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Published: October 15th 2017
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Altitude is real!
Jump on a plane to Cusco and you will step off at 3200m above sea level. That’s when it gets interesting!
I’m a relatively fit person and I certainly felt it. I wondered if it would have made any difference if I'd have trained with an oxygen mask! To be honest, oxygen mask training is a bit extreme, but I was glad to have had some fitness about me for traveling at altitude. From the day I stepped off the plane in Cusco, I ended up spending twelve days above 3000 metres.
Altitude can affect everyone, regardless of how fit you are - it's worth doing some research before you travel. Some people take medication (I didn't) and some people have no side effects. Others suffer from dreadful headaches and vomiting. It can affect anyone.
The best thing I did when I arrived was to chill out and rest. I had learnt from a previous trip to the himalayas that it is important to acclimatise to a new altitude, especially if you arrive by plane. It's important to give your body a chance to adjust. I noticed my breathing
change, as I'd be reading my book and then I’d find myself suddenly taking in a much deeper breath, in need of more Oxygen.
The day after I arrived, I went wandering in Cusco and certainly felt the altitude when I picked up my pace. I had to tell myself to slow down and take nice deep breaths. The only challenge came when I had to climb a lot of stairs to a view point. I wasn’t bounding up them as I may have been at sea level! It's such an odd sensation. The body wants to go, but your brain knows you have to slow it down a bit. Cusco is also surrounded by hills. The streets are very steep once you leave the main square and surrounds. I guess that's what happens when you build a city in the Andes region!
Hojas de coca are widely available and these are said to help with the altitude. It's sold as a cup of tea, with just hot water and dried coca leaves. It is an unusual taste, but I liked it, and a bonus if it helped with altitude.
In some of the shops you can buy coca leaves candy, coca leaves to chew, and other coca products (all legal!)
Cusco is a cute little cobbled town surrounded by beautiful verdant hills and mountains. I took a city walking tour that left from the main square. It was a great way to see the key parts of the town and take in the geography. It also helped me get my bearings for the rest of my time there. It was a free walking tour, for which we offered tips at the end. We went up to a viewpoint to see the city from above (that was the steep climb mentioned earlier!). There are lots of churches in Cusco, and some beautiful architecture. It's all quite crammed in to the land that is flat! It is certainly a tourist town, and naturally that is the biggest industry, being the gateway to the Macchu Pichu trails and Incan historical sites.
The main market was a good place to start exploring - it catered for the locals and for the tourists with colourful fabrics and clothing for sale, along with all sorts
of animal meats and vegetables! I kitted myself out in very reasonably priced llama apparel - gloves, headband and jumper! Ready for the Andes!
JHG
Instagram: @greavesjen
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Twag
Thomas H. Wagner
Similar problems in Tibet 2004
I had similar problems in Lhasa in tibet in 2004. The altitude was around 3900 and I stayed there for 2 nights, coming from Chengdu. The first evening it began, the second day they gave me something like a ball with oxygen, and on the last day I had some time to visit (only, unfortunately) the lower levels of the palace in Lhasa before hurrying to the airport. Maybe some day I come back with the new railway.