Little did I know that it was going to be the beginning rather than the end of my troubles.
Some years ago, I was lucky to travel to Perú with some friends and visit the wonderful city of Cusco and the enchanting Machu Pichu. At that time, I was studying Social Anthropology and before I left, I had read a lot about Inca culture, about the city of Cusco and Machu Pichu and the Inca trail, but not so much about altitude sickness as I maybe should have. It was my first backpacking trip, and I was somewhat clueless. I had of course, read my set of travel guides and received advice from friends about lodging and things to do which was really helpful.
After an overnight stop in Lima, we took a flight to Cusco early in the morning. I have flown and travelled a lot since a very young age, so I tend to feel comfortable on planes in general and I will not be scared by a mild turbulence. But in this case, I must say I was surprised by the bumpy plane ride once we started overflying the Andes. The scenery was beautiful, but I couldn’t really enjoy it, I was already starting to feel the effects of what I later learned was called soroche. I knew Cusco was at almost 3.400 meters over sea level (3.399 to be precise, not that one meter would make any difference), but knowing something in theory is not the same as experiencing it. For the first time in my life, after a short flight, the only thing I could think of, was getting off that plane.
Little did I know that it was going to be the beginning rather than the end of my troubles.
When the plane finally landed on the runway surrounded by the Andes, I ran to the door hoping for a breath of fresh air. To my surprise and shock there didn’t seem to be any up there, or at least any that I could breathe. My heart started pounding, I later learnt that this is because it’s trying desperately to process the small amount of available oxygen but at the time, I thought it might have been the shock. My friends on the other hand, didn’t seem at all affected, which was lucky for me because they took charge and picked up my backpack. They wanted to take a bus to the city center, but I begged them to leave that adventure for later and take a taxi instead. My friends were keen to take the taxi drivers advice to take us to a hotel he knew but I wasn’t sick enough to let all my research on Cusco lodging be spoilt and I insisted he take us to one of the cheap Inns that had been recommended to us near the main square.
Once at the hotel, the receptionist told me that I was suffering from Soroche which is the local name for altitude sickness and that I would soon get over it if I just lay down and rested for a few hours.
I was more than keen to take his advice and glad that the room had nice alpaca covers in each bed because I was also feeling cold. My friends wanted to tour the city, but I felt terrible dizzy and just longed to lay down. I’m not sure what they did because as soon as I placed my head on the pillow, I fell asleep. They woke me up a few hours later and urged me to walk at least one block and visit the main square. It took a great effort on my behalf, but I had gone to Cusco for an adventure, and I had no intention to keep postponing it. We stopped for a cup of coca tea first which is supposed to help you fight soroche and it did: I managed to cross the square and get to the furthest corner for a photo. But that was that: I felt completely exhausted, out of breath and the square seemed to be turning all around me, so I lay down on the floor. This something that the police officer nearby completely disapproved. I had to get up as fast as I could, and we headed back to the Inn for dinner.
The attendant at the Inn’s restaurant was really nice and recommended I had “Sopa dieta de pollo” (it’s a spicy noodle, vegetable and chicken soup) to help me recover from my soroche. I followed his advice, and I must say that the soup worked like magic, after having it I felt much better and after a good night’s sleep and some coca tea for breakfast I was ready to visit Cusco and the Sacred-Valley the next day. And also, get ready to walk the Inca Trail in a few days to come, but that’s a different story.
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