I'm finally HOME!! I had an amazing time but after 48 hours of traveling and stressing I was so excited to touch down in Portland. So to end my trip to Peru I will tell of the crazy time I had trying to make my way to the northeast.
I a fight out of Cusco at 3:50 so I got the airport around 2:30, since I had already checked in online all I had to do was check my bags. On the way here I checked 1 bag but it was over 50lbs so they charged me $100 but this time I did my research and found that from S. America I was allowed 2 50lbs bags so I checked 2 bags and didn't have to pay a dime. This doesn't make any sense. I got to Lima around 5, picked up my bags then went to the check in counters to check in for my international flight, which you apparently can't do until 2 1/2 hrs before your flight. So I waited around for 2 friends who were coming in on the next flight from Cusco. All of us then waited until Mary and I could check in for our flight to Miami. Then the 3 of us walked upstairs to get something to eat, Lauren couldn't check in for a while and the food court is outside security so it wasn't a problem. As it got closer to our flight we packed up and went through immigration and security, then went and sat at the gate. There we were told that the plane was delayed for 2 hours, it was supposed to leave at 11:30 so now it would be 1:30. Well needless to say we didn't leave until 4am. During this time I had re-booked my connection from Miami to NY to 12:30 then taking the evening flight to Portland and arriving at 6:30pm. Well when we got to Miami we had go through customs, pick up our bags then stand in line and get new luggage tags since we all missed our original connection. Well, because of this we all missed our re-booked connection. So now I was put on the 3:30pm flight to Miami and the 9:30pm to Portland. I left Miami and got to NY where I had to witch terminals. At the US Airways ticket counter I found out my Portland flight had been cancelled and the next one wouldn't be until 7:30am the next morning. Great...... So, after calling my mom, I called a hotel, booked a room and waited for the shuttle. After a long time it finally came and took other people and me to the Holiday Inn. I checked in and found out the shuttle starts at 4am and runs every 20 minutes. I went up, took a shower, set my alarm and went to bed. The next time I woke up, I rolled over and saw that it was 7:00!!! My alarm never went off and now I would miss this flight. After a slight panic attack I took the shuttle over to the airport where I was first told that I would have to be wait listed for the 11:50am flight but if I didn't get on that one I would be able to get on the 2:30pm one. Then some how the airport people worked their magic and got me a seat, thank god!!! Now all I had to do was pray that this flight wouldn't be cancelled because of poor weather in the Northeast. As it got closer, they kept saying that it was on time so I was hopeful. Then they came on and said that it was overbooked and that they were looking for 2 volunteers to give up their ticket, if that plane was going out I was going to be on it. They finally started boarding, I got on and took my seat, I was now getting to Portland if I had to fly the plane myself. We took off a little late but landed right on time, where we had to wait 30 minutes while we waited for our gate to open up. Eventually we were able to get off the plane and as I walked down over the stairs, I finally saw what I had been missing for 5 weeks, MOMMA!! There were hugs, kisses and tears:) We walked over to the baggage area and I was told my bags had come on the flight I had missed and thankfully they had. They were sitting by the office, all I had to do was so my tickets and we were off!
It feels so good to be back home, with all the things I missed, my mom, DD, flushing toilet paper, free tap water, my bed and a warm shower. After 48 hours of traveling it's so nice to be stress free here on Songo Pone:) I loved Peru and don't regret a thing but it's always nice to come home.
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