You would think that my second trip to Puno would have better luck with the altitude than the first. Not so. We flew from Lima to Juliaca today (with a quick stop in Cusco) and as soon as I got here, I knew it was different this time. I guess altitude is like that. You cannot predict how your body will respond each time.
No one but me, seemed to be "feeling" the affects of the altitude. By the time I landed on the bed in the hotel at 4:30 in the afternoon, I was ready to send everyone else off to dinner and the lake tomorrow without me. I started taking remedies to fight the extreme headache, nausea and general malaise. Nothing budged. My head was locked up tightly like a vise-grip.
Willingly, I agreed to suck on an oxygen tank (while in a fetal position, just like Anthony Bourdain did when he visited Peru, and for which I gave him alot of hell!) Within 5 minutes, I was not only able to converse, I wanted food. I enjoyed the delightful dinner we had in a restaurant named "Coca Kintu" which was named for a ceremony involving coca leaves. The decor featured coca leaf motif artwork and included chocolate cake for dessert.
I am packing my overnight bag in preparation for our trip to the islands tomorrow. A couple of other people in our group decided that spooning with the oxygen was not such a bad idea. A quiet evening hanging out in the hotel and the square right out front are just what we all need.
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