Day Thirteen, Return to Indianapolis, June 2nd, 2022

We landed in New York bright and early but knew it would be a long day with customs and with our flight not leaving until 3.30 p.m. Customs was long but doable, my bag was reviewed and searched a couple of times before released to me. I remember Heidi saying that it is a good thing to have a generous layover due to customs. I am happy that we were not in any rush to get anywhere because the customs staff was not in any rush to get us through. It was chaotic and inefficient; in the future I will avoid JFK in New York due to this experience. Once through customs it was just a long wait until our flight. I was hopeful that there would be stores that I would enjoy or even a day spa. No luck there, but we did find some comfortable chairs and set up a little area for us, we then took turns walking the concourse until close to boarding time. Our flight boarded in an out of the way corner of the airport. Fortunately, the area had recently been renovated and there are several lunch options. Around 3:30 we boarded and then proceeded to sit on the tarmac for a little over two hours. This was reported as a weather delay, and the Delta staff made sure we had snacks, drinks, and bathroom privileges during our wait. Finally, we took off toward Indianapolis. My husband was waiting at the airport and a short drive later we dropped Lisa off at her place and then on to home. It was a great adventure.
I would encourage anyone who has the desire to travel to Cusco and the Sacred Valley in Peru to do so. My advice is to use a reputable travel company such as Adventure Life to ensure that your trip is the best possible one. Our main guide, Ayul Acuna was beyond amazing. Ayul made everything seamless. If there was an issue, he resolved it. If you had a question, he knew the answer or found it for you. Ayul and Angela were able to do their jobs well due to competent support staff such as drivers, porters, hotel staff, cooks, government checkpoint and cultural staff, train attendants, and the people that live in Cusco and the communities we visited. Thank you, Adventure Life, for this opportunity.