is widly spoken in this area, but for a job unless you get one on base spanish is still needed.

    yes it is part of the united states, and no you dont have to pay federal taxes here. but social securtitity is still withheld.

    all federal laws allpy here but few are enforced.

    yes the constatution still applies here so all civil rights still apply.

    political views are varried here we have comunist liberal and even conservitive.

    religion is varried as well from none to pagon wican and christian

    we do not preach personal beliefs to each other. if its a mutual discussion thats fine but if one is not intrested that should be the end of it.

    home schooling is only allowed on the island if the child has never been enroled in pubilc school on the island.

    smoking and drinking is allowed but we dont want drunks and drugies.

    drugs on the property could hurt us all and cause the lose of the land so if any of us catch a person growing here on the land they will be gone and fast. is plenty of other open parcels of land away from us for people to do such stupid things, and the risk to the others here is to great to stand for it.

    your pets are welcome so long as they dont harm other people or animals here.

    we have a common area where we cook and eat in one of the buldings it is also the where the tv and other itmes are located that need eletric.

    most of us live in tents still and use oil lamps or battieries that we recharge when the generator is on to light our living area.

    only 2 species of snake are on the island and neither or venomeous.

    the sun is the most dangerous thing here. temps usually range year round 98 to 88 the average varience is only 10deg between summer and winter,

    insects are the second worst problem. ants will get into anything that is not properly stored. and small bark scorpions and very large centipedes can sting. since hurricane george a few years back not many bees or wasps around.

    i think that covers some alot of the common questions i am asked. i hope it can save you and me some time.

    thanks
     
  5. oldwolf

    oldwolf Waysharing-not moderating Super Moderator

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    Now that's too bad - always sorry to see people feel the need to pullback on the reigns and restrict people. But not being in your situation - not quite so hospitable a climate - the great N E has her snow.
    The seasons for us help us to Pay Attention though sometimes the Now might not be what many might enjoy - hardship is a part of life.
    Now you get too many people who just want to visit but are hard workers,tell 'em that you know just the place for them - we got's plenty of room and are open to visitors; but again like you all, are quite busy trying to make our joint visions manifest into reality.
    Blessings along your Way my brother ....... May the Light of Love ever Guide your Way
     
  6. gringo_in_caribbean0

    gringo_in_caribbean0 Member

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    OK Since people just keep asking and asking about comming down to visit, this is what we are gonna do.

    1. you want to come stay on the land and provide your own tent and food great $10.00 a week.

    2.you want to come and have us supply the tent and food, ok but $10.00 a day for one or two people.

    ALSO i have said this many times but Puerto Rico is part of the United States. if you live in the states you DO NOT NEED a passport or anything to come here. just like visiting another state.

    Now only if people actually read this post before they send emails asking more of the same questions.
     
  7. tlxreed

    tlxreed Member

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    The picture you are drawing is very cool. The pictures are beautiful and Aguadilla is supposed to have great beaches. What a deal, $1 an acre per year.

    Good luck with your lives out there. Maybe you could post a picture of the buildiings you are reclaiming.
     
  8. Billie Spears

    Billie Spears Member

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    Hi my names Billie, or Hannah and I have a two year old son name Salem. This wasn't at all what I was looking for, but somethings find you. And I just got the craziest adrenaline rush reading your posts. I was about to fly to the Big Island and go to college. But it sounds like that can wait for now! I'm going to meditate on this for awhile, and if you want to get to know more about me, write me -k- Oh, and I EXTREMELY aprreciate your standards on no druggies. I have been searching for some type od community for awhile now, and all of them have posts about stupid shit! Very discouraging that all "tree huggers and hippies" have this urge to alter themselves. Growing up I always thought "hippies" were the REAL ones, but growing older has changed some childhood fantasies! I know you are busy writing everone back, but I truly am intrigued. My e-mail is Hannahbeesweet@yahoo, PLEASE write me! Thank you and much love Billie
     
  9. zendude

    zendude Member

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    greetings gringo. it sounds like you have a lot going on down there and i'm intrigued. my farming experience is limited but i've been a horticultural grower for a few seasons and this past summer i apprenticed on a biodynamic farm in northern california. we grew vegetables for a CSA and i was involved with all aspects of it. there were horses there also, percherons, and i spent a little time working with them. i shared in taking care of them and i'd like to spend more time learning to work with the horses along with caring for them. what breed of horses are you training and to what end? as for growing vegetables, what is the climate like? i understand that it's hot year round and i assume growiing can be done all 12 months along with that, is that correct? how much rain does this area receive, aguadilla and the other with more fresh water available (forgot the name) and over what months of the year? what kind of crops are currently being grown and do you have any ideas for the future agriculturally, other than watermelons? just a few questions. hope all is well. ~mike
     
  10. gringo_in_caribbean0

    gringo_in_caribbean0 Member

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    greetings people i had thought this thread was dead but i see its still floating around out here.
    so a couple of things to address here

    hannah aka billie. i sent you an email .

    everybody if you would like to contact me faster than email you can via yahoo messenger at gringo_in_caribbean05 since it works on cell phones we dont need to have internet acess to talk with folks on it.

