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Machu Picchu post cruise tour recommendation


Madtalker
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Please help with any recommendations or suggestions for tours 5-8 days post cruise to Machu Picchu after disembarking in Valparaiso/Santiago, Chile. It looks like we will have to begin in Lima and go from there.

 

I would appreciate hearing from someone with first hand knowledge of how you handled the altitude.

Would staying at the Sanctuary Lodge really be beneficial time wise?

How much time you really spent at the site and if you needed more.

Is it very strenuous.

Since we will be coming off the ship we will have two large cases 55 pounds each and two carry-ons. Can you take them or will they have to be stored at the airport or a hotel?

 

Any insights or other things of note please share.

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We recently returned from a South American land tour, which included a segment in Peru. We had 1 night in Lima, flew to Cusco, then 1 night in Sacred Valley, 1 night Aguas Calientes (the town below Machu Picchu), 2 nights Cusco, then flew back to Lima and after half a day there flew out again, to Santiago, on our way home to NZ. We were happy with the itinerary, except that we should have added a couple of nights in Lima on the end, as we did not get much of a look at Lima.

 

We caught the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes (about 1 hour 45 minutes), then went straight to the shuttle and had about 4 hours in Machu Picchu, on a guided tour. It was long enough for us. We could have gone back up the next morning (as some of our group did) but instead we spent the morning exploring Aguas Calientes. Even though it was Christmas Day most of the markets and shops were still open. Some of our companions went back up to Machu Picchu to do one of the longer hikes which were available.

 

Personally I would not want to stay at the Sanctuary Lodge. Yes, it is at the gates of Machu Picchu, but there is nothing else there, and we enjoyed being able to wander around Aguas Calientes easily. The shuttle buses between Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu run regularly, and take about half an hour.

 

Machu Picchu is on a slope, and there are some climbs up to various viewpoints, but we did not find it very strenuous. (We are reasonably active and do lots of walking at home). As I said we did not do any of the 3 or 4 hour hikes you can do, just stayed in the main site. The altitude will not bother you in Machu Picchu. Cusco is much higher than MP, and you may notice it there - just take it a bit slowly. We just felt a bit "dry" in Cusco - not at all as bad as when we went to Tibet, where we had headaches and it was quite difficult to sleep at night. Our Peru itinerary was good in that we flew into the highest point of the journey (Cusco), and immediately went down into the Sacred Valley to stay the night. There is lots of interest in the Sacred Valley - llama farms, craft demos, Pisac market, Ollantaytambo village and archeological site, etc. Cusco is also worth some time, with lots of historical interest sites in the town or close by.

 

We only took an overnight bag on the train to Machu Picchu. Our main luggage was left at the Sacred Valley hotel, and was transported to our Cusco hotel to await our arrival there.

 

Hope this helps a little. Enjoy your trip! Machu Picchu is a great place to see.

Edited by roaming_kiwi58
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We took the Princess Cruisetour to Machu Picchu. It was pricey but here's what you got. Also, you can do a search on Machu Picchu on this South America Board and the Princess Cruise board and you'll pull up a lot of information.

 

Day 1,2,3 - We arrived in Lima Peru and stayed in the Miraflores district of Lima. We used a local company called Lima Tours. For our large group of 66 people, we had 2 full time Tour Managers assigned to us and there were normally 3 or 4 additional local guides that took us to all the attractions. Lima Tour reps picked us up at the airport and took us to the hotel along the shore route which helped us later since we went to the Larcomar seaside shopping mall (actually on the cliffs) where we had a sunset dinner.

 

Miraflores district is as real tourist area so the good is that there seems to have been a lot of Miraflores district security on almost all the street corners in addition to police. The whole area caters to tourist so there are a lot of hotels, malls, department stores, restaurants, crafts, and nightlife. We used a local company called Lima Tours. For our large group of 66 people, we had 2 full time Tour Managers assigned to us and there were normally 3 or 4 additional local guides that took us to all the attractions. We went on a Lima City Tour.

