Week #45 - Finally Installing

 

I've skipped week #44 because I am missing two pictures I need.  I will post it when I return to California next week.  With this entry I am about a month behind with my posts.  We are currently on week #49.

 

After some rough starts we finally got filters into some houses.  We have been challenged to find sand that meets the new times from CAWST; 100 seconds per liter. 

 

These are the sieves we have using to find out what our distribution is for each source.  The problem is that every time it rains the sand in the rivers changes.  We are trying to find the most reliable source we can.

 

We chose the source that gave us a distribution with the highest percentage of smaller particles.  To sieve the sand it needs to be dry so it is left in the sun before pouring it over the inclined sieve.  This lets the larger particles roll off while the smaller ones fall through.  We found that the higher the incline is the less course sand falls through.

 

Then we took that sand and sieved it again but this time with a fan blowing on it to blow away the fines.  Eventually we will start to bake the sand to remove the organics.  For now though, this process consistently gives us times of at least 1 minute 30 seconds per liter. 

 

The best part about working to 7pm is that I get to see some stunning sunsets.  The pollution in La Ceiba always seems to dull them, or maybe it's just the poor skyline?

 

Robert Kent Jr- robjkentjr@gmail.com
Wat/San/Health Consultant
www.RobRasa.com/hisblog/
Cell: +504 9871-5396
Work/Home: +1 (631) 458-1119

Week #43 - Off to California

 

This week I had to make a short notice trip to Northern California.  I applied for the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship and my first interview is next week.  I say this was short notice because I had not decided to go ahead with my application until I actually found the tickets to travel back to California.  Rasa and I bought $100 round trip tickets from Guatemala City to LA on Spirit Airlines, it was a special they had.  For the whole trip it cost us both only $634 but took 3 nights to make it there.

 

The first day we were on a direct bus from La Ceiba to Copan where we spent night #1 in a $7.50 bed.  The next morning we took a minibus to the border.  You can just see my ear in the left of the picture, Rasa is crammed in the back left.

 

This was a store front in a small town while traveling to Chiquimula by local bus. 

 

We made it to Guatemala City Airport in about 8 hours.  The biggest city in Central America and you can still find goats downtown.

 

We arrived in LA about 1:30am and Rasa had a 6am flight to Sacramento so night #2 was spent on a bench in LAX.  Forgot how cold it was there in May.  My flight was in the evening so I spent the day talking to Seamus and Ying and drinking coffee.

 

 We arranged our plans so we could meet up with my Dad and step-mom.  We also went to visit Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.  Rasa is knocking to see if we can sleep here for night #3.

 

If this doesn't explain California, maybe the next one does?

 

My parent's: larger than life.

 

The next day we set off by car for Eureka.  Only another six hours until we reach my mom's house. 

Robert Kent Jr- robjkentjr@gmail.com
Wat/San/Health Consultant
www.RobRasa.com/hisblog
Cell: +504 9871-5396
Work/Home: +1 (631) 458-1119