*****Shout out to VIASAT***** I actually sprung for the ViaSat provided onboard wi-fi service on this flight Miami-Phoenix so that I could finish up the blog before I get home. So impressed with the ViaSat service. Guess I should have known!
Wednesday, Feb 19 and Thursday, Feb 20, 2020
Slept like a baby last night. I didn’t even hear any train noise early this morning. yay! We had a bit of a lie in this morning because our driver isn’t picking us up until noon. Plenty of time for a leisurely breakfast and some relaxing.
Somehow we manage to gather our belongings together, check out and then lounge for about an hour while waiting for our airport transfer. at in the lobby room, I notice a flapping of wings outside the window. Wait – could it be that large species of hummingbird that Giselle told us about? The Long-tailed Sylph Hummingbird???
YESSSSSSS. It is him. I get so excited that I alert Janet and we run to the other window snapping my camera and even shooting a video. I immediately look at the photos. The flowers are as clear as can be. We cannot spot the bird anywhere in any of the photos! We magnified, searched, squinted etc and cannot find it. I slo-mo the video and he is there sure enough, but is super quick that all you see is movement. Here sre a couple of the photos – maybe you can find him. Should be in the right hand side just below the red flowers.
Gonna have to take our word for it. He was awesome – both of us got a really good look. I went out in the garden after the sighting to try and track him down, but couldn’t find him again. I am sure he was a good luck sign and indicates that we must return to the area to see him again.
Our driver arrives right on time and we begin the journey by driving from Ollantaytambo to the Cusco airport.
Sometime during this 2-hour rideJanet gets a text alert from American Airlines that our Lima flight (Lima-Miami scheduled for 10:55pm) has been delayed. What? Delayed until 4:30am next morning! Wait a minute. How can they know a flight will be delayed more than 12 hours before it is even scheduled to take off? We shift into high gear.
Both of us are frantically searching on our cell phones during the scant periods of time that we have coverage during the drive in the middle of nowhere. We don’t want to call the airlines because we are afraid of the call dropping. Oh man – how can this great trip end like this? All our connections will be missed.
Finally we manage to get through on the phone to AA. Both of us have been rebooked on connecting flights from Miami TOMORROW. Great. The Cusco flight will get into Lima at 6:30pm tonight. We won’t leave Lima until 4:30am tomorrow. Options are considered.
We could try to check-in to the Lima flight tonight and dump our luggage – IF they will let us check in that early. Then we could try to go to the lounge and ride it out all night – IF they will let us stay that long. Or we could insist on getting a hotel tonight and get maybe 3 hours sleep before returning to the airport at 2:30am. We decide to wing it when we land and seek out the AA counter. We will ask for a hotel room and then make a decision on whether to use it.
To make matters worse, as we approach the Cuzco airport traffic is getting thick. Being the MP that I am I have allowed 2 hours for the travel (that should take 1.5 hours) and then a 3 hour buffer before our flight. All that buffer is being eaten away. Tick, Tick, Tick. In the end, we arrive at the airport in plenty of time. Cusco airport is really small so check-in is easy and security is quick. We even have time to visit the lounge to grab a quick bite. It will be a long night.
When our Cusco flight arrives in Lima, we collect our bags and head to the check-in counters. Janet had read online that the AA counters don’t open until 7:00. It is 6:30. When we finally locate AA, there are 2 groups in line ahead of us. They are oblivious to the flight delay. They have simply come from somewhere in Lima and are trying to check-in 3 hours before the International flight. (poor sots. We have had all day to process this info and are resigned). We give them the bad news. (We are certain they don’t believe us).
The line lengthens. We are all mesmerized by watching the AA employees try and creat the “mouse maze” for check-in to this flight. I swear they guy changed the configuration at least 6 times. It was a head-shaker. Almost comical. “Hep me, Jesus.” (and Moses)
It is going on 7:30 and no agents are appearing. We joke that they are in the back room playing the theme from Rocky trying to gear up to greet this crowd who are not leaving on a plane tonight as planned.
Fortunately, we are flying Biz Class so we are first in the Priority line. Looks like there are two flights with a dilema: Lima-Mia and Lima-DFW. Word on the street is the DFW flight has been oversold. Uh-oh. “well, we sold 400 tickets but we only have 200 seats” hmmm.
They finally open the kiosk and I elect Janet to do the talking. She does her best sweet talking and is given a hotel room for the night and a whopping $12 food voucher. We make an executive decision that it will be better to take the sure thing of the hotel room instead of “maybe” being able to catch a few winks in the lounge. Back to the Holiday Inn we go. Since we were first in line, we are first on the shuttle to the HI.
Check in is easy. We drop our carry on bags in the room and go down to the restaurant to claim our food voucher. We are hungry! Our server is super fun. When he asks Janet our room # she misunderstands and answers “Cerveza!” He loves it and brings us both a beer right away. Our server explains that the “food voucher” is for a special meal of salad, grilled chicken and dessert and that the beer is not included. Nah – we both want something different. I order a beef filet sandwich and Janet a chicken/veg quesadilla. We don’t care if we have to pay for them. Both are just right.
