peru and ecuador

Please advise if anyone was in cuzco and machu picchu and if they had
any problems with the altitude. If you did what did you do to help you
cope.

Four of us flew from sea level to La Paz (Bolivia), which is higher than
Cuzco, in the morning, and we felt fine until dinner time we all got sick
(bad headache and stomachache). We took pills before our trip but
apparently it didn't do much for us.

For Quito (Ecuador) I didn't feel any altitude but my friend got a headache
and was very sleepy for a whole day.


"Steven" <shlomo45@> wrote in message
news:77e7848c.0309160744.4b9e098c@c om...
> Please advise if anyone was in cuzco and machu picchu and if they had
> any problems with the altitude. If you did what did you do to help you
> cope.

"Steven" <shlomo45@> wrote in message
news:77e7848c.0309160744.4b9e098c@c om...
> Please advise if anyone was in cuzco and machu picchu and if they had
> any problems with the altitude. If you did what did you do to help you
> cope.

Oh yeah, problems galore! I had nausea, vomiting, and explosive diarrehea,
in that I had so much gas that I couldn't easily contain it. Going to the
bathroom sounded like a jet aircraft on takeoff. The vomiting and nausea
went away after a day, the gas and diarrehea, sadly, remained my constant
company during my trip to Peru. One positive note, I did lose 20 pounds in
3 weeks!!

The people commenting "no big deal" must be native Andeans writing messages
from their mountaintop homes, or more likely people that don't know what
they are talking about. Coca tea won't do much for you, especially if its
made from bad water like mine apparently was. Watch what you eat and plan
at least two days of sick, slow time. I really thinks that's the only way.

Bye the way, Have fun!!

> Oh yeah, problems galore! I had nausea, vomiting, and explosive
diarrehea,
> in that I had so much gas that I couldn't easily contain it. Going to the
> bathroom sounded like a jet aircraft on takeoff. The vomiting and nausea
> went away after a day, the gas and diarrehea, sadly, remained my constant
> company during my trip to Peru.
>
> The people commenting "no big deal" must be native Andeans

I wouldn't worry too much. This is more the exception rather than the rule.

Steve

I had only mild symptoms the first time but none the second time because I
took 2 days to get from sea level to Cusco altitude at 3390 m.s.n.m.
Altitude sickness affects different people to varying degrees which have
nothing to do with age or fitness, either you are prone it or you ain't, you
have little choice. All people not normally living at altitude will suffer
from some breathlessness but don't mistake this for altitude sickness.

cheers, philip


"Steven" <shlomo45@> wrote in message
news:77e7848c.0309160744.4b9e098c@c om...
> Please advise if anyone was in cuzco and machu picchu and if they had
> any problems with the altitude. If you did what did you do to help you
> cope.

I spent 6 weeks in Ecuador and even climbed Cotopaxi (19,500 ft) with
only one day to acclimatize and never had a problem. I climb a lot of
mountains and can tell you that it just depends on the person, but in
most cases even if you are susseptible to altitude sickness, a period
of two or three days will usually find the problems subsiding.

On 16 Sep 2003 08:44:18 -0700, shlomo45@ (Steven) wrote:

>Please advise if anyone was in cuzco and machu picchu and if they had
>any problems with the altitude. If you did what did you do to help you
>cope.

>>>>>>multiple horror stories

Did Diamox help any of you? I'm headed for Arequipa, Cusco, & Machu Picchu in a
month, and am trying to prepare for it.

bh
You are entitled to your own opinions,
but you are not entitled to your own facts
-Daniel Patrick Moynihan