 

Your paying for the personalized service with Lima Tours and they made sure we had all of our reservations for hotels, trainrides, attractions, restaurants and acted as interpreters when needed, helped with lost documents, cameras, bags, etc. A few guides told me they do small groups and Inca Trail hikes (3-5 day journeys) but I can't say how good those tours are. But I found a lot of videos on Youtube and reviews on Tripadvisor where you can get additional information.

 

We flew up to Cusco and were bused to the Sacred Valley where we stayed at a really luxury hotel in Urubamba. For the next 2 days, we used this spot to to acclimate to the altitude and visit Inca cultural sites in Chinceros, Saqsawayan, and Ollantaytambo. We tried all the local cuisine including guinea pig, Llama, goats, chicken, beef, potatoes (drink only hot drinks, bottle water, stay away from any drink with ice). The excursions from here included sites at 12,000 feet elevation so it was a good way to help acclimate to the altitude.

 

The airlines (LAN) have a 50 lb weight limitation for suitcases so you may be charged for anything over 55 lbs. We only took an overnight backpack or tote on our trainride from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes. The rest of our luggage was sent to our Cusco hotel. The Aguas Calientes hotel (Sumaq Machu Picchu) met our group and took our carry on bags and we caught shuttle buses up the switchback road up to Machu Picchu. We spent most of the afternoon and then caught the shuttle back down. We also went up the next morning. I researched the Santuary Lodge since we had planned to stay there but after seeing it, I'm glad we stayed at the Aguas Calientes hotel instead...much more to see, shop, and eat there...all within walking distance since it's a relatively small town.

 

We spent a week in Peru and it went by fast. The best Inca/Peruvian crafts were in the Sacred Valley at the Pisac Market which is actually a lot of individual shops but a source for a lot of local crafts that you'll find in Lima and Cusco.

 

I'll stop now and again reference the other board threads that you can search on and get a lot of good tips.

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"How much time you really spent at the site and if you needed more.

Is it very strenuous?"

 

I should mention even though we spent 3 days acclimating to the altitude, there were a number of people who had varying degrees of nausea. The Lima Tour guides came equipped with different local remedies which seemed to help those who felt dizzy. Bring bottle water.

 

We had one gal who had to lay down on a flat stone "bench" up in Machu Picchu because she was dizzy. The guide mentioned that "bench" was probably an alter for sacrifices...so don't assume any stone bench up are for tourists to just sit down on.

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We recently returned from a South American land tour, which included a segment in Peru. We had 1 night in Lima, flew to Cusco, then 1 night in Sacred Valley, 1 night Aguas Calientes (the town below Machu Picchu), 2 nights Cusco, then flew back to Lima and after half a day there flew out again, to Santiago, on our way home to NZ. We were happy with the itinerary, except that we should have added a couple of nights in Lima on the end, as we did not get much of a look at Lima.

 

We caught the train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes (about 1 hour 45 minutes), then went straight to the shuttle and had about 4 hours in Machu Picchu, on a guided tour. It was long enough for us. We could have gone back up the next morning (as some of our group did) but instead we spent the morning exploring Aguas Calientes. Even though it was Christmas Day most of the markets and shops were still open. Some of our companions went back up to Machu Picchu to do one of the longer hikes which were available.

 

Personally I would not want to stay at the Sanctuary Lodge. Yes, it is at the gates of Machu Picchu, but there is nothing else there, and we enjoyed being able to wander around Aguas Calientes easily. The shuttle buses between Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu run regularly, and take about half an hour.

 

Machu Picchu is on a slope, and there are some climbs up to various viewpoints, but we did not find it very strenuous. (We are reasonably active and do lots of walking at home). As I said we did not do any of the 3 or 4 hour hikes you can do, just stayed in the main site. The altitude will not bother you in Machu Picchu. Cusco is much higher than MP, and you may notice it there - just take it a bit slowly. We just felt a bit "dry" in Cusco - not at all as bad as when we went to Tibet, where we had headaches and it was quite difficult to sleep at night. Our Peru itinerary was good in that we flew into the highest point of the journey (Cusco), and immediately went down into the Sacred Valley to stay the night. There is lots of interest in the Sacred Valley - llama farms, craft demos, Pisac market, Ollantaytambo village and archeological site, etc. Cusco is also worth some time, with lots of historical interest sites in the town or close by.

