Peru 2016 - Day 1 - Travel Day

Ok.
So it's Tuesday evening at 8:42 Lima Time. 

I've been without sleep for almost 2 days, so forgive me if I don't sound coherent or make a few spelling errors.  : ) 
I know you purest's will cut me some slack. : ) 

We left for Peru on Monday Morning.  
Here's our luggage for just Joycegina, Katrina and me.  : )

Harold was nice enough to take us to the airport.  
Thanks Harold. 
But we were not the first ones this time.  : ) 

Ryan showing up with bags in tow.  

The Cornwall people who brought their travellers, and now  waiting for us to check in.  

Colin assisting Brenda and Brittany.

George and Dianne ready for another trip. 

Marsha roaring and ready to go.  

Andrea and Leah ready to check in. 

Colin purchased 10 lbs of candy from Bulk Barn.  
He handed it out to everyone.  

Andrew received all sorts of Peanut Butter to bring to Peru. 
He ended up being over the 50 lbs limit so got others to take his peanut butter.  

Hey Samantha.  Looks like you are ready to go. 

Andrew licking his lips after sampling all that peanut butter.  

Colin socializing as always. 

In the check in line ready to get rid of all those bags.  

Not sure who Dianne is saying hi to here.  
Oh, it's Kayla.  

Might as well chat while waiting for the line to move forward. 

Peter and Daniel.  

The B clan.  There are 5 of them going this time around. 

Annette, the Matriarch. 

Peter looks like he's having fun.....at the moment.  : ) 

People kept arriving and we slowly got the group checked in and ready for a group photo. 

Wilma and Rosy came to say good bye as well. 
Former Peruvian travellers. 

Awe, Peter and Wilma.  They will be apart for a bit more than a week.  

Peter, Wilma and Daniel.   

From left to right. 
Ella, Annette, Lucy, Samantha and Tobie
A nice family clan going again. 

Oh, now John is in the picture too...but he's not even going....

Pastor Steve and Pastor Craig. 

And Pastor Ron.  hmmmmmm
Three Pastor's going on a Learning Opportunity.  
Who's the sheep and who's the shepherd.  : )

Michelle and Miriam 

Those NOT going to Peru gathered sparsely getting ready to watch the group photo. 

A nice group photo. 
All of us now checked in and ready to go through security.  

We all went through security without a hitch and had about 1 hour to wait for our plan to board. 
Some freezing rain fell Monday, but nothing to mess with our flying...thankfully. 

Time to get to know each other better as we wait. 

Addie and Danike just hanging out.  : ) 

Leah and Zoe chillin. 

Time for some hair braiding.  

Cornwall group hanging out together. 

Michelle and Miriam sharing lunch from Tim's. 

Kayla and Samantha eating some short bread cookies from Carmen her prayer partner.  

Our plane has arrived.  

Annette, Craig and Peter enjoying each other's company. 

Dianne, what are you teaching Andrew. 

Ella and Katrina. 
I think they are both glad each other came.  

It was a long wait.  

but the young people passed the time pretty good.  

So did we adults.  

I got to know Addie and Danike better.  They are from Cornwall.  I did not know them before this trip. 

Before we knew it it was time to board the plane.  A larger plane than I thought it would be. 

Sit down Andrew.  : )

Eventually Dianne and Marsha and George decided to join us. 

We landed in Toronto with 1.5 hours to spare. 
We had to walk to Gate section E.  Turned out to be a pretty long walk.  

Dianne and Annette catching up while getting to the gate.  

Time to wait again for a while.  

Our plane to Peru. 
Looked kind of small to me.  : ) 

Hey Daniel.  
Doing ok? 

Colin checking up on his business email.  

Ella continues to learn Spanish. 

Joycegina and Andrea putting their feet up.  

George and Jackie gibber jabbering.  

Hey again Addie and Danike.  

Awe, such a nice picture of Dianne and George.  

Our line to board the plane.  
Must have been 300 people on the plane.  

Everyone on the plane after about 35 minutes of boarding.  Hey Leah. 
So, this plane had no video screens on board.  
New way of flying now is to use your own device. 
That proved interesting for our flight, since I asked everyone to not bring along their devices, not knowing that the plane would not have any video capability.  

Hey Peter.  Still smiling I see.  : ) 

Ella and Katrina best buds and sharing a window seat.  

Annette and Tobie. 

Daniel and Andrew. 

Craig and Andrea

We took off about 15 minutes late, but everything went well.  Tobie settling down for the long flight, along with mom.  

Time for more braiding of the hair. 

Miriam and Pastor Steve chatting things up. 

Lauren getting her hair braided as well.  

A nice tent to keep the light out.  

Awe, Andrew got a special survival kit.  

How sweet....literally. : )

I think Jackie wanted a piece of the candy stash as well. 
So, the fact that there was no audio or video on board the plane, unless you had a ipod or ipad or other mobile device, actually proved to be really good.  
We were forced to actually communicate with each other, and communicate we did.  During the flight we would often be standing in the aisles chatting it up. 
There was another group of students from B.C. who were flying with us.  I happened to be seated beside two of them and go to know them a bit as well. 
Wouldn't have happened if there were all kinds of movies to watch.  

We arrived in Peru at 2:00 am Lima Time, 3 a.m. our time.  
To say we were tired would be an understatement, but we went through customs and were out of the airport with little fan fair.  

Craig was kind enough to take our bags out of the baggage claim area so I could ensure we all got out of the baggage claim area safely. 

Pepe!!!!!  

Our group ready to leave the airport. 
You could feel the heat and humidity in the airport. 
It's going to be HOT week.  

Two busses to load. One with luggage, one with people. 

ok, so the next set of pictures is slightly out of order. 
Too tired to care.  : ) 

Colin took a nice picture of us as we moved from to Gate E71 in the Toronto Terminal.  

Hi to you too Annette and Steve.  

Had to go up to a second floor and then walk for a longgggg time.  

Sheldon with his stash of candy.  

Or was that Colin's stash that Sheldon is partaking of...hmmmmm

Back to Peru now. 
Steve has been in Peru for about 6 weeks now. Hanging out and waiting for us to come so he could join us. 
Mom was VERY glad to see him. : )

Awe.....
Fun fact. 
Apparently Steve was staying in an apartment in the SAME building where Pepe and Erin live.  Right above Erin and Pepe.  But they didn't know it.  What are the odds.  : ) 

Our group in the Lima airport looking dazed and confused. 

Mom still happy to see her son.  



Loading the many suitcases.  

On the bus to the Hostel. 

Notice mom beaming.  : ) 

Some on this bus.  Others on the other bus.  

So, at 3 am we finally arrived at our living quarters. 

Everyone went to bed. 

Unfortunately, I didn't sleep very much, well, actually, not at all. 

Too many sounds of roosters crowing at 4 a.m. Airplanes flying overhead, and people snoring below my room. 

Better luck tonight I hope. 

We are very tired, and very grateful we arrived safely and with little trouble.  One of the more smoother travel times in memory. Thank you Lord.  

I'll post this blog entry and then move right on to today's events.  So, if you'll give me an hour, part 1 and part 2 will be up shortly.  Again, sorry for the spelling or grammar errors, but they may bother you more than they bother me.  : )  

See you soooooooooonnnnnnnn  : )