one hundred ways not to sleep on a bus...

It seems hard to believe that we are finally embarking on our Peru trip. Piled onto a school bus, expectations all over the map, we waved good-bye to our friends and family and entered into the world of the unknown. Two weeks lay before us...and the first 10 hours began on the bus to Newark, NJ. Talk about interesting! My friend Monica and I were sharing a seat. No matter which way we turned or cramped into, there couldn't be found a comfortable way to sleep on the bus. From extreme cold, to people stepping on you, to luggage handles jabbing into your back, we tossed and turned our way to the airport. I cannot begin to tell you how grateful I was for a wide stretch of open carpet in the terminal!
We had six hours to kill before our flight to Lima. Bring on the Starbucks! The kids got stocked up on snacks, fast food, and sudoku before boarding our plane for the second leg of our journey...an 8 hour flight to Lima, Peru. Being spread out across the plane kept our noise level down somewhat! We got to enjoy "Airplane Chicken"... the first of what would more than likely be many interesting cuisine opportunities!
I ended up changing seats with Evan T., who was all by himself in the middle of the plane. Had an interesting chat with his seat partner, a Peruvean who was currently living in Holland... what are the odds! We had laughs over how disgusting dropjes were, places we had traveled, and what food to try in Peru. It helped make the time pass that much quicker.
We had no problems through customs and immigration... it's amazing who they'll let in their country! Although I did score on the random suitcase check! I started opening my bag with all the contents popping out... I think the guy felt sorry for me and just waved me through.
Upon landing we met up with Pastor Caleb and his wife... our contacts in Lima. They had prepared a dinner for us (by the time we reached their house it was already past one! We had our first introduction to fruits and vegetables we had never heard of before, and Inca Kola... a pop that looks like Mountain Dew but tastes like Cream Soda.
Needless to say we were all primed for sleep - whether it was on a floor, a couch or in one of the many beds throughout the house... definitely trying NOT to think of our 10 hour bus ride we will be taking tomorrow to Pichanaki! Regardless, my snowy white look has to go!