 

We only took an overnight bag on the train to Machu Picchu. Our main luggage was left at the Sacred Valley hotel, and was transported to our Cusco hotel to await our arrival there.

 

Hope this helps a little. Enjoy your trip! Machu Picchu is a great place to see.

Do you mind telling us the cost of the MP side trip?

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Madtalker -

We used Trafalgar Tours for our South American trip. We had 2 days in Santiago, Chile, on our own at the beginning, then joined the tour in Rio, continuing to Iguassu Falls and Buenos Aires before flying to Lima for the start of our Peru tour, which I outlined above. While we did it all as one tour, it was in fact two tours joined together. You can do the Peru part by itself. There are also various other extensions you can add to the basic Peru tour. See their website at trafalgar.com for more details.

 

We would not have wanted to have done Peru on our own. There was quite a lot of organisation, and our Spanish is non-existent!! But we should have added a couple of days in Lima at the end of the tour. The tour exceeded our expectations. We would use this company again. We would also return to South America sometime if we can. A very diverse and interesting continent. Enjoy!

 

PS. Yes, you make sure you do visit New Zealand sometime! We may be at the end of the earth, but it is worth the trek IMHO!!

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We recently travelled to Cuzco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Pichu.

 

Luggage:

We had only one suitcase, a rolling carry-on and a daypack. We left the suitcase in our hotel in Cuzco to which we returned after three nights. You are not allowed to take more than a backpack or a carry-on per person on the train. In your case, I would leave most of the luggage in your Lima hotel and return to that hotel at the end.

 

Altitude:

Cuzco is the highest point and Machu Pichu is the lowest point. I had altitude sickness in Cuzco. If I had to do it again, I would go to a hotel in the Sacred Valley right from the airport in Cuzco. Cuzco is fascinating, but I would visit it at the end. I would also take medication a day ahead.

 

Sanctuary Lodge:

It is located at the entrance and allowed us to go back into the site a second day before the crowds arrived. It was worth every penny to us, lots of pennies. They picked up our backpack and small suitcase from the train, took it up to the Lodge, and on the day of the departure, took it down again. We explored Aguas Calientes a bit without luggage and then waited in the hotel owned room for the train.

 

Ollantaytambo:

This small town in the Sacred Valley is the last point where you can take the train to Machu Pichu Village/Aguas Calientes. It still has the look of Inca Times + modern stores and its terraces and ruins are fascinating. Most of the tourists were Peruvians.

 

Travel Agency:

We booked with a company called Escaped to South America. They booked all the hotels, made all the reservations, got the train tickets and the entrance tickets to Machu Pichu. They work with a local company called Condor Travels which provided all the local guides and drivers. They were all competent, spoke very good English and were always on time. Robert at Escaped to South America did a mixed package of mostly private guides and some groups for us. I would definitely book with this company again.

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We recently travelled to Cuzco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Pichu.

 

Sanctuary Lodge:

It is located at the entrance and allowed us to go back into the site a second day before the crowds arrived. It was worth every penny to us, lots of pennies. They picked up our backpack and small suitcase from the train, took it up to the Lodge, and on the day of the departure, took it down again. We explored Aguas Calientes a bit without luggage and then waited in the hotel owned room for the train.

 

We went to Machu Picchu on our own. We used the online travel sites, videos, and blogs to get a good idea of what we would need to do. The Santuary Lodge is expensive and you need to really plan ahead but you are right there just outside the main gate. The lunch buffett is open to the public so it was always crowded with tour groups and other individual travelers. The crowds start really thinning out by 3:00 PM and you literally can have the park to yourself.

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We have made plans through Perubesttours.com. I booked with them 3 years ago and then had to cancel 6 weeks prior to the trip. They were very nice about the cancellation and we have just rebooked a tour to MP through them. We are going prior to a Celebrity cruise to the Galapagos Islands in August. I found them 3 years ago through this site.

