Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow

Our wake up call came at 3:00 a.m. this morning in order that we could catch the hotel shuttle at 3:45 and get to the airport at 4:00 a.m. We weren’t sure what to expect at the Guayaquil airport since Houston had been such a nightmare the day we left for Ecuador. We were pleasantly surprised to find there were no lines at the airport when we arrived and we pretty much breezed through once again. We even found that the Guayaquil airport exit tax was $40.00 less than the Quito airport, another plus.

  Guayaquil Airport At 5:00 This Morning

Right before we were supposed to board our plane, an agent came over the loud speaker and called some names. Rod’s name happened to be one she called out, so we made our way to the gate wondering what was going on. Apparently they do random searches of baggage and Rod was just lucky enough to be picked for a search. I waited back at the gate for him while he was escorted by a guard to have the luggage searched. When he came back he told me there were drug sniffing dogs present. I told him it was probably all the medications he had accumulated while we were in Ecuador and had packed in his suitcase.

We finally boarded the plane and headed to Panama City where we would catch our connecting flight six hours later. This time I was able to get some photos of the odd Panama City airport. After snacking ourselves silly in the President’s Lounge for lack of anything better to do it was finally time to board our flight to Houston. This time as we approached the gate they patted Rod down. I told him he must be looking really shady today.
 

 A Cell Phone Store At The Panama Airport

 

A High-End Jewelry Store

A Cosmetics Store

Now that we are on the plane I have time to reflect on the past week, hence the title of this entry. As we return to the States there is a heaviness in my heart. On one hand it will be good to see friends and family and relive our adventures of the past week, but on the other hand it is sad to be leaving the place that we are now growing so fond of. I have a feeling that each time we come to Cuenca it will feel more and more like home. For now we must wait until September......

The Panama Canal