Got oxygen?

Mom, Gordon, and I flew from Lima to Cusco on May 3 to begin our journey to the Incan ruins. Cusco sits high in the Andes at 11,000 feet; our "Mile High" city of Denver is only 5,280 feet, as a point of comparison. The photo above shows our approach to Cusco and the incredible view of the mountain range. The recommended drink to avoid altitude sickness is "mate de coca," which is a hot tea made with coca leaves. Coca is the plant used - in large quantities - to make cocaine. However, Peruvians are very quick to point out that coca is not bad; it is people who abuse it and make drugs like cocaine. Coca has been used there for ages for medicinal purposes. We all did very well with the altitude, although the shortness of breath was quite noticeable when climbing or walking fast. Not to worry, though, because if you find yourself feeling short of oxygen, there's "OxiShot" (see left photo). This oxygen station greeted us in Cusco's airport, and we thought it was a riot. I did speak to one man on our tour who arrived at his hotel and needed oxygen; they keep it on hand.