Goodbye to Los Cachorros

Ayacucho, PERU

After nearly six months, its time to leave Ayacucho. Time has flown and I've had a fantastic experience - I feel very lucky to have been able to live in this Andean city and to work at Los Cachorros.

I had a great last few days. There was a nice going away party for me where kids performed songs and dances and, thanks to my generous friend Catherine who sent out the necessary gear, on my last day I taught the kids and the staff to play tag rugby, which they loved.

While I won't miss:

• the dogs barking all night;
• people throwing rubbish everywhere - it was so hard to teach the kids not to throw rubbish since everyone here does it;
• fireworks/dynamite/gun-shot sounding noises at all hours, especially 5am,

I will miss:

• the weather - my time here was mostly in the non-rainy season, when everyday was sunny and around 24 degrees;
• cheap fruit and vegetables - the jugerías in the market charge €0.80 for huge, delicious juices and I've cooked more vegetarian meals here than in my whole life;
• sitting on the roof of my house with a book and/or a beer at sunset watching the Andes change colour from brown/green to orange/purple; and
• the kids.

I hope the best for the kids and while it would be easy given their family backgrounds to be despondent about some of their futures, I know that I'm leaving them in very good hands at Los Cachorros.