Building an Ecolodge Hotel, Bed & Breakfast, Accommodation, Ecuador

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Black Sheep Inn

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For Reservations: Black Sheep Inn	We've built our home in the High Andes (photo by Bart L. Daily)

Black Sheep Inn is Better than Ever in 2008!

UPDATE: Black Sheep Inn closed for renovations for April and May 2007. During these 2 months we did 8 months of work!!! We added private bathrooms to the four rooms at the top of our property. The new bathrooms have ecological composting toilets (with a view), hot showers and hot water sinks. We refinished floors and kitchen cabinets, painted, installed 2 grey water systems, upgraded to all orthopedic mattresses, installed new doors all the guestrooms, added new furniture and even took a vacation to Belize! We also installed a hot tub that heats of of a thermal siphon using the sauna woodstove and a solar powered waterslide into the pond. We are still progressing on the weight lifting area and a yoga room and deck (a multi-function room with a view that can be used for meetings, yoga, music, presentations, tea and coffee for after-hours, and overflow sleep space), and other service improvements all around.

(photo by Guest of Black Sheep Inn)	See our Newsletter for Updates We, Andres Hammerman & Michelle Kirby, both from the USA, were hardcore backpackers for years. We went to destinations not mentioned in guidebooks, always searching for an adventure. We discovered Chugchilán in 1992. The beauty of the dramatic countryside and the friendliness of the people won us over. We did not want to leave the village. We stayed with a local family for two weeks who took us in as their own. But when they offered to sell us land, we thought they were crazy! The longer we stayed in Chugchilan, the more we realized it was the right place for us. We finally tore ourselves away, teary eyed and promised the local family we would come back in a couple years to buy their land.
	We went back to the USA and worked hard determined to save money. In 1994 we returned to Ecuador and bought a piece of property in Chugchilan. We knew we couldn’t survive by farming potatoes, but had faith that the beauty and remoteness of Chugchilán would be enough to attract tourists to the ‘Bed & Breakfast’ we would build: “The Black Sheep Inn”. Dreams Come True We are Conservationists See our ECO page for our Mission Statement and details about our Ecological practices.
(photo by Bart Lee Daily)	Now, over 15 years later, we look back and marvel at what we have done. It has been an incredible learning experience. We have both become "Jacks-of-all-Trades", installing electrical and water systems, learning Permaculture farming techniques, making adobe bricks, cutting trees for firewood and beams, building furniture, and learning how to run a business in Ecuador. We are now accomplished architects, we have earned doctorate degrees from the International School of Trial and Error (ISTE). Our dissertations were filled with many major errors! With an average of over ten guests per night at the Black Sheep Inn, the village of Chugchilan is now ‘on the tourist map.’ Our dream became reality.
(photo by Bart Lee Daily)	Community Involvement Donate to the Community Chugchilán has not lost its charm due to the influx of tourism. We are deeply involved with the community. Michelle teaches English and basic computer skills in the local high school. We have received and donated several dozen computers and a copy machine to the community. We have established a small public library with Spanish reading books and 8 computers for educational programs. Tourism has provided a new source of income for the village and the people are friendlier than ever. Humberto Ortega now has a thriving business leading horseback rides and two local families have also opened their own hostels. Chugchilan has something for everyone.
	We are constantly building and improving the Black Sheep Inn. A new laundry area was completed in 2005 along with larger storage rooms. In 2003, we opened a new bunkroom, with a fantastic view and bigger beds. The old bunk room has become a volunteers room. Other improvements at the Black Sheep Inn since 1997 include a Guest Lodge, Common Area and Dining Room, woodstoves in all the private rooms, extra set of pillows, larger bath towels, path lighting, a Sauna, 3 new composting toilets, FREE Tea and Coffee, a tree house, a Zipline Cable Swing, Internet Service and more.
In 2006 we finished a new managers room with bathroom and shower, expanded and remodeled our office, installed an Ozone Water purification system, installed Satellite Internet and wireless access in the main guest lodge, opened a new cold food bodega and a wine cellar and Andy now has his own tool and hardware storage room.
We are happy in our Andean home! We invite you to come visit and see what is so special about this area. With the help of our local staff, Black Sheep Inn is open year round. See our Newsletter for Updates


