The Long Journey Home Begins

Hi everyone! This is Emma Keeter again. We have had an amazing day touring and exploring Lima, Peru. After an early wake up call and departure time of 4:30 a.m., we boarded a flight from our week long stay in Cusco to Lima. It was extremely tough waking up that early after only a few hours of sleep from the long day before at Machu Picchu, but it was worth it! The flight from Cusco to Lima is breath taking. The long vast chain of mountains stretched for many many miles. Some are even snow capped! And towards the end of the one hour flight, you end up looking and flying over the Pacific Ocean (which I have never seen in person before yesterday morning). Once everybody had landed and the buses were loaded, we toured the beautiful coast of Lima. The bus drove down the long coast filled with large beaches, devoted surfers in the freezing water, and recreational activities such as tennis courts and soccer fields on back end of the beach. We then made it to the top of the hilly coast where there were multiple sights to see including: a gigantic cross from the 80's made out of power lines that lights up at night (Peruvians faced terrorism during this time), a statue of Jesus facing Lima, and a beautiful outdoor chapel with Mary looking over Lima as well. A morning devotion was held at the chapel to help spark the idea of reflection for all the amazing and wonderful experiences. We then traveled back down the coast to a local mall to eat lunch and explore for a few hours. The Inca Market in Lima was next. It's set up a lot like an outdoor farmers market with different vendors selling everything from alpaca blankets to bracelets to sweaters and trinkets. Bartering is super fun through the difficulties of a huge language barrier and exchanging dollars for soles (name of Peruvian currency). We then traveled to dinner where we ate rotisserie chicken and French fries. After that, the long journey home began. Our flight did not leave till about 1:15 in the morning. We have successfully made it home to the United States! Yay! The six hour sleep was super nice after getting very little sleep a few consecutive nights before. I would like to thank all the adult chaperones, Lydia, Christian, and everyone who has been praying for us all along the way. The continual thoughts and prayers from beginning to end mean so much. Words cannot describe how greatful I am for having the opprotunity to have gone through this life changing trip. Hope to see everyone soon!