When you Arrive in Cusco

Many people ask about altitude sickness, wondering if it will be a problem. Altitude sickness is caused when there is less oxygen in your bloodstream due to being at a high altitude above sea level. It can cause fatigue or general tiredness or even dehydration, dizziness, vomiting or nausea and loss of appetite. “Periodic Breathing” is common at high altitudes. It involves alternate periods of deep and shallow breathing, and breathing may even cease for between 3 and 15 seconds. When it occurs at high altitudes, periodic breathing is not a medical problem on its own. It is just the body’s physiological response to having lower-than-normal oxygen levels in the atmosphere. Your body reacts to this by making you breathe faster and deeper. This in turn, causes a quick build-up of carbon dioxide in your blood, which feeds back to your respiratory system causing your breathing to slow down or even stop for a short while. When your body senses a further drop in oxygen levels in the blood, it is kick-started into breathing faster and deeper again. And so, the cycle continues.

Periodic breathing can interfere with your sleep if the periods of no breathing wake you up or make you sleep restlessly. If this becomes a problem, taking the prescription medicine acetazolamide (Diamox) may help. (ASK YOUR DOCTOR).

We take care of our clients and want you to enjoy your vacation so our agency receives support from a doctor who can advise you if you are feeling any symptoms of altitude sickness.

The best advice we can give is to relax and take in plenty of fluids, walk slowly and avoid heavy food and alcohol for, at least, your first 2 days here. It is best to do short and non-strenuous activities for your first few days until you become acclimatized to the altitude.

OVERVIEW

Elevation Cusco: 3.300 meter /11.152 feet

• This is a half-day tour.
• We will spend the day learning about the culture of the Quechua Incan people.
• We offer tours either from 8am to 1 pm, or from 1pm to 6pm, picking you up from your hotel and dropping you off once the tour is finished.
• We will visit some nearby places like the main Colonia Cathedral and the Temple of the Sun/Convent of Santo Domingo, as well as archeological sites in Sucsayhuaman, Quenqo, Tambomachay and Pukapukara.