You know us. We are determined to make the best of a bad situation. We don’t panic and feel bad for ourselves. We relax with our dinner and then head up to get a couple hours zzzzzzz.
1:30am comes all too soon. We are up, dressed and on the shuttle by 1:45. Since our bags are already checked all we have to do is clear security and head to the lounge. We really don’t feel too worse for the wear and we think we made the right decision to go to the hotel last night.
As a side note – thank Heaven for all the lounges we have visited. Most have been through Priority Pass that I get through Amex. The AA Flagship lounge(s) have been from flying First on AA. They all have been a godsend. I know, I know. First world problems.
Time to board for Miami at last. We are so happy to have our lie-flat seats for this flight and tell the attendants not to wake us for the meal if we are asleep. Sleep is the goal for this flight.
Well…this ain’t British Airways First to Heathrow. The tray table/seat config is weird and clunky, but we truly don’t care. We are here to sleep and sleep we do. I am sure I get a solid 2.5-3 hours (once the turbulence calms down…). Janet gets the same. We wake around 8:00 am and are ready for breakfast.
Flight was great. We slept for almost all of it, woke up, ate fruit and yogurt and headed out into the bowels of the Miami airport. Our only concern was how to manage Immigration and Customs. We had heard that Miami could be a nightmare. Not true! They have the awesome Automated Passport Control system. We were in and out in a flash. (When the question came up whether we had been on a farm in the last 2 weeks we both answered “NO.”)
Janet had researched whether we could get into the AA Flagship Lounge in Miami. It is reserved for members who paid $$$$ and International First Class passengers. I was thinking since we were only arriving international that we couldn’t get in. But I was more than pleasantly surprised. When you enter, you give your boarding pass and passport. Then you are either pointed to the left (AA Admiral’s Club) or escorted/invited to the right (Flagship Lounge). We were invited.
I have only a couple of hours before my flight. In fact, I will arrive in Phoenix a tiny bit earlier than if everything had gone on time because now I don’t have to connect in St Louis – yay! Janet must wait 5 hours or so and will get in much later than she would have otherwise. But – if you have to wait this is an awesome place. We chose a secluded spot in the “Silence Zone.” ( which was great except for the gal in the adjacent lounger who was SNORING!)
We munch, we chill, we wait.
It comes time for my flight to board and I must leave Janet in the lounge. She still have a few more hours to wait. We have already talked about how much we loved this trip despite all the problems. Both of us manage to find the bright spot no matter what happens. Janet, I would travel with you ANYTIME!
I board my flight from Miami to home and continue to finish this post. It is an easy flight sitting in First, enjoying a glass of wine and a chicken Caesar salad. I know that Johnny and Taylor will be waiting for me when I get home. Furthermore, I have received Whatsapps from Janel and Isam that have had VERY awesome news.
Janel received a fantastic promotion at work. She deserves it. Her company (remaining nameless) didn’t take too long to figure out how awesome she is. So proud of that girl. She has really carved out her place in the world for now. On top of that, Isam has just landed a job as Course Leader in a creative college – course planning and lecturing 16-18 year olds on Media and Design! Wouldn’t you love to be in that class? So proud of that boy! Way to go Isam and Janel – we are bursting for you. Buena Suerte.
It will take a while to process this trip. We have seen and done so much in a relatively short time. I think Dad’s comments about the Peru portion may be spot on. While we loved the Galapagos, our time in Peru seems extra special. Not sure if that is because we both were feeling so much better or if it is just a very special place. Peru definitely captured my heart much in the way that Belize did so many, many years ago. It seems to be a very humble and genuine country. That is all due to the people who live there and have so much pride for their country and land. I found myself constantly thinking of Janel and Isam and how much they would appreciate the culture and the values of the Peruvian people.
I know I would not trade either experience for anything. Being able to share it all with my sister is something that I will always cherish. I hope she feels the same way.
I hope you all enjoyed traveling with us. It means a lot to have you along.
Signing off for this trip,
Linda/Mama
ps Where to next???
The Right Road 
Couldn’t have said better myself! Thanks to Linda for all the planning (on a tight deadline) that went into this. It was flawless.
Trip of a lifetime? Definitely yes!
Linda and Janet, We certainly did enjoy traveling all those special miles with you. Thanks for making this travel so special to us. MOM
I checked Flight Tracker this morning and could not believe what I saw – instead of departing at 11:00PM, your flight was delayed until 4:30AM next day. Then we heard nothing from the girls. OMG they will miss every connection. But not to fear, MP is here! Our concerns were unnecessary as you can see from this blog. Should have known these seasoned travelers will work out something to the good. Great trip ends well 🙂
The sylph IS in both photos. Blurry but there. I’ll show you tonight. 🙂