We arrived bright and early from our overnight bus into the district capital of Trujillo, which is the third biggest city in Peru. We were greeted by current volunteers who are living in La Libertad as well as our regional director, Sandra, who immediately began shaking “ruda” (a traditional Peruvian plant known for good fortune) on our shoulders. We ate breakfast with the volunteers as we learned more about the capital city and their experiences in La Libertad. Afterward, we wondered around Trujillo for a bit; it is a really cool city with lots to do and see. Conveniently enough, Trujillo is also about 15 minutes away from a beautiful little beach town called Huanchaco, so we headed to there for the afternoon. We took off our shoes and enjoyed the sun and sand as we watched surf lessons and fishermen out on the waves in long traditional fishing boats. We ate ceviche on an outdoor patio and took in the scenery; it was a beautiful little town, and I am sure we’ll return quite often. I’m pretty excited that I can get to the beach in less than an hour and a half from my site.

After lunch we headed back to Trujillo and got to know the city a little better with the current volunteers. Trujillo has everything you could want, from a pretty center plaza with intricate architecture to surrounding malls where we can buy all the basic necessities for our sites. I’m excited to figure out the details of the city and find some cool places to enjoy during my trips into the capital city.