The high-light of the trip from Arequipa to Chivay is the Mirador de los Andes at 16,066′. To prepare one’s body for the ascent, the guides recommend chewing coca leaves. They even stop at a mini-market on the outskirts of the city to give you a chance to purchase a bag of leaves (or coca candy). Then, when you are back on the bus, they demonstrate how to pinch off a tiny bit of ash, role it up in about a dozen leaves, and then stuff the wad into your cheek. You then mash it in place for a half hour or so to release the alkaloids in the leaves, one of which is a form of cocaine. (For a more in-depth discussion of coca and its role in Andean culture, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca.)
Coca tea is generally tauted by the guidebooks as being helpful in altitude adjustment, and it is readily available in tea bags in most hotels and restaurants. Several of the hotels I stayed in had bowls of loose leaves available next to their hot water urns. I’d been drinking it since my arrival in Peru; it was way better than Lipton. I also bought a bag of leaves and with my guides help, settled in for a half hour of masticating the wad while the van climbed ever higher on a wide, well-paved road. Later on, I used some of my leaves when ascending the highest pass on the Inca Trail. Since it is illegal to bring the leaves into the United States, I gave the remainder to my porters at the end of the trek.
At the mirador, the van stopped so we could take pictures. The view was, of course, fantastic, but it was difficult to enjoy for long as it was cold and the wind chill made it feel very cold, indeed. It was also difficult to capture the immensity of the view.
- The Andes from a height of 16,000′
Imogene Pass at 13,114'
The Rocky Mountains from 12,840'
Apachetas at Mirador de los Andes
An American Apacheta?
Balboa park building facade