Construction

Almost all construction is of concrete blocks. There are buildings literally everywhere that are in various stages of construction. Some buildings that are partially done look as if no one has worked on them in several years. When I asked about why work had stopped on so many buildings, I was told that the owners frequently run out of money and then just stop the construction until they get more money. People will move into whatever part is completed, and sometimes that part looks nice. Homeless people will live in the unfinished parts of buildings, and it seems as if they are never chased out.
There seems to be no concern for worker safety. The ladder in one of the following pictures was at least 40' high; it took the man climbing it several very cautious minutes to slowly get to his working height. The scaffolding has no safety rails, and workers will hang off of it at precarious angles. Following are photos of some of the construction techniques.



The next photo is taken in a downtown market area. In this area with heavy foot traffic, they use blankets on the third floor where they are actively working to protect people on the street from flying debris. On buildings being renovated, the cement face is commonly chiseled off from the cement block walls.