Not exactly a new concept. This dwelling is at least 900 years old
Posted on 01/24/2013 7:20:51 AM PST by Uncle Chip
Most people think living under a rock is something to avoid.
But for one Mexican family, it's a dream come true. Farmer Benito Hernandez knew since the age of eight that he wanted to make a 131-foot rock formation in Coahuila, Mexico, his home.
It took him 20 years to buy the land but as soon as he was able, Hernandez and his wife Santa Martha constructed a sun-dried brick house beneath the awe-inspiring formation.
Located about 50 miles south of the U.S.-Mexico border near the remote community of San Jose de Piedras, the home is small.
But it was large enough for the couple to raise seven children over the 30 years they've inhabited the cave-like property.
'I started coming here when I was 8 years old to visit the Candelilla fields and I liked it here,' Hernandez said.
'I wasn't married and I didn't have a family yet, but I liked it and I had to keep coming to put my foot in because lands here are won through claiming them.'
Though Hernandez installed a wood-burning stove, electricity is unreliable in the dwelling, which in located in the arid desert.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Dadburn it! You beat me to it!
Love that lawn furniture. All it needs to really set the style is a Virgin Mary shrine made of a bathtub buried vertically with about 3 ft of it above ground, surrounded by a border of beer bottles buried upside down with about 2-3 inches showing above ground.
Yabba dabba doo!
Don't forget the plastic Flamingos!
Not exactly a new concept. This dwelling is at least 900 years old
Of course - the flamingos.
What is the location of your house between 2 rocks? Is it Horse Heaven Hills?
It needs the beer bottles. For the record I have the pink flamingos but they are so retro-tacky that they are now cool. Next on my list is Dashboard-Jesus.
Oooh, is that in Arizona near Camp Verde? looks familiar.
Visited Hovenweep years ago before it became controlled. A fabulous ancient ruins.
And then there is Petra in Jordan.
Many people who have a large enough cave, again, if it's dry, will use it for supplemental storage.
Around Bloomington and Bedford where they mine limestone there are numerous abandoned limestone pits cut mostly into the side of hills.
Almost bought an 11,000 sq. ft. concrete and steel house that looked like a medieval castle snuggled into one of those sites. It had a serious rattlesnake problem so it was quite affordable. They lived in the prairie on the roof ~ they ate a lot of bunnies. Otherwise it was a fantastic place.
http://www.trulia.com/property/3049038599-3390-S-Snoddy-Rd-Bloomington-IN-47401#photo-1 It’s for sale again at $1.4 million ~ ten acre lot, 4 acres consisting of a lake ~ see pictures ~ plus there are two smaller ponds on the back of the lot. Do not be fooled by the claim this has only 2 parking spaces! Also, looks like they took my advise and put in a manufactured home ON TOP so there was someplace to retreat in winter. You can imagine the heating costs for this turkey, but at 110 degrees in summer heat it stayed in the 70s ~ while I was there. We have a great video clip about the snake skins hanging from the ceilings.
It is on the reservation of the the Ute Mountain tribe.
It is in extreme south west Colorado. It is adjacent to Mesa Verde NP. The tribe gives a guided tour in a small van. The ruins are spectacular, ruins not a picked over archeological site, untouched by people. The ruin photo has stuff left there 900 or so years ago. Truly amazing.Most structures in this pueblo are intact. the kiva has artwork on whitewashed walls but the roof is caved in.
They pick you up at the Casino and drive you back into the reservation. It is the best tour we have seen and we have been on many. We have seen lots and lots of ruins. these are perhaps the best. They are small but you get a very spooky feeling of trespassing. You can feel the presence of those who were there.
It’s on the road from Ship Rock (home of Sgt Jim Chee) to Cortez
http://www.utemountainute.com/tribalpark.htm
Ah, yes, that's right. For those structures made of mud to have survived for so long they need to have remarkably similar siting, and other properties. "Other properties", haha, yeah they need to be next to river valleys for conveniently growing crops nearby. Hence the canyon wall siting.
Actually when I visited Montezuma's Castle 30+ years ago the guide only warned us against entering the upper structure, but we did accidentally wander into into the off-limits area as we were chatting with some cute archeologists.
I also admire that they are a married couple with 7 children—who apparently are taking care of their own.........
I’m thinking rear bench from an early ‘80s Ford Econoline van.
But I agree that 7 kids and 1 wife is pretty good stats, so hats off to them.
I like it, with a little work it could be defensible.
Needs a berm though, gotta have a berm.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.