Coca leaves, I looove you!
I’m usually good up in the mountains – okay fine, there may be a bout or fifteen with HAF*, but nothing a few GasX won’t cure – but holy hell was I not prepared for what was about to happen in Peru or Chile.
High Altitude Sickness kicked in the first time for me in Peru. I was in Cusco at the market – not the big tourist one but the one waaaaay down the hill where the locals go – haggling my ass off over some alpaca skins when suddenly I wanted to die. As in crawl in the ground and call it a day. I got nauseous, light headed, dizzy and blacked out thinking, “THIS is how it’s gonna go down? Here?” I woke up to the guy I was haggling with standing over me and shoving what looked like bay leaves in my mouth.
I almost died haggling over this rug. It was worth it.
My first thought was, “What in the sam hell is this guy doing?” and just as I was thinking, “Is he trying to drug me – cuz dude, I’m already down,” a miracle happened. Not only did I feel 150% better – I felt like I could move mountains. I popped back up, finished haggling and left with three pelts (two of which I later lined with cashmere and gave out as the best Christmas gifts ever) and a bag of coca leaves. And that is how I discovered the wonderful coca leaf.
Now, I know the US government wants to bomb all coca leaves from the face the face of the planet, but I disagree. I should also note I DON’T DO DRUGS – at least not drugs that can’t be bought legally and over the counter (as in, anywhere, not just the US. I am clearly a fan of the international OTC market). The native people of South America have all been chomping on the leaves for thousands of years and without the coca leaf I would’ve, at the very least, had a crappy time in Peru and never made it to Macchu Picchu. And I never would’ve made it to the geyser fields in the Chilean Atacama Desert.
The Salar de Atacama salt flats surrounded by mountains made of salt. Not as tasty as you’d think.
Last summer, at the ripe old age of (record scratch), I learned how to ski. In August. In Chile. Afterwards, with the help of Santiago Adventures I did a tour of the wine country before heading up to stay at the insanely chic Alto Atacama Resort in the highest desert in the world. While I acclimated for three days before I was allowed to even attempt to go to the Geyser Fields which are up at 14,000 ft above sea level – I saw things like this:
I also did a Star Safari (You’re so close to the sky you can see all of Saturn’s rings and the entire Milky Way through a telescope – not kidding). And tromped through the world’s highest wetlands. But the biggest draw were the El Tatio geyser fields. And frankly, I would’ve had to give them a miss if i hadn’t made friends with Julio and Ana at the hotel who, on the 4 am bus up to the geyser fields (you have to get there for sunrise when everything really blows up) helpfully handed me a wad of coca leaves to eradicate my pounding headache. Seriously, it felt like my brain had been taken over by a room full of angry, drunken elephants who were about start sumo wrestling.
I helpfully videotaped myself chomping on said leaves for your enjoyment. Note, I have no pupils. Enjoy!
*High Altitude Flatulence – the scourge of the skies. Just ask any stewardess. They’ve all crop dusted a few passengers in their day. Trust.
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First of all thank you for coming to my ancient cultures country Perú. Coca leaf won’t desappear entirely as cultive because there’s a peruvian state company that buy legal harvest coca leaf for traditional and alternative uses consume. What has to disappear is ilegal harvest for cocaine production. Those efects you feal are fue to the small non adictive dose of cocaine chlorydrate you consume.
agreed!
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You seem like such an awesome person! How did you ever find the courage to even start all these adventures? I want to be you. Seriously. Can we possibly trade bodies so I can go on the next trip?
thank you!!! it was either travel or… hate my life. so i left my life to travel… does that make sense? you can see al the videos at once (when they first come out) on http://www.screen.yahoo.com/a-broad-abroad … would love your thoughts!
Well that makes perfect sense! I work a boring office job so I understand fully. Thank you for the link and here are some thoughts. First I think you are one brave woman and HILARIOUS! I like that you give the real deal stories and don’t just sugarcoat everything. Hearing Laila Ajjawi say that in Jordan a man can rape a woman, marry her and have no punishment. OMG my first thought, as an American woman, was ” I wanna kick some Jordanian ass”. I guess you learn to take the good with the bad and appreciate not having to live there. The baby cheetahs were insanely adorable. I would have tried to smuggle one out in my purse. I also loved the elephant videos and the sweet couple who started the sanctuary and the mahouts who take care of them! Do you think they have any job openings? Kind of kidding, kind of not. I can not believe that the border crossing simulation experience in mexico exists! I bet that was scary as hell!! Anyway I could go on all day but I have a few questions if you find the time. Question #1 Obviously you have had a lot of amazing experiences but what is one really bad experience? Or a place you went to that you probably wouldn’t want to visit again? Question #2 I’m a 26 year old woman and I would be traveling by myself do I pick Thailand or Italy? I’m torn I either want to hug a tiger and ride an elephant through the jungle OR watch Italian football live and eat lots and lots of pasta . Thanks for your time and again you are awesome!
hey robin! so.. the thing about bad experiences – they happen. but they usually happened because 1. i was in a super lousy mindframe or 2. didnt know the culture (i was once basically kidnapped in india and forced to sit in a shop for hours after my shoes were stolen until bought something andmy credit card was ripped off). BUT. i love india… i always want to go back except for places like the bahamas which for me is just epcot center in the ocean. as for where you should go? Thailand will be cheaper and you will have a lot more weirder awesome experiences, heh. just kidding. both are great. i would do thailand, but thats just me. you gott do whats right for YOU