Mike in the Wild

Everyone warned us about altitude sickness when we flew to Cusco, the Peruvian city that sits at over 11,000 feet in the Andes.  You need to acclimate; avoid alcohol; drink the local coca tea; sip a lot of water, SLOWLY; try chicha, the locally fermented purple corn drink; get a prescription of Diamox; carry oxygen!   After an initial night in Cusco, our busy nine-day agenda continued with two nights at a much lower and more comfortable elevation in the nearby rain forest.  As a result, the trip also involved first time inoculations for hepatitis A/B and both typhoid and yellow fever, along with taking anti-malaria medication and carrying doses of Imodium, Pepto and DiaResQ.  Clearly we anticipated facing more serious illnesses than breathlessness.  When we finally reached Cusco after a short layover in Lima, we were overwhelmed more by the beauty of the Andean scenery and culture than by thin air.  Our confusion and headaches could have just as ea...