A sad farewell

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So my last week in Ayacucho and it wasn't at all what I expected. Unfortunately I started off the week being ill and had to get the doctor out on tuesday. Apparently I had bronchitis, but all I know is that I felt absolutely terrible with an awful cough, a temperature for two days, and a sore throad and chest. The doctor gave me two lots of tablets and some medicine to take and luckily by thursday I was feeling a lot better, but it meant that I really didn't do very much for the first half of the week. I was really annoyed becuase I had planned to do so much, as it was my last week there, and I didn't get to do hardly any of it!
I managed to go to my Wawa Wasi placement on thursday morning for an hour, only really to say goodbye and apologise for not being there for so long. It was really sad saying goodbye to all my Wawas and one of them kept coming over to give me kisses, even pushing the other kids out of the way to get to me! She ws so sweet. It was quite sad to say goodbye to Gloria, my 'mama', as well as I felt like we were finally starting to connect, but I guess they'll have a new volunteer soon and will forget all about me!
On friday morning we took the kids from the prison out, which I have been wanting to do for weeks but haven't been able to for one reason or another. Each volunteer took responsibility for one child and we took them to the main plaza to feed the pigeons and to eat ice cream. I was looking after a little girl called Antonella who must have been about a year and a half and she absolutely screamed the minute we walked out of the womens area of the prison. Luckily Marisol managed to calm her down on the bus ride to the plaza and by the time we got there she was happily running around after the pigeons and covering me in chocolate from her ice cream! After an hour or so at the plaza we took them back to the prison and happily returned them to their mums. It was exhausting! The children only get to go out when we take them, and we haven't been able to do that for about four weeks so you can imagine how excited they were! There was one little girl who cried the entire time, except when she was sleeping on the way back, and poor old Grayson had to walk around the plaza for an hour with a screaming baby in his arms. But apart from the that I think the kids all had a great time, and we did too!
It was a really nice way to finish off my volunteeer placement. I had wanted to go to the girls orphanage again this week and also to the care home, but I was just too ill to do anything, it was such a shame! But on friday afternoon we did manage to get to see the Anfasep museaum, which I really wanted to see before I left. Anfasep is an organisation which was set up by relations of people who went missing during the shining path conflict. It was mainly women who had lost husbands, sons and daughters, and the women founded the organisation in order to campaign for the truth and justice of their loved ones' disappearances to be given. The museum celebrates the memory of the disappeared, and is full of pictures, articles of clothing and belongings of some of the people who disappeared. It also contains pieces of artwork by some of the members of Anfasep representing the violence, and some of it is really quite amazing! The museum is a really sad and eye-opening place, and it was so sad to read some of the stories it told. The time of the conflict was devastating for these people, especially in Ayacucho, and its awful to think that so many people still do not know what happened to their relatives and where their bodies remain. A very intense and emotional afternoon!
And that was about all I got up to this week. It was so disappointing not being able to do all the stuff that I had planned but at least I was feeling better by the end of the week and I managed to spend some time with the guys before I left. Last night (sat) was my last night in Ayacucho and we decided to spend it at the house, chilling out in one of the bedrooms and partaking in some (illegal, at least as far as CCS is concerned) drinks! I felt kinda bad as we sort of shut ourselves off from the new guys for the evening, but I really wanted to spend some proper 'quality' time with all my friends there. We had a really fun eveing, just chilling out, playing cards and chatting, and it was so sad when I eventually dragged myself off to bed and had to say goodbye to everyone! I've made some really good friends there and I'm gonna miss them loads these next two weeks when I'm on my own, but at least now I have lots of places to visit in the states!
I left the house this morning at 5.45 and flew into Lima by 8. Today has been kinda weird as they were having a census and everyone had to be at home, so all the shops and restaurants were closed. I walked up to Parque Kennedy, the main area in Miraflores, only ten minutes walk from the hotel, and it was spooky with no one around. That area is usually full of people, and it was absolutely dead, so weird! So I just spent the day at the hotel, which luckily is gorgeous. Its a four star hotel and I have a massive bed in my room, a tv, sitting area and a jacuzzi bath, which of course I just had to try out this morning!
So I have now officially left CCS and have stared my two week adventure. I am a little nervous about travelling by myself, but am also so excited about visiting all the different places, especially Macchu Picchu! I'm not sure what internet access will be like when I'm travelling (I'm, guessing pretty non-existant in the jungle!) but I'll keep you informed of what I'm up to when I can. Only two weeks till I come home and it looks likely to be two of the most exciting weeks of my life, can't wait!

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