Happy Birthday to Me!

March marked completion of my first 3 months at my site in La Libertad! Which meant...time for more training!  So, all of the 14 WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) volunteers headed to Lima and Ica for a week of training about clorination systems, composting toilets, improved cookstoves, and we presented our findings from our first 3-months of community diagnostic work.

We started off training at our old stomping grounds in Chalcacyo! That is where we had our 10-weeks of training, before heading out to our sites. We got to meet up with our old host families and eat at some of our old favorite spots. A great way to start off the week!

Best mexican food place in Chalcacyo!

After presenting our diagnostics to the Country Director, we headed down to Ica, about 5 hours south of Lima for the rest of our training.

On our way to the bus station

Plaza de Armas - Ica

We spent a day in Ica learning about different types of latrines and then we headed out to Palpa, another hour south of Ica to work with some clorination systems. Palpa is near the Nazca lines. 

Out and about in Palpa (about 1 hour southeast of Ica)

Early morning meeting in Plaza de Armas - Palpa

Large Cathedral - Palpa

On our way to inspect a water system we passed the "Palpa Lines," similar to the Nazca Lines

Near the "Palpa Lines," older site than the Nazca Lines

Building a drip clorination system

All of the WASH volunteers in Changuillo

During training it was also my birthday, and it was wonderful to spend it with all my Peace Corps friends!

My birthday cake!

My PC friends got me a birthday crown :) And it had flashing lights!!

After EIST we stayed in Ica an extra day to get to see some sites! There was a wine festival going on and we were able to enjoy some wonderful Pisco Sours! Cheers to WASH 20!

Enjoying some Pisco after a long week of training! KAMPAI!

Dancing at the festival

Best breakfast in town! HUGE glasses of juice...

Re-creation of the Nazca Lines

For my birthday, we went sandboarding in Huacachina a cute oasis near Ica! We rented a dune buggy, threw some sandboards in the back, and we were ready to go!

Ready to go in our dune buggy

There was so much sand! It was beautiful.

Ready to go with my sandboard

Whole group!

There I go!

Race...Jamie won!

Beautiful sunset

Had a wonderful time in Lima and Ica, but sadly all good things come to an end and had to head back to my site to continue working. Hopefully I will get to visit again someday!