LV MAO COPA Airlines #0140 3:49am ARR PTY 6:28am. Seats 29 E&D
3H 39M 1571 miles
LV PTY COPA Airlines #0360 7:59am ARR LAX 12:07pm Seats 24 B&C
7H 8M 3010 miles
LV LAX Delta 881 11:50pm ARR CVG 6:55am (Sun) Seats 16C&D
4H 5M 1900 miles
We made it to Panama only to find our plane from Panama to Los Angeles for 1 1/2 hours late. We had a very long layover in Los Angeles so it was not a problem for me and Claude. Lindsey and Mary had to buy tickets on another airline in Los Angeles as they missed their flight home.
Once we were in the air, the flight went well. Claude was given a form to fill out for Customs in Los Angeles. He dutifully filled it out. We got off the plane and down to Customs. We went through Customs and no one took our declaration. We decided we would get our luggage and they might scan it again for US purposes and take the form then. We got our luggage and proceeded out of the secure area and followed the masses out of the International Terminal. No one took that declaration of money spent.
We walked back to the terminal for Delta flights and tried to check our luggage in. It was way too early for that. Our flight wasn't due to leave until 11:50pm. The ticket agent said he was afraid, if the luggage were checked in too early, it ran a higher risk of being lost in the shuffle. This made so much sense to me. I asked if there was a place we could get something to eat and sit. Not in this terminal. He suggested going to the International Terminal. We were not going to walk back there. We found a spot to sit in a window sill.
We sat there till our bodies wouldn't take it anymore. Then we went back to baggage claim where we now found a real bench with only two people on it. There was room in the middle for two more people. I asked if they were holding it for someone else. Neither person was. We gratefully took a seat with a real back on it for the next gazillion hours!
At 6pm we went back to the ticket counter to check in our luggage. They took it and we made our way through security and to where our gate would be. Once we had our bearings, we made our way to a restaurant we saw and had a bite to eat. Then we went to the shop that sold snacks. I found a wonderful Mountain Dew and a bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I was now officially back in the United States!
Back to our gate and the wait until 11:50pm. The flight actually ended up being pushed back about 15 minutes. It was a good flight though. We got home to find snow on the ground. Not a lot but there was snow.
We had such a good trip. It was good to be traveling like this again. So grateful we can do this. We both noticed a lessening of our abilities in traveling on this trip. We felt the age in us. But we felt good about all we were able to do and look forward to going again.
Obregada Brazil. You made us happy!
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