We have returned to the United States. I can't say we either rejoiced or grieved as we returned to Schenectady, we simply accepted the fact that all adventures have to come to an end so new ones can start. At least people weren't auctioning off our belongings and thinking we had just disappeared.
After spending one last day with out aunt in Guayaquil, Ecuador, she went to the airport and we went to the bus station. We boarded a bus that took us to the beach in Peru, where we walked in the surf for an hour before we had to catch an overnight bus to Lima. All went well until 7:00 am when our bus pulled into a terminal seven hours north of Lima and we were informed that our bus was delayed 24 hours due to a protest in the highway. Now, lest you think that Peru is completely out of control, please understand that these protests are actually quite common as they are the only way for the people to get the government's attention. So, people, in this case the cotton workers, put stones in the road and sit on them until someone in a big office realizes traffic cannot move and does something to appease the workers. Because we had nothing else to do, we sat and sat and sat. Meanwhile the bus grew warmer and warmer as the clock ticked towards midday.
Jim made some phone calls and we figured out it would be cheaper to take a taxi the last seven hours to Lima than change our flight, which was scheduled for 5:50 the next morning. Just after sending an email to our parents saying we were going to take our bags, walk through the protest (Jim and walked there earlier and said the protesters didn't look too angry or dangerous), and take a taxi to Lima, the buses began to move. It took a while for the 200 buses to make their way out of the terminal, but we were finally on the road once more. We arrived in Lima 10 hours after we were scheduled to arrive, but, oh well, so goes life in Peru.
After showers as some friends' house, we took at taxi to the airport at 12:30 am. We figured sleeping would be sweet, but the rising for our early flight would be miserable. Starbuck's free internet and not-so-free coffee menu kept us occupied. Our flights went off without a problem: Lima to Bogota, Bogota to San Salvador, and San Salvador to New York. The local time in NY at landing was around 10 pm. There aren't any buses going to Albany at that hour, so, once again, and for the second consecutive night, we stayed in the airport. This time we took turns sleeping on a cushioned bench while the other watched the luggage. For the record, staying awake at 2:40 in the morning after a day of flying and a sleepless night before is extremely difficult.
In the morning, after two train rides, one bus ride, and four hours, we arrived in Albany. It was rainy. The last feeling of warmth from the South American sun faded from our skin and the clamminess of Schenectady clung to lungs like a wet down-pillow. Need I say more?
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