Vanquished Into Thin Air

Friday, December 16, 2016
Cusco, Peru
Leaving the JW Marriott, I asked the man at the door which way I should walk. He graciously answered, "Go two blocks up that hill and turn left." I walked those two blocks up that hill and realized what this elevation does to your lungs. I am in great walking shape but not here. This air is thin and you feel it right away.

I have no sign of altitude sickness, that's for certain. I am just short of breath when I do the things I normally do. My solution was to just slow down. That worked fine.

There are colorful local people here and there are colorless local people here. It is the colorful ones that draw the eye. Mostly ladies, their attire is showy to say the least. Subtlety does not appeal to them. They are all flash.

I strolled the Plaza de Armas, a very large square flanked by the Inglesia de la Compania de Jesus (The Church of the Society of Jesus) and The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin, usually just called the Cusco Cathedral. People gather here, fountains flow and today's sun beat down intensely. Missing are the outdoor cafes that would surround the place were we in Europe instead of Peru. In all my strolling, I found not a one. I'll keep looking.

I grabbed a bite at Paddy's Irish Pub which, at 11,156 feet above sea level, is billed as "The Highest 100% Irish owned Pub on the Planet." I enjoyed a couple of the local beers: Cusquena. Pretty good.

Back at the hotel, exhausted from a combination of the thin air and a lack of sleep, I opted for a nap. The hotel attempted to deliver a fruit plate and a couple of bottles of beer to my room but I had placed the "Do Not Disturb" sign out. So, they called the room phone and woke me up. I answered the door, took the tray from the bellman and dropped one of the bottles of beer which promptly shattered on the floor. Nap over.

I rinsed out my beer soaked socks and they are now hanging up to dry which I hope they do overnight. I'm being picked up tomorrow morning at 8:30 to continue my Peruvian adventure. More details to come.

Oh; if these entries are bugging you just ping me back and I'll gladly remove you from the mailing list.


 
 
 

Comments

Lou Grabowsky
2016-12-17

Great pics!

Sandi Raff
2016-12-17

If my memory serves me the native population chews cocoa (?) Leaves to function at the high altitude.

Sandi Raff
2016-12-17

If my memory serves me the native population chews cocoa (?) Leaves to function at the high altitude.

The photos are great!

James Landrum
2016-12-17

Paul,
Thanks for sharing your trip with all of us. I look forward to reading the entries! The pictures are great!

Linda Lee
2016-12-17

Not annoying!! Happy trails Pauly!!

2025-02-07

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