Our andador ends at 5 de Mayo (pictured below). At the end of 5 de Mayo is the Plaza de Armas. This is what we see when we exit our casita and turn to the left. We are fascinated with the construction process, most of which is done with stoop labor. It looks like what they're doing is narrowing the street, which entails expanding the sidewalk on the left. You can tell by the upraised curb blocks on the left-hand side of the newly-laid street. This would mean a very wide sidewalk and no parking on at least this part of 5 de Mayo. Excellent! But where will all the important government functionaries park then? (The Congress building is at the end of the street, and those black Chevy Suburbans favored by government functionaries and drug kingpins--not, we hope, the same people--used to park there, their open doors blocking the sidewalk.) This will be the subject of a future post.
This guy is using a putty knife to clean excess concrete from between and on top of the blocks in preparation for inserting the red grout between the pinkish paving stones--the standard look in the centro histórico.
These guys are putting the red grout into a plastic bag with a hole in the end and then filling all the joints with it. They have water to mix with it in plastic Coke bottles.
The guy bending over is using a stiff brush to clean up the blocks. Yes, he is going to brush the whole street!
What's that they're using for spacers to keep the blocks the right distance apart? Why, it's folded up paper from the bags the cement came in.
Next time your significant other tells you s/he doesn't have the tools for the job, say, "do it Mexican."
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