Altitude sick

Trip Start Feb 23, 2008

Trip End Jul 04, 2008

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Flag of Peru Cusco, Peru
Sunday, June 15, 2008

My mom planned this whole trip with the help of a tour agent in Lima. So we are about to see how smoothly things will work out. We arrive in Cusco and we have a car waiting to take us the hotel. So far so good. Also the hotel has all our rooms. The only glitch is that our train and Manchu Picchu tickets are suppose to be at the hotel, which they are not. After a few phone calls we figure out they are going to be delivered in the morning with someone to take us to the train.

My mom feels altitude sick pretty much instantly. We arrived at 11,150 ft. and coming from sea level that is high for my family. Actually this is the highest any of them have ever been. Everyone chills in the hotel for the day while Ryan, Chris and I walk around the city, go to a bar, and decide on a place for dinner. At the bar we play pinball with an 8 year old boy. He is hilarious, constantly talking to us in Spanish like we understand him

First lunch together in Cusco

. We can only pick up bits and pieces but can make out that we are too fat to fit under the pinball table (which he keeps going) and that tomorrow he is going to be on fire and beat us all!

We arrive back at the hotel to get everyone for dinner. Only Kortnee is in the mood. We head to Cicciolina, a tapas joint, because they only have high tables with bar stools for 4 people. We order wine and food and are having a good time until Kortnee passes out onto the table. (If I had not just seen this happen in San Pedro I would have been a little freaked out!) The wait-staff immediately attach an oxygen mask to Kortnee and she starts to come to. Ryan and Kortnee decide to leave and Chris and I eat all the food ourselves!

The next morning we have to get up at 4:30am to catch the train to Aguas Caliente. Someone from the tour agency is waiting for us with all our tickets and info and walks us to the train station as planned. Everyone seems a little better on the 4 hour train ride. Plus we are going down in altitude to 7,700 ft. (besides a couple high points on the train ride where we all started to feel pretty light headed.)