I always consider myself to be a fairly competent, seasoned budget and independent traveler, meaning that I buy cheap tickets, look for lodging upon arrival, ask people on location where to go and where to stay and where to save money. I also eat at the cheap and plentiful street carts, take busses, hitchhike and stay in cheap holes with no TV or telephone(why the hell would I want to watch TV while I am finally in a new place, full of interesting things?).
Well, I also take busses after being told horror stories by people from the country(like my Dad telling me not to take the bus in Mexico because I will get drugged and robbed, if I'm lucky. Raped and or kidnapped if I am not so lucky), go to places people tell me I shouldn't(I rarely do this part, but sometimes), pull my camera out and take pictures when natives tell me I will get mugged, and more than anything, I eat at street vendors when everyone tells me I am going to get sick, puke, die or worse. And in all my years of slumming it all over the US and Mexico I only got sick once(and pretty sure I almost died, but I didn't. Mom always said I lead a charmed life!).
Now I realize that people are telling me this out of pure love and goodness of their hearts. Because YES, it can happen. And it DOES happen. But, if I may be cliche, and I will, people die in plane crashes and way way way more often in car crashes, but I can't let that fact keep me from ever entering a plane or car again, right?
At this point I have to share a story of how well intentioned the people of an area or city or country are and that they will do what they can to scare a non local away for their own good. My best friend, back in high school, a white guy, was driving home to Oregon from a car show in Southern California, with another white guy. They pulled off the freeway because they realized they were about to run out of gas. Being the utopian, color blind, nineties kids that they were, they didn't realize everyone else was black. As my friend is opening his door to pay for gas, the station attendent(a young black man) ran up to the car, panic on his face, and told him, "You can't be here. Please. Roll up your windows, lock your doors and get back to the freeway immediately, or you are going to get killed". They eventually realized they had gotten off in south central los angeles at its height of craziness.
Now, maybe this caring guy saved their life. Who knows. The point is, we all have scary stories of horrific things that have happened and we can't let that control our lives and our adventures in other countries, or ours for that matter. Don't even get me started on the dangers of going to the movies in the United States. batman? You get me?
What all that long introduction was meant to say was that I decided a long time ago that I have to make my own decisions and use common sense when traveling. And it has served me well.
And so It was with this experience that I went into the trip to Cusco. all the stories of altitude sickness and how I should eat light and drink coca leave tea and not drink. Well, I ate like a pig on the way up to Cusco. I ate and ate and ate. I was HUNGRY!!! and I did not have any Coca tea.
About halfway through the trip, and about 9,000 ft (the highest I have been recently is Tahoe