Day 5 Into Thin Air

We had read about it, talked to people about it , pondered about it and been anxious about it and today we arrived in the Andes in Cuzco at 3000 metres and were welcomed by the dreaded thin air. At altitude the body has trouble as there is less oxygen and a series of reactions known as altitude sickness can affect people to varying degrees. As soon as we got out of the plane we noticed our breathing. We felt a little light headed, a little unbalanced and quite tired. When a hotel advertises that one of its features is bottled oxygen, it’s natural to be concerned. It became more real when we arrived and the staff insisted that we sit down to book in and we noticed in the opposite corner there was a Japanese girl enjoying the oxygen under a mask normally used in a hospital. We are reasonably fine, and have had a very quiet afternoon. We are told it will get easier in a day or two. It’s a stark reminder of the delicate balances in this incredible world that allows us the opportunity to live. We boast with bravado that we control our destiny and in an instant are reminded that without the delicate balance of gases, which make up the air we breathe, we would not breathe at all.