Since I am an ardent traveler, the most important thing besides my thesis (maybe more) was planning the much cliched trip to Europe after graduation. The saying that travel really does broaden and mature the mind became so true, when you have to plan where to go, how to get there and get round with the cheapest available means.
The adventures and the fun-filled and hilarious little incidents started way before we started the trip. A Maldivian, a Malaysian and a Thai trying to choose countries where neither of us has ever been was an exhausting task (or more an ordeal, sorry guys: p), the language barrier and the looming thesis putting more strains on the planning.
Paris, which was supposed to be the starting city of our trip, was no more part of our itinerary, when we reached the Schengen visa application point. In all the excitement of planning and booking tickets and accommodation, we forgot to make the much needed visa appointment at the French visa processing office.
After that minor setback, we had to opt for a country where a prior appointment was not needed to apply for visa. Belgium was just the perfect choice, after a smooth walk-in visa application in London, we finally got the visa for the trip of the year. Belgium with its mouth-watering chocolates and waffles, Netherlands with its windmills and wooden shoes, architecture from all major periods of European history rooted in Prague (Czech Republic), Germany (I could only think of Oktoberfest and the Holocaust when I started the trip) and the beauty of Switzerland, and the much awaited shopping in Italy were just perfect ingredients for a memorable trip.
To be continued
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