Peru Trip Day 1

So, I've spent the last twelve days exploring the ancient home of the Incas and also exploring the upper Amazon in Peru. It was an exciting trip, but without internet access to upload pictures, it didn't seem right to blog about it until now. So here we go.

Day 1 - 4-April 2010

Flight from San Antonio to Houston was predictable and uneventful. Now I'm on the flight to Miami at 35,000 feet and 700 miles to go. Will keep writing. No real pictures to take from this altitude. Nothing but clouds. Mom is reading some book about a Scottish family or something. The stewardess served me Mr. Pibb. I thought that brand was dead. Houston to Miami is 2 hours and 2 minutes. From San Antonio to Houston was only 45 minutes. Miami to Lima will be 8 hours 30 minutes due to a layover in the Dominican Republic. We are flying Continental on a 737. We have been up for 6 1/2 hours.

12:30pm. Disaster. I left my driver's license at the TSA check-in in San Antonio. Now I'm in Miami and going thru TSA again and can't find it anywhere. When they gave my bording pass to me with my DL, I had to put my boots back on after checking through (steel toes and all). When I picked my boarding pass up, I must have left the DL on the bench. Had my brother call up the TSA and they assured him that it is standard to mail them back if they find it. The TSA lady in Miami (Rachel) assured me that my passport would suffice.

5pm. Embarked Miami to Punta Cano at 2:25. Now we are here in the Dominican Republic. W'ere on a layover so we can't leave the plane. The plane is a 767 and much bigger and nicer than the Continental 737's. It has in-flight movies. Now we are about to leave for Lima, which we should reach around 10pm. I really need to sleep, but, I know it would be better to stay awake and sleep when I get to the hotel. The Peruvian crew is weird. Their idea of a nutritious meal is a hoagy with cheese, lettuce, bacon, and pickles. And the Coke was warm and flat and they only gave me 4 oz.

8:30pm. Stewardess asked everyone to return to their seats and buckle up: turbulence over the Andes. It cleared up when they changed course and went to 38,000 feet. Dinner came and this time was a lot better. Hot chicken teriaki with rice, biscuit, cheesecake, salad, and two glasses of wine. Watched "The Blind Side" on the in-flight movie. Tried "Avatar" but it sucked after 30 minutes. Now the stewardesses are selling duty-free items on the aisle next to us.

9:07pm. Making 532 mph, 38,000 feet, 600 some miles to go. Have slept sparingly since about 1am last night. Gonna try and squeeze this last hour in.

10:30pm. Arrive Lima. Shourt tour and trip to hotel. Discovered that my attempts to clean cat pee from my big luggage unsuccessful. Half my clothes contaminated. Will have to double up. Can't wear something different every day.