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DuanT

 

Llama and guinea pig? Hubby had kangaroo in Australia so he would definitely try the local meats. Thanks for the tips and what to eat.

 

Our good friend planned the entire itinerary for our upcoming MP and Galapagos trip in May. We head to Cusco first and were wondering if we should take some altitude pills beforehand. Coca Tea seems to be a local remedy but not sure if it makes sense to get sick first.

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DuanT

 

Llama and guinea pig? Hubby had kangaroo in Australia so he would definitely try the local meats. Thanks for the tips and what to eat.

 

Our good friend planned the entire itinerary for our upcoming MP and Galapagos trip in May. We head to Cusco first and were wondering if we should take some altitude pills beforehand. Coca Tea seems to be a local remedy but not sure if it makes sense to get sick first.

 

I didn't get altitude sickness myself, but I tried some of the local remedies anyway just to see what they tasted like including the Coca Tea. They will offer it all over the place (it was free in our hotel lobby) and it was on sale everywhere. The only odd thing related to the topic of Coca Tea is that when we returned to the US, the Los Angeles airport customs officer saw we had flown in from South America and asked if we brought back Coca Leaves. We didn't bring back any food or agricultural products but I thought it was odd he asked so I asked why, and he said they were illegal to be brought into the US. So drink all the Coca Tea you desire in Peru...just be aware it seems to be an item customs is on the lookout for. Of all the illegal stuff I thought he could ask, I thought it was odd he mentioned Coca Tea leaves as being prohibited for transport back to the US.

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I didn't get altitude sickness myself, but I tried some of the local remedies anyway just to see what they tasted like including the Coca Tea. They will offer it all over the place (it was free in our hotel lobby) and it was on sale everywhere. The only odd thing related to the topic of Coca Tea is that when we returned to the US, the Los Angeles airport customs officer saw we had flown in from South America and asked if we brought back Coca Leaves. We didn't bring back any food or agricultural products but I thought it was odd he asked so I asked why, and he said they were illegal to be brought into the US. So drink all the Coca Tea you desire in Peru...just be aware it seems to be an item customs is on the lookout for. Of all the illegal stuff I thought he could ask, I thought it was odd he mentioned Coca Tea leaves as being prohibited for transport back to the US.

 

I'm trying to figure out why you think it was odd for Customs to ask about coca leaves???

 

Peru is one of the main growers of coca in South America. And coca leaves are what you make cocaine out of. Coca leaves are illegal in most of the world other than a few South American countries. The leaves are a schedule 1 narcotic, just like cocaine and heroin.

 

There is only 1 LEGAL importer in the USA based in NJ. They are allowed to import about 200 tons of coca a year. They make PHARMACEUTICAL cocaine and the residue left after the manufacture of cocaine is sold to Coca Cola as a cocaine free flavoring additive (early 1900's Coca Cola was made with REAL cocaine).

 

I drink a lot of coca tea when I am in South America at altitude (4 times per year from October-February for fruit shipping season-I just returned last night from 10 days in Valparaiso, Santiago, Cusco and Juliaca). I have gotten altitude sickness once and never want to repeat the experience. And if you have gotten it once, you are much more prone to it in the future.

 

So every time I get off the plane in Cusco, I "run" to the back of the parking lot where there are a couple of little kiosks that sell coca tea and coca leaves. I start drinking the tea immediately, keep drinking it all the time I am at altitude and always keep a bag of leaves with me "just in case". The taste is nasty but better a nasty taste in my mouth than the excruciating headache and shortness of breath that signals AMS.

 

One word of caution-if you drink as much coca tea as I do on my 4-5 days per trip to Cusco and Juliaca, there is a VERY high possibility that you will test positive for cocaine alkaloids if you have to drug test. I do have to drug test to keep my CDL (commercial drivers license) but I had to have my doctor write a letter to the drug testing authorities that I have only been drinking coca tea while at work in the highlands of South America to stave off altitide sickness. I can't and won't take Diamox, the normally prescribed medicine for AMS. It makes me nauseous and everything tastes like "fizzies" for those old enough to remember Fizzies. Any one with sulfa drug allergies cannot take Diamox either.

