Trip Report: Peru

[kai #2]

I think altitude sickness is a made up thing. I had upset stomach but only for a day. Other than that the only other thing I noticed was I found myself taking an extra breath every so often in Cusco because you were walking either uphill or down hill

I much preferred Trujillo to Lima. Loved Cusco and hope to return there soon. The coca tea was great in preventing altitude sickness and my hotel offered it to you as soon as you checked in. I also enjoyed the overnight bus from Lima to Trujillo , had reclining seats on the bottom floor, wifi and food service and movies.


Dan LV

[Gavan]

I much preferred Trujillo to Lima. Loved Cusco and hope to return there soon. The coca tea was great in preventing altitude sickness and my hotel offered it to you as soon as you checked in. I also enjoyed the overnight bus from Lima to Trujillo , had reclining seats on the bottom floor, wifi and food service and movies.


Dan LV

While I like Lima too (at least some parts of it), my favorite cities are in the north: Trujillo and Piura. I prefer northern Peru to southern Peru myself (better food, nicer weather, beaches, etc.)

Trujillo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaB-Fs-Vdk0


Girls From Trujillo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkAU7AgD938

Piura
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2K2luI_dlw


Chiclayo is nice too, basically a smaller version of Trujillo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzcQJ01NUlM


I even like Chimbote and Nuevo Chimbote, but those cities are very "third world", unsafe and polluted so I wouldn't really recommend them as places to visit for most people.

Nuevo Chimbote
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkaRuek4Cmk


Oh and you're right about the buses. There are some excellent long distance bus companies in Peru: Cruz del Sur, Via, Ittza, etc.

[robert angel]

I think altitude sickness is a made up thing. I had upset stomach but only for a day. Other than that the only other thing I noticed was I found myself taking an extra breath every so often in Cusco because you were walking either uphill or down hill

I think altitude sickness and altitude disease are not really clear cut things and each person, as well as mechanical device, is effected differently. I've spent a fair amount of time at around 12,000 feet and found that along with a lot of folks, you tend to get a bit 'giddy'--kind of dumber--not as sharp as you are at sea level. Exerting yourself gets harder the higher you go. That said, after a while, you get used to it and then when you come back down, you're typically a bit stronger at lower altitudes, with different oxygen levels in your blood.

All that is part of why long distance runners sometimes train for super competitive meets at high altitudes.

You start getting up above 20,000 feet and you're not really making rational decisions for yourself very well anymore. So many climbers die at the top of mountains because they weren't rational anymore.

[Awesome]

You start getting up above 20,000 feet and you're not really making rational decisions for yourself very well anymore. So many climbers die at the top of mountains because they weren't rational anymore.

Hmm, very interesting.  This may explain some of the confused, erratic postings of one of our mountain climbing regular posters.

[kai #2]

C'mon Awe, not now...please

Hmm, very interesting.  This may explain some of the confused, erratic postings of one of our mountain climbing regular posters.

[Dan Las Vegas]

Gavan,


I enjoyed both of my overnight bus trips quite a bit, both took about ten hours and I was able to sleep well in the bus but at times wished that I had a blanket as it was quite cold on the bus. 


I can't speak for others, but I have never suffered altitude sickness, perhaps because I took the local's advice and drank coca tea several times each day. There were other people that I was with that suffered quite a bit that were not drinking the tea.  But apparently it affects everyone differently and some people not at all.


Dan LV

[Gavan]

Gavan,


I enjoyed both of my overnight bus trips quite a bit, both took about ten hours and I was able to sleep well in the bus but at times wished that I had a blanket as it was quite cold on the bus. 


I can't speak for others, but I have never suffered altitude sickness, perhaps because I took the local's advice and drank coca tea several times each day. There were other people that I was with that suffered quite a bit that were not drinking the tea.  But apparently it affects everyone differently and some people not at all.


Dan LV

Yeah, Lima-Trujillo is about 8-10 hours. They didn't give you a blanket? Strange, you usually get one on most "bus cama" buses in Peru.


I didn't get altitude sickness either when I went to Cusco. I drank mate de coca too and also ate some "caramelos de coca" (coca candy), maybe they helped I don't know.