Bureaucratic travel vaccinations
This morning my alarm clock woke me at 0830. After brushing my teeth and a quick shave I sped to the GGD, the Dutch national health service. It’s about a month from now until I’ll be wandering around in Mexico City, so I decided today should be the day to get my travel vaccinations.
As I had feared, at the GGD’s travel advice and vaccinations department I found a huge line of tourists, travellers, parents with kids, and what not, all of whom had decided that today should be the day they got their travel vaccinations too. F#ck… So I filled in some forms, waited, went for a smoke, waited some more, went for a coffee, and waited some more, until finally my number was up - I had number 59. I got called into a booth where a lady wanted to know all about my travel plans, planned route, duration of my trip, and so on. I ended up with a nice little receipt of all the shit she said I’d need: a shot against hepatitis A, a shot against DTP, a vaccination booklet, and a pharmacy note for malaria tablets.
After that I got sent into another little booth with a register and a way too happy cashier. I showed the receipt and had to pay up. Total damage: 80 bloody Euros!! Bastards…
Then they made me wait some more, and at last I got called into yet another booth where they gave me my long awaited shots. Another two and a half hours of my life wasted on bureaucracy and € 80 poorer… but one step closer to my trip to Central America. 
James
