Photos & Final 2 days, back in Lima

---

First, I have finally added photos to ALL of the blog entries that are photo-worthy. Sorry I wasn't able to do this as I wrote the blogs. Most of the internet connections in S.A. were just too slow in uploading.........

Our last 2 days in South America were spent back at the Flying Dog Hostel in Lima. They were very uneventful, as Ryan was very ill with stomach problems. We tried to go paragliding our last day there, but there wasn't enough wind. Boo-hoo. Our flight out of Lima left at 11 p.m. and was easily the worst over-night light I've ever taken. I am officially boycotting Spirit Air, the worst airline on earth. Sure, the initial flight is cheap, but you have to pay for EVERYTHING else... your luggage, your seat, even a cup of water will cost you $3 on the plane. Plus, at the gate in the Lima airport, Spirit employees searched through every passenger's carry-on luggage/purses to check for any "liquids" (aka, bottles of water, soda, tea, etc.) and if you had anything, they took it away. (Keep in mind, this is after you've gone through security and have already had all carry-on liquids approved or confiscated). Then you get on the plane and they charge you for water. What the...?! What a scam! Plus, there was a screaming baby aboard and the seats didn't lean back. How could a person sleep under those conditions???

Well, we made it back to Orlando safely, although tired. My parents picked us up and we have been relaxing since yesterday at their house in Palm Coast. It's really nice to be back home, but I will definitely be returning to South America for more adventure. There's so much more to see down there. We met lots of other travelers who had come from the south and said that Argentina and Bolivia are amazing. Plus, there is still tons to explore in Peru. We had such little time there and didn't get to do even half the things we wanted to. We both enjoyed Peru a lot. It's beautiful, cheap, and there are so many wonderful places to visit. And although it's just as touristy as Ecuador (probably even more so), the people who work and live there are not quite as pushy as they can be in Colombia and Ecuador. Overall, though, the trip was wonderful, educational, cultural, and eye-opening. If you can't tell by reading the blogs, Colombia was my favorite country, but Peru runs a close second and we barely even spent 2 weeks there. Short time compared to the 5 weeks we spent in Colombia. Ecuador was great, too, but perhaps we were there during a low spot in my "travel cycle" because I found myself moody and easily frustrated by things there. It was like the middle child. Perhaps my opinion would be entirely different if we had started or finished there. Who knows?

In all the places we went, we got to see and do some amazing things. We are so lucky to have been able to do this trip and to enjoy it together. Thanks to everyone who's been following along. Peace out.

---