How it all started
Here's a short summary of what we've done this far. In January 2005 we bought a plot of 3300 square meters, 300 meters from the sea in the dunes of Cumbuco, a small fishing village that lies approximately 40 kilometers north of Fortaleza. Actually it was pure chance that we ended up here. In January we flew to Brazil armed with an air pass to find ourselves a nice location where we could take up residence. Our plan was to start in Fortaleza and from there visit four destinations. Because we couldn't find a hotel in Fortaleza we decided to divert to neighbouring Cumbuco to relax a bit and work out a plan in search of our dream destination. We had already been here once in 2001. Then it was a tiny village with hardly any facilities. We were very amazed to see how much Cumbuco had changed in two years' time. Besides the regular tourist the village had been discovered by a completely new group, namely the kite surfers.

Anyway, during our tour in search of the perfect location in Brazil we more and more came to the conclusion that Cumbuco was the best option. Before we flew back to the Netherlands we had three days left in Cumbuco. It was now or never: do we buy or not? Three nerve-racking days in which we found a lawyer who could arrange our residence permits and take care of the contract of sale, look at various plots, negotiate about the price etc. An hour before we left for the airport we signed the contract. Our dream to start a guesthouse and restaurant abroad had thus come a lot closer.

All very nice of course but this is when it all really started. We knew that we would be able to obtain residence permits with the current legislation but we didn't have a clue about floor plans and construction. Once we were back in the Netherlands we only partly realized what we had gotten ourselves into. It was Roel of course, who saw the light when having a beer in a café in Utrecht. He came up with the idea to call our friend Galit, who is a construction engineer, to ask her whether she could help us out with this project.

Not only was Galit a great help but also her father, who lives in Brazil and is an architect and works foreman, appeared to be of invaluable help. Without having realized this in advance we now all of a sudden not only disposed of a (reliable) person who could convert our dream into floor plans but also of a translator/interpreter in the Netherlands with knowledge of the construction business who also teaches us Portuguese once a week not sparing us one single bit!

Our plan
For years we had this concept in our minds, the kind of ambiance we'd like to create, the things we found important for our guests and ourselves, what our target group would be and in what kind of environment we'd like to live in. Strangely enough we needed very little time to decide what we wanted but the most difficult question was "where?". Now we have an answer to that question as well we can finally focus on the realization of our plan. 0031 (which is the phone entry code for the Netherlands) stands for an attractive guesthouse and restaurant with a "Mediterasian" kitchen at a beautiful location. With 0031 we offer "the pure life", far from home in an exotic, sunny environment but with that "home" feeling where all senses are stimulated. The total experience will all come together through the ambiance, lounging as well as food and drinks. In the future we will add 0031 fragrance, 0031 music, 0031 clothing line and 0031 souvenirs to the concept. Personal attention is very important. To guests this will be apparent in their contact with the proprietors as well as the staff but also in the total concept of our company.

Where are we now?
In the meantime the floor plans of our restaurant and house have been approved by the local authorities. Currently an environmental organization is examining ours plans. Does our waste water not contaminate the dune water and what will the construction look like after completion etc.? Meanwhile we are still working on the floor plans for the six chalets and swimming pool, the development of the website, company logo, our promotion and marketing plan, the sales of our inventory in the Netherlands and the acquisition of part of the inventory for Brazil. In short: lots to do!