    zendude
    it rains almost everyday in aguadilla and in sabana grande it only rains everyday for about 3 months of the year but during that 3 months it really really rains almost 24hrs at a time it seems.

    breeds of horses here seems to be 3 tpes down here throughbred paso fino and then mustang most people just have the mustang type mutt horse.

    something id like to grow and could really make some money down here would be alfalfa hay in kentucky it used to sell for 1.50 a bale in florida about 5.00 a bale down here its 17.50 a bale maybe it needs a cool weather cycle to grow i just not sure on it but if it grew down here that could be a great income source, but even if it cant grow here just a bale of straw that people in the states would possibly pass over as bedding for an animal runs 3.50 a bale....


    and laslty a new request anybody out there have experience spinning wool into thread? or combining it with cotton ro spin a blend? we have cotton growing wild here also so a 50-50 blend wouldnt be hard to do.
     
  11. Amuray

    Amuray Member

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    It is so wonderful that you are realizing a beautiful dream

    Much Love and Respect
     
  12. Billie Spears

    Billie Spears Member

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    I'm coming Gringo! I have a little saving up to do for some plane tickets, cuz my son will be two before we head out, so they charge me five hundred for his seat! Crazy huh? But I'm doing all kinds of research and soul search, and I'll hopefully be seeing your wonderful face before February!
     
  13. gringo_in_caribbean0

    gringo_in_caribbean0 Member

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    hey there just did a little comparison shopping on airfares for one adult and one child 2 years old found this. i just made up the dates and its also a round trip fare but it covers you both so do price checking. also if you can find a cheap fare to orlando or ft laurdale FL you can get flights to san juan PR for around 89.00 so just things to check out.



    Round-Trip Price: USD 503.00+
    Departure Date: Thu, Feb 02
    Return Date: Mon, Mar 27

    +some taxes, additional fees apply
    important information about fare availability
    All times shown are local to each city.



    Departure Flight: Thu, Feb 02



    Flight: American Airlines flight 1330 on a McDonnell Douglas SP80 Jet - non-stop
    Depart: Salt Lake City, UT (SLC) - Thu, Feb 02 at 7:25am
    Arrive: Dallas/Ft Worth, TX (DFW) - Thu, Feb 02 at 11:10am


    Flight: American Airlines flight 606 on a Boeing 757 Jet - non-stop
    Depart: Dallas/Ft Worth, TX (DFW) - Thu, Feb 02 at 1:25pm
    Arrive: San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU) - Thu, Feb 02 at 7:49pm
     
  14. Billie Spears

    Billie Spears Member

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    thanks your awesome! I check these e-mail tings constantly now, hoping to hear from you! I'll check into those, peace
     
  15. Barbuchon

    Barbuchon Member

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    do canadians need passport right now?
     
  16. zendude

    zendude Member

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    greetings gringo. i'm doing research into alfalfa growing. from what little i've read alfalfa likes a well-drained soil and not a lot of moisture. so if aguadilla has the typical afternoon showers of the trropics that may be the best place for it depending on the soil. i'm having trouble finding info on growing it in a tropical climate but i'm still looking and will let you know when i find out. so what type of soils do you have down there? isn't puerto rico volcanic in origin? if so the soil should be excellent, well-drained and rich. with what you're growing now how do you replenish the nutrients? peace.
     
  17. tlxreed

    tlxreed Member

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    I yahoo chatted with grinto for a bit. That's the best way to get a dialogue going. As far as I can tell from him, they are growing 15 acres of wild rice, and have some fruit trees. Everything else is difficult due to the jungle's tenacity. It's hard to keep ground clear before the jungle takes over again. Otherwise, the soil seems rich from his description. They don't compost or do any kind of soil remediation. Guess a farmer would come in real handy.

    I found the site on maps.google.com with gringo's help. It's quite a large area, close to the airport and right on the beach. Pretty much ideal if you want to live in a island environment rent-free. Some caveats apply though.
     
  18. Dalamar

    Dalamar Member

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    Sounds like an interesting mix of people and philosophies you have down there.


    Living in a tropical paradise is a dream of mine. I am very into nature and I imagine you have a lot of interesting wildlife down there.

    However, I have to agree with old wolf about your restrictions. It will likely make it harder for you to get people to come. But it is your place and as old wolf said, I am sure you have your reasons. It is just unfortunate because I would hate to see you lose good people.


    Anyway I wish you all the best of luck!
     
  19. gringo_in_caribbean0

    gringo_in_caribbean0 Member

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    i always try to think of it like this, one in the hand is better than 2 in the bush( unless your talking about sex) just joking. but from past experiences not going by the simple guidlines we have decided on has only caused problems for us here. i wish it wasnt so but unfortunataly it is.

    maybe if we did things like those folks down in costa rica do charge people out the ass to visit we would be different, but all of us here are single parents ourselves. and we all know being single with children isnt easy, money is a huge factor. and putting children first is another. many younger single people just cant seem to grasp the idea of that.

    anyways just thought id comment on that a little.
    adios
     
  20. gringo_in_caribbean0

    gringo_in_caribbean0 Member

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    hey there tlxreed. how you doing. look me up on yahoo some evening again. was nice talking to you the other day.
     

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