Ecuador to the US via Panama

Angel picks us up at noon on Tuesday to start our journey home.  The sun is shining and the drive is pleasant as we climb up through the Cajas Mountains.  We smile and enjoy the ride.  As we start the descent the clouds and fog roll in.  Angel drives carefully - at times we can barely see 20 feet in front of us.  Two hours after we left Gran Columbia Suites we pull into a gas station/quick mart to stretch our legs and grab a quick snack.  The weather conditions are improving and we know we are about to start the warm, sea-level portion of the drive.  By 3:15 pm Angel has safely delivered us to Guayaquil's International Airport.  We have 2 1/2 hours until our flight starts boarding.

We have booked a very discounted fare on Copa Airlines but it includes a 21 hour layover, so we will spend one night in Panama.  Even with the cost of the night in Panama, the flight was a deal.  This is an advantage of not having to rush back to a job.    :-)  

Our flight to Panama City is slightly delayed.  By the time we go through passport control, collect our bags, and clear customs it is almost 9 pm.  We grab the Riande Aeropuerto Hotel shuttle and are checked in by 9:15pm.  Wednesday we enjoy a leisurely breakfast buffet then explore the hotel in the daylight.  The pool looks nice, but neither of us are interested.  We walk over to the casino only to find out that it doesn't open until 3 pm - too bad (but then, perhaps it saved us some money).

The flight from Panama City to Chicago on Wednesday evening is also slightly delayed, but the pilots make up the time on the scheduled 6 hour flight and we arrive as scheduled.  We arrive at our home at 1 am Thursday.  Thank you Lois, for leaving a midnight snack in the refrigerator!