Arrival in Peru: Chaos in Paradise

The flight had lasted 12 hours. Twelve hours in which Peruso had experienced everything from impatient fidgeting to a short, unwanted nap that Mama described as "finally!" The approach to landing was exciting, but as soon as the plane came to a stop, the real adventure began.

"Now things are getting serious," Papa murmured as he freed himself from the confines of his seat. For Peruso, it was different. For him, this was just the beginning.

The line at passport control stretched endlessly, like a huge labyrinth that no one dared to leave. "Dad, why are all these people standing around here? Is there ice cream here?" asked Peruso when he saw all the people.

"No, that's called queuing. You have to learn that now."

Peruso rolled his eyes. Studying. Adults always had to say that. "Can't I just slip through? I'm small, they won't notice." Dad just shook his head.

The wait dragged on like chewing gum. Peruso counted the tiles on the floor until he got to 137 and stopped because he lost interest. Eventually it was their turn. The officer behind the counter cast a serious look at the passports and then at Peruso.

"That's me," Peruso said with a grin. The officer raised an eyebrow, but Mama laughed nervously. "He's always like that."

After passport control, the next challenge awaited: the suitcases. The baggage claim was a complete mess. The suitcases were spinning in endless circles and none of them belonged to them. "What if they lost my suitcase?" asked Peruso.

“Then we’ll have to send you naked through Peru,” said Dad dryly.

"Cool! Then people will think I'm a wild Inca warrior!" Mom groaned as Dad pulled the first suitcase off the roll. Five in total.

“Why do we have so much luggage?” asked Dad.

“Because you took something with you too,” countered Mom.

Outside, in the warm and slightly sticky air, they waited to be picked up. "Do you think they've forgotten us?" asked Peruso, looking around.

But then Primo and Mary showed up, like heroes in a movie. Primo grinned widely and pulled Peruso into a tight hug, while Mary hugged Mama like she hadn't seen her in ages.

"The car is full," said Primo after they had loaded the suitcases. "You have to sit on top of each other."

“I'm sitting on mom!” Peruso shouted and jumped into the car. The rest of them squeezed in and the engine started to rumble.

Ana and Hjon's accommodation was impressive: spacious, elegant and equipped with everything you could wish for. There were large windows to see the twinkling lights of the city and enough space to make even Peruso feel like a king.

Dad grabbed a bottle of beer as if it were the first source of water after a long desert hike. "One will do," Mom said sternly as she disappeared into the living room with Mary. Soon they could be heard laughing and talking as if they were best friends who had known each other for years.

"One beer? I'll have two," Papa mumbled and opened the next bottle. Peruso watched him skeptically. "Does that make you any wiser?"

“No, but it helps.”

While Mom and Mary were in their own world and Dad opened the third bottle, Peruso sat on the pile of suitcases and watched everything with a satisfied grin.

“Peru is cool,” he thought. And that was just the beginning.