Discovering flex yurts feels like a heaven-sent idea for Itínera Theater in Mazunte. They are quick and easy to build with relatively cheap materials, and offer a flair of luxury in an otherwise unforgiving natural environment. It keeps (most of) the insects out, offers protection from the sun and the rain while letting a welcome breeze flow through. Plus they look super stylish, especially for the barefoot-type guests who come to be hosted on our property.
So it's a given that these structures were quickly embraced to benefit from the tourist economy and generate some income for the theater. Consequently, the accompanying infrastructure has been gradually improved on, until reaching the current standard, which uses brick floors as a major feature. All the previous floors made out of wooden planks have been eaten up by termites, fungi, and probably other jungle organisms, so fixing and replacing them was a constant uphill battle.
Over the last few weeks I was fortunate to experience building these brick foundations, which hopefully won't have to be redone at the start of each season.
Before Bricks There Was Sand
Sand and bricks go together quite closely. It is the sand that keeps the bricks in place, and it's also what ensures that the floor is leveled. Of course in both cases it requires a sufficiently level sand bed, maybe a bit larger than the eventual size of the yurt.
On top of this sand base we started laying the bricks. But what's the best pattern? If you look around, there are various designs, ranging from very simple to more complex styles. Depending on the application, you can start at the edge or in the middle. Putting a cross pattern in the center (as place on the right side) would create a beautiful centric design. The drawback of this are the two long, uninterrupted lines running through the middle. The layout on the left with alternating squares is even worse in this regard. But before settling on the "hering bone" pattern that avoids this problem, we adopted a technique that has been tried and tested various times before: the random cowboy style.
Making Patterns, or Avoiding Them
This design is visually appealing, perhaps right because it is trying to avoid a constant repetitive pattern. In fact, I had to correct myself occasionally, as I realized I was falling into a subconscious pattern, simply by paying more attention to getting the floor leveled. (It's not that easy...) Once the circle was filled - with rectangular bricks - all we had to do was cover it with fine sand and sweep it around. The tiny grains filled in the spaces between the bricks, giving the structure overall stability, and esthetic beauty. Whether the random cowboy or the hering bone pattern is better looking, each one has to decide for themselves.
Everything Else Follows on Top
Once the base was done, the yurts could be moved onto them. With the mosquito netting all around them they were far from being flexible any longer, their weight however was very light and easy to manage. The yurts were then covered with the rain tarp, and bottom flap of the netting covered with sand for ultimate protection.
On the inside we hung cotton sheets as curtains to add some privacy for the occupants. Lights were installed, and there is of course electric power hooked up. We even created some rudimentary furniture where residents can put their belongings.
The beds - basically matraces placed on pallets - are always covered with additional mosquito netting to ensure maximal comfort. As a long-term yurt dweller put it: Inside the yurt you are about 80% mosquito free (which already is amazing!), but in your bed 99%.
Come and Stay at Itínera!
Okay, and now for the shameless plug: Glamping at Itínera could be the most ideal place to stay if you are in the town of Mazunte. It certainly is the most affordable one. But given these amazing conditions it is a whole lot better than a hostel dorm, or even a campsite exposed to the beating sun. The facilities are quite rustic, meaning solar showers and composting toilets, but they are clean and work well. Plus, who would need hot water in such a hot environment anyway?
Named After Gods
There are six yurts in total at the moment, some with separate beds, others with a spacious queen-size one. And to make renting them out (or simply referring to them) easier, we have given them different names. To reflect on the artistic nature of the project, each yurt carries the name of a deity from various cultures of the world, each one being associated in one way or another, with the performing arts. They are Nüwa, Hathor, Nataraja, Nabu, Xochipilli, and Ame-no-Uzume. You can find these neat info sheets in each respective yurt, telling you about their divine namesakes.