 

If anyone has any questions about Cusco, MP or Juliaca/Lake Titicaca (the train ride from Cusco is simply spectacular) please ask.

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According to Wikipedia

"The leaves of the coca plant contain alkaloids which--when extracted chemically--are the source for cocaine base. However, the amount of coca alkaloid in the raw leaves is small. A cup of coca tea prepared from one gram of coca leaves (the typical contents of a tea bag) contains approximately 4.2 mg of organic coca alkaloid.

(In comparison, a line of cocaine contains between 20 and 30 milligrams.) Owing to the presence of these alkaloids, coca tea is a mild stimulant; its consumption may be compared to consumption of coffee or tea. The coca alkaloid content of coca tea is such that the consumption of one cup of coca tea can cause a positive result on a drug test for cocaine."

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The coca alkaloid content of coca tea is such that the consumption of one cup of coca tea can cause a positive result on a drug test for cocaine."

 

This is scientifically wrong unless you took a drug test IMMEDIATELY after you drank coca tea.

 

I had to prove all this to the CDL and military contractor drug testing authorities before they would allow a positive test for cocaine to keep my CDL and complete my military contractor work. During my normal 4-5 day stays in Cusco/Juliaca, I probably drink about 2.5-4 GALLONS of coca tea. I only drink unsweetened iced tea all day long in the rest of the world-haven't had a soda in well over 30 years-so I know that is how much I consume in the USA. At least 4 32 oz glasses a day.

 

Out of the 26 drug tests I have taken over the last 8 years, I have tested positive for cocaine three times. And ALL positives were immediately after I had returned from the Cusco/Juliaca area of South America for business (less than 12 hours after I arrived back in the USA). I have to take a drug test at 8AM tomorrow morning. I was only in Juliaca for 2 days and Cusco for 1 this trip before I got on the plane to start making my way home yesterday morning, so I am not worried it will even show up as positive because it will be over 36 hours since I left Cusco and when I have to take the drug test.

 

One cup is NOT going to show up as a positive in 99% of the population. Between the time you drank one cup of coca tea in Cusco/Sacred Valley/MP/Juliaca and the time you got back to the USA (at least 10 hours if you take a direct flight from Cusco to Lima, then a nonstop to JFK-I just did it last night), your system would be cleaned out unless you were hypersensitive to cocaine alkaloid. Same thing with a line of cocaine. ONE line will clean out of your system by the next day. A lot of lines or a lot of coca tea takes a couple of days at best. Less if you drink a lot of water to flush out your system and pee a lot. My doctor has all this documented so I could keep my CDL and my military contractor clearances.

 

I am very well versed in drug testing and positive results as I own an international logistics company with 65 employees subject to random drug testing that I have to certify under penalty of perjury to the government and I have US government/US military contracts which require me to drug test any one who is sent out for work on one of these contracts (including myself). I have to go to a drug testing "refresher" course yearly to be able to certify the results.

 

In addition, my late husband was employed by the USA's largest nuclear plant and random drug testing is a way of life at any nuke plant in the USA. Some guys get pulled in for randoms almost monthly-luck of the draw because it is all computer driven. They even do weekly alcohol testing if you test positive for alcohol at an initial screening or you screw up like his big mucky muck boss did. Brought his pickup and travel trailer to the plant one day. He was going on a family vacation to Colorado right after work on Friday. While security was searching the vehicle, they happened to find an unopened bottle of Captain Morgan's rum. It was a big laugh for a long time as this guy was straight as an arrow, he said the bottle had probably been in the travel trailer for well over 2 years (everyone believed him, including the testing people) but he had to go take a pee test for alcohol weekly for 6 months.