Managers and Volunteers
	We are still hiring, see our: HELP WANTED CONGRATULATIONS Rosanna Breiddal from Victoria Canada and Edwin Salazar from Archidona Ecuador on your new marriage! They have been working here at the Black Sheep Inn since December and plan to stay until fall 2008. Rosanna studied at the University of Guelph Ontario as did past managers Iain and Karen. Edwin comes from a long line of Shamans in the Ecuadorian Oriente.
Edwin & Rosanna
	CONGRATULATIONS to the new addition to your family, a baby boy born here in Ecuador! Danni Cleveland and Jeremy Rudston from Australia and South Africa were caretakers at the Black Sheep Inn from April until June 2007. They held down the fort during some of our renovations and while we went to the states for Andres mom's big birthday bash! Danni and Jeremy are sailing around the world and decided to experiment living in the high Andes as they wait for the right season to cross the South Pacific. They were guests here while Buffalo and Claudine were managing.
Danni & Jeremy
	Natasha Bagley and Kevin Pilgrim were volunteers extraordinaire from December 2006 to February 2007. They are traveling around the world and taking breaks to work along the way. See their blog at: How to be a Black Sheep. They would have stayed longer if they had more time and they promised to come back!
Natasha & (Denis) & Kevin
	Buffalo Adams and Claudine Williams from Northern California worked at the Black Sheep Inn from April Fool's Day until December 2006! They were expert managers with years experience running Emandal, a Farm on a River www.emandal.com. Buff and Claudine were the first ones to occupy the new managers room and helped us add a private bathroom to the cabańa, open our cold food room and expand our office. They are back in the US of A working away and missing the high (altitude) life. We hope to see them when we get out to the west coast.
Buffalo & Claudine	We are now hiring, see our: HELP WANTED

Michelle & Amanda Dance	Chris, Coochi & Coo Dance	Maeve, Mark, Megan & Andres Dance
OohLaLA and Mama Mia! a.k.a. Chris da Rocha and Amanda Borrows helped us manage the Inn from May 2005 until October 2005. We were able to visit the East Coast and got to Andy's brothers wedding. Mark and Megan, from Australia, volunteered and helped us install the solar powered water pump. Andy's niece Hannah and friend Maeve also visited over the summer.
	Iain Duncan came back to the Black Sheep Inn in November 2004 and stayed until March 2005. He was a fantastic manager and promises to come back, although we are still waiting. He is currently on his way to India to start an Environmental Education Center in Auroville. During this time we also had the help of a volunteer Josie (from Minnesota), who spoke a great Argentinean Spanish.
Andres & Michelle & Iain & Josie
	From April till July 2004 we had two new managers, Gail Arendell, from North Carolina USA and Iain Duncan, from Ontario, Canada. We, Michelle & Andy, went to Europe to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary. We visited our former Swiss managers Juerg & Christine www.hitschhuus.ch, and Antonis & Frosso, the editors/creators of the ECOCLUB www.ecoclub.com in Greece. The trip was excellent, we especially loved Croatia! Gail and Iain did a great job and we will never forget the great vacation they allowed us to take.
Gail & Iain	We are now hiring, see our: HELP WANTED
	We had some great managers from February 2003 until the end of June 2003, Matt J. Kelley and Lindsay Siegel. Because of their help we were able to focus our time on building projects and even going to rock concerts, like the Mexican band Maná, in Quito! After almost a year managing Las Palmeras www.laspalmerasinn.com in Quichinche, Matt and Lindsay are now off in the US of A for another adventure which includes tying the knot! CONGRATS!! www.mattandlinds.com In 2002 we went traveling for 6 months. We visited friends and family in the USA and also went backpacking in New Zealand and Australia with a stops in both Fiji and the Cook Islands!
Matt & Lindsay

History of Building an Ecolodge, Ecuador

We've built our home in the High Andes (photo by Bart L. Daily)