Many of the Iowa delegates at the Republican National Convention in Tampa didn’t return to their hotel until 3:30 this morning. The convention ended at 11 o’clock last night, but delegates like Jonas Cutler of West Des Moines didn’t make it onto the first wave of buses out of the security zone around the convention arena.

“It took us forever to get out of the arena itself,” Cutler says. “We got stuck in a big long line and the buses were picking up at various places, kind of real discombobulated.”

Delegate Glen Massie of Des Moines described the scene: “It kind of reminded me of being in the Marine Corps. We called ’em cattle cars. You know, all the cows — ‘Moo’ — and get inside.”

The delegates were joking about the experience a few hours later. This is Delegate Gopal Krishna’s spin on delays as the bus made its way through security checkpoints: “Yesterday the bus was late. The reason was just like we have to take our shoes off when we go to the airport, the driver had to take off all the tires to get through security.”

A.J. Spiker, the chairman of the Iowa Republican Party, also joked about it as the Iowa delegates met this morning for breakfast.

“Some of you might have learned what indefinite detention’s all about,” Spiker said.

A speech from Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan is the final event at the convention this evening. On Thursday night Mitt Romney will formally accept his party’s presidential nomination.