 

I almost screwed up one day going in to pickup my husband. I had been grocery shopping, had a couple of bottles of vodka, a case of beer and a couple of bottles of wine in the back of our Suburban with the rest of the groceries. I was just pulling in the driveway when I realized what I had in the car. I pulled a flipper in the drive way. Found an out of the way ditch to stash the booze and went back into the plant. Thank goodness, the nuke plant is out in the middle of the desert or my booze would have been gone or I would have had a hard time finding a place to stash it. And then DH would have been kicking my butt for a long time when he had to go for weekly alcohol testing.

 

PLEASE don't worry about drinking the coca tea while on a little vacation. Usually, one to 4 cups overcomes most people's AMS symptoms. Some people swear by an oxygen treatment when they first get to their hotel. Raises your O2 sats and overcomes the thin mountain air. Buy one of those relatively inexpensive O2 meters. If your sats are below 92, you are not handling the altitude well. I truly believe coca tea is THE BEST for staving off AMS IF you TAKE IT EASY. Please, no jumping on and off buses to sightsee the first day, do a lot of walking and climb some of the close to Cusco ruins. My big objection to those short 3 day cruise tours. I have seen so many cruise tourists on those VERY expensive cruise tours sick as a dog and missing what they came to see. You really need 4-5 days to enjoy the experience. Get off the plane, relax and take an easy walk around the Plaza in Cusco for dinner. You should be fine.

 

Enjoy!!! I spend a lot of time in the area for business (I import a lot of alpaca sweaters, alpaca coats, wall hangings and rugs and some of the brightly colored messenger bags, small duffles and definitely the water bottle holders). So if you need any info, please feel free to ask. I have been posting in this forum for years info on the area.

Edited by greatam
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Just want to say thanks for all your contributions to CruiseCritic over the years. Your knowledge and advice pertaining to different parts of the world has been very helpful on many occasions. Whenever I see a posting by greatam, I know I'm going to learn something useful and even if I'm not going anywhere right now, I send your tips to friends who are.

Your suggestions on taking it easy upon arrival in Cusco are spot on. We made that wonderful trip 35 years ago. The plane was late getting into Cusco so we hurried to get our tour. Funny thing, all the women in the group had a ball shopping. Got back on the bus and the men were all in the back sick as dogs. None of the women got sick. Strange, but true.:D

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That's a lot of great information. Thanks everyone.

 

We used to ski in Vermont, New Hampshire, Colorado and Utah. We did not feel altitude sickness symptoms those times but our last trip to a location 10,000+ feet above sea level was 15 years ago. We are concerned that as we age, our bodies will become more susceptible to the altitude.

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That's a lot of great information. Thanks everyone.

 

We used to ski in Vermont, New Hampshire, Colorado and Utah. We did not feel altitude sickness symptoms those times but our last trip to a location 10,000+ feet above sea level was 15 years ago. We are concerned that as we age, our bodies will become more susceptible to the altitude.

 

I always thought the same thing because I never got sick skiing. BUT I spoke with one of my older brothers friends almost 15 years ago when I got so sick with AMS in Cusco. He is still a doctor in Breckenridge and works with ski patrol all the time. I am relaying his wisdom from 50 years of living, skiing and working in the Colorado mountains.

 

1. When you are at the majority of ski areas, you spend more time about 7-8,000 feet or below than you do above 10,000 feet. Vail Village is about 7800 feet, Park City is 6900 feet, Breckenridge and Keystone are very high at 9500 feet. So depending where you ski, you really aren't at constant altitude about 10,000 feet as you are in Cusco.

 

2. When you take the chairlift/gondola up to the summit to ski, you aren't at those extremely high altitudes very long unless you are back country heli skiing.

 

3. You are forcing more oxygen into your body just by skiing which offsets some of the effects of altitude (like an oxygen treatment) and as you glide downhill, that extra oxygen you have accumulated gives you "just enough" extra oxygen to stave off AMS for the short time you are above 10,000 feet.

 

 

Just be careful and TAKE IT EASY those first couple of days. AMS is absolutely horrible. And once you get it, you are much more prone to getting it in the future.

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Very interesting greatam. If you have a catalog business, I probably have ordered from you in the past.

