Days 5-7: Getting Sick in Cusco

Getting Sick in Cusco

Days 5 – 7

January 2 – 5

Cusco, Peru

My alarm awoke me at 5:00 AM in Lima International Airport.  It was a surprisingly pleasant sleep on the ground, and my early awakening got me through check-in and security quickly.  Airside, at my gate, I was given bad news: a thunderstorm in the area was delaying all flights.  Several hours later, the weather cleared enough to board and make the 60 minute flight to Cusco, the original capital of the Inca Empire, and gateway to Machu Picchu.  

At an elevation over 11,000 feet, three days in Cusco was the perfect opportunity to acclimate to the Andean environment of the Inca Trail.  I came to Cusco for one reason: to hike 45 kilometers of the Inca Trail from Km 82 to Machu Picchu, which contained some of the most picturesque scenery of the trail.  I was set to leave on January 5^th, and needed only to enjoy my time until then. 

Except, I didn’t enjoy my time at all.  On my first day there, my stomach was feeling upset.  By the second morning, I could feel illness coming on.  Normally, my body staves off illness well, but when I get sick, it comes harshly.  That was the case this time.  I was exhausted by the end of day two, and crippled by illness on the third morning.  My stomach bubbled with every twist of my torso.  My head pounded, and I could feel a drop in blood pressure with any movement more vertical than laying down.  I couldn’t even eat solid foods.  I was completely drained of energy.  I wasn’t quite ready to go to the hospital, so I took what medications I believed were necessary and laid in bed until late in the afternoon.  

Around 6:00 PM, I mustered up what strength I could and dragged myself to the Alpaca Expeditions office a few blocks away.  The Peruvian government prohibits tourists from hiking the Inca Trail without a certified guide, and Alpaca happened to be the guide service I chose for this trip.  We had a 6:30 PM group briefing on the night of January 4^th to cover any last minute details before an early departure the next morning towards Km 82 of the Inca Trail.  

I arrived last to the office and was greeted by 15 other travelers sitting in a circle, conversing and joking over cups of coca tea.  Being the only solo traveler on this trip, I knew I had to start making friends if I was going to enjoy this trip.  But I could barely walk or think, and was in no mood to meet anyone new at this point.  The meeting dragged on for an hour with my remembering only one important detail: Wilson and Monolo, our tour guides, were going to pick me up at 4:15 AM at my hostel.  It seems I would be exhausted and ill for the first day of a four day trek through the Andes Mountains.