Preparation and introduction.

Dear reader,

First and foremost, let me introduce myself. My name is Thomas Ossenblok and I am 21 years old. Whereas the main group of exchange students is coming home and re-integrating in Dutch society, I am about to pack for my exciting destination: Peru.
And why, out of all places, did I pick Peru? Good question!

First of all, I love nature and history, both of which are very much present, since Peru is the home of the Incan/Mayan societies and one of the most diverse environments in the world.
Secondly, I wanted to learn a new language, preferably one which is spoken by many people. And last but not least, the family-oriented and sort of laidback culture really spoke to my imagination.

Preparation
So far I am doing a decent job preparing for my journey, for which I mainly have to thank my roommate Koen, who went to the same university last year and had many great tips.

The only bump in the road was obtaining my visum. Apparently I had to make an appointment to pick up my visum, instead of just randomly dropping by during the day..

Next to this, I was also required to bring a number of documents and a photo, which I did not have one all on me. Thus began my quest in the centre of Amsterdam, searching for a photo shop before closing time(the people who know me probably assumed I was running late before I even got there, and rightly so), while calling my little brother to get him to scan and send me a few precious documents.
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Well, nobody's perfect, I guess.

Luckily there was good news as well. My planning also left room for one of the most exciting events of the year: Carnaval! Armed with a wooden cross one day and an elephant costume the next, I roamed the streets and bars of Roosendaal, Rucphen and Cuijk till the morning sun.

Hopefully I will have as much fun in Lima as I am having here!

Thomas