PEDRO CANELO
Special Envoy

At eight o'clock in the evening, this city in New Zealand begins to darken. The sun accompanies in Auckland; however, the atmosphere does not warm up at any time of the day. Illuminated for many hours but with cold winds, especially in the afternoon. Temperatures between 13 to 18 degrees. This is the weather in this town where the national team will prepare from today for the playoffs against the 'All Whites'.

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Auckland is a first-world city where time runs and people concentrate to the maximum on their work or studies. Few people use Whatsapp, most walk fast looking ahead without getting distracted on their phones. The coats are still subtle, except on rainy days. Despite the vertigo of a society that begins to close its commercial routines at five in the afternoon, Peru will find peace in these lands of Oceania. Zero hostility (for now).

Although the winds do not have the same intensity as in Wellington (700 kilometers from here), it will still serve to practice football with the modified schedule. As some athletes and doctors have commented, it is crucial that the footballers have arrived comfortably and well-rested in Auckland. They will all be evaluated today by Professor Ricardo Gareca's technical command and only those who are one hundred percent and without 'jet lag' problems will start with the training sessions.

Among the comforts that the Peruvian national team will enjoy, we can find their concentration in the luxurious Crowne Plaza hotel, located in the financial center of Auckland, just three blocks from the Sky Tower, one of the tourist attractions of this New Zealand city. The rooms in the mentioned hotel cost no less than $400 for the general public.

When Ricardo Gareca decides to travel in advance to another country, it is basically for two reasons: the search for tranquility to work and acclimatization. Both motivations will be fulfilled in cosmopolitan Auckland. There is a multicultural population here. Everyone has been welcomed with open arms. Let's hope the same happens with the national team.