Looking down on Cusco.
Leading up to this trip, I was very nervous about how the altitude would affect me. So, I did the smart thing and obtained altitude sickness pills, Diamox, from a travel clinic prior to my trip. I was instructed to take the first pill 12 hours before my arrival in Cusco, and to continue taking one pill every 12 hours until they were gone. I believe there were around 8 to 10 pills total. I must say, the pills worked for me. I did feel very tired my first few days here, but that always happens when I travel, so I can't necessarily blame that on the altitude. I also had some shortness of breath when climbing stairs, so that probably was a direct affect of the altitude. I did not however feel nauseous or experience headaches, which is what I was especially worried about.
The local remedy for altitude sickness, and just about anything, is coca. After arriving at my host family residence, the very first thing my host mother did was give me a mug of coca tea. I came here with the intention of not using any coca products at all though. So, I put the mug on my nightstand and never drank it.
Whether or not it is an "issue" to use coca products is up for debate. Personally, I decided that it would be better if I didn't so that I wouldn't potentially run into problems down the line for having ingested a "drug" that is illegal in the US. I know some people will think this is lame, and others will think it's admirable. Either way, I just had to do what I felt was right for me.
There are several different kinds of coca products here. The most popular is the "Mate de Coca"(coca tea), which is drank hot. Coca tea is the basic kind of tea here, so if you were to ask for tea at a restaurant without choosing a specific type of tea, you would most likely be given coca tea.
Free coca tea at my school. I was probably the only person who never drank it. I opted for the "Canela y Clavo" (cinnamon and clove) instead.
There are also coca candies which are sold at most souvenir shops. Since I did not try one, I am not sure if they are hard or soft candies. I believe they come in several different flavors. I also have no idea if the candies would actually help with the affects of altitude sickness, or if they are just a gimmick.
If you want to be "hard-core," you can also buy dried coca leaves at souvenir shops or from street vendors. These are used in a similar way to chewing tobacco, where a few leaves are moistened and formed into a ball to sit in the side of your mouth. If you decide to try them, do not put just one or two in your mouth. Otherwise, the leaves with disintegrate and taste horrible. (This is secondhand information obviously.)
You can even get coca flavored ice cream. I'm sure it wouldn't help with altitude sickness, not that anyone probably cares. It's ice cream!
I do feel that the altitude affected my appetite. I expected to gain a little weight while I was here due to the Peruvian diet being heavily based on rice and potatoes. I also thought my body would retain more water due to the dryness of the air in Cusco. I was wrong. Almost immediately after arriving, I noticed that I was losing weight quickly. When deciding which pants to bring on this trip, I chose ones that fit just right or were a little loose. I soon found that the pants that were a little loose were now about to fall off of me. Between the affects of the altitude and me feeling under the weather, it took about three weeks for my regular appetite to come back. I probably lost at least five pounds since coming here, and have maybe gained back two. I guess that's a nice surprise since I seem to gain several pounds whenever I travel to Europe.
I had a close call when it came to remaining "coca-free." I visited a place here in Cusco that sells local chocolate. They offered free samples, and had a display of chocolate spreads in a variety of flavors. I wasn't sure which one to try. The flavors were written in Spanish, and I could only understand a few of them. To be safe, I decided to choose the one that I thought was plain chocolate, labeled "cocoa." However, I was an idiot. But thankfully my roommate was not. She saw me grab the jar and asked why I was trying the "coca" flavored one. So, learn from my mistake and be sure you correctly read "coca" versus "cacao" or "cocoa." I ended up trying the "sauco" (elderberry) flavor instead.
Coca might be okay, but remember that "la nicotina es tan adictiva como la heroina" (nicotine is as addictive as heroin.)
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