We had a lengthy layover - arriving at the Lima Airport from Cusco around 4:00 p.m. with our flight departure to LAX scheduled for 1:00 a.m.  We decided to store our carry-on bags, hop in a taxi and endure the peak traffic to experience more of Peru. We went to Largo Mar in Miraflores a beautiful area near cliffs along the ocean (like Malibu in L.A.). Yet this area had many parks - each one with different statues and art work - one had winding tiled benches (with inspirational sayings and so colorful) along the perimeter. We watched the sunset behind the immense statue of two lovers embraced.  Then we found a seafood restaurant along a cliff over the ocean to share and enjoy our favorite dishes - Palta Rellena with prawns and Mixed Ceviche. After dinner, we perused the Peruvian handicraft stores - stimulating to see - too pricey for purchases. Our night cap then consisted of ice cream (the same language in any country)....and we met our same taxi driver at 9:00 p.m. for our return to the port! Such a fun excursion (a lot more fun than hanging out at the port with everyone else). Little did we know that our flight would not depart this evening. We did not find out until 1:30 a.m. that the earlier flight in had a bird fly into the engine and to be precautious they chose not to fly it. So...after many paper work lines we checked into the Lima Sheraton - along with all the other passengers - and arrived in our room about 5:00 a.m. When I found out there was a tub AND REAL hot water - this became more important than sleeping for me - I took a tub instead! Only a few hours later the busses returned for us to take us back to the port so we could go through the horrendous process once more of international check-in. Yet this time we did take off and had a very smooth flight - all 9.5 hours of it! Watched some great movies though. When we arrived in Los Angeles we missed our connecting flight. After standing in another two hour line - a bus whisked us to the L.A.X. Hilton for our next free stay - we checked in at midnight. Finally two days after we'd originally departed - we were at the airport for our San Diego flight check-in. Only thing is they had not put us in the system - so we waited until we could board a flight and that afternoon our plane did land on San Diego soil. Yet we then remembered that we had to call AAA to change our tire on the truck/camper. Our tire had burst as we pulled into our storeage unit - not much we could do about it then with a taxi waiting to take us to the port. We cannot tell you how happy we were to finally pull away with tire fixed from AAA - free at last! We've learned that most traveling adventures occur in transit!!!