 

Coca tea did not help me. The local doctor who treated me in Cuzco gave me oxygen and a drip of headache and nausea medication. He gave me Gingko Biloba tablets for the rest of the trip and and advised light meals and mint tea. (Coffeine is not my thing.)That worked even though we went to a higher altitude in Puno.

 

Juliaca, now that's a boom town of third world dimensions.

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Very interesting greatam. If you have a catalog business, I probably have ordered from you in the past.

 

Coca tea did not help me. The local doctor who treated me in Cuzco gave me oxygen and a drip of headache and nausea medication. He gave me Gingko Biloba tablets for the rest of the trip and and advised light meals and mint tea. (Coffeine is not my thing.)That worked even though we went to a higher altitude in Puno.

 

Juliaca, now that's a boom town of third world dimensions.

 

I do not have a catalog business. I bring in about 1500-2000 alpaca sweaters a year. About 1/2 of those are for various charities to resell, primarily dog rescue organizations with dog pictures on them. They are the PERFECT sweaters for a climate like Arizona because even though they are VERY good at colder temps, they are not itcy and are light enough to ward off Arizona chills without feeling like you are draped in a rug. Those all come out of Juliaca-the large sweater factories for export are there. I actually love Juliaca-not touristy like Cusco and if you get into the inner streets where the factories are, there are some truly high class, high dollar cashmere and alpaca goods. Yes, pretty third world in places but I have sure seen a lot worse.

 

The full length alpaca coats I sell go so fast, I usually have pre orders before I ever get to South America. Again, alpaca is extremely warm but it is light enough to wear in a climate like Arizona on some of those 30-40 degree winter nights and not feel the heaviness like you would with beaver, coyote, mink or other furs. I have a long list of flight attendants who want those alpaca coats so not a lot of trouble getting rid of them. If I have any left over before the season ends, onto Ebay they go and they are usually gone in a day or two.

 

Rugs and wall hangings plus the messenger bags, duffel bags and water bottle holders-sometimes I sell them at flea markets or on Ebay but a lot of times, particularly at things like biker rally's/events, the water bottle holders, duffel bags and messenger bags go very, very fast. I sold over 600 water bottle holders in Laughlin 2011 at the Laughlin River Run. Buy them for $1.00, sell them for $5.00. Pays for my fun travel!!!

 

And I also import "old style" flip flops from Vietnam. GREAT soles, webbing that is embedded in the sole, not some plastic piece stuck through from the top like that crap they sell at Walmart that lasts one day until you get in thick sand or mud. I have been doing this just because it is fun and pays for my fun travel so I can go do exotic things way off the beaten path.

 

A shame the coca tea didn't work for you. But as I posted previously, you need to start drinking it the MINUTE you get off the plane in Cusco. Can't wait until the symptoms show up. Then the tea may work to somewhat alleviate the symptoms but the results can still be bad The first time I had it, I was absolutely FREEZING (it wasn't that cold outside-February), I had enough alpaca blankets piled on me they felt like hay bales. I thought my head was going to blow up, the pain was that intense. Went lower to the Sacred Valley for one night but I already had a full blown case of AMS, so there was not much to do except drink a lot of coca tea, take aspirin, try to stay warm and DO NOTHING except a very easy walk to dinner. And I learned my lesson well.

 

I really did nothing that first trip 12 years ago on the first day except climb a bunch of stairs to my hotel. Coolest hotel (although certainly not the fanciest) I have ever stayed in in Cusco. Fireplace in the room (it was the only heat but lots of wood), a resident baby deer that lived on the property, simply spectacular views of Cusco from my own glassed in patio. And owners that really cared whether you had a good time and provided guides and taxis and info for anything I needed. http://www.hotelcasadecampo.com/

 

They took very good care of me while I was sick. By day three, I was up and around feeling fine. Acclimation is truly the key. And now I know I was just a "dumb tourist" who did too much (that stair climbing with luggage in hand) too soon.

 

Enjoy. It is truly a fabulous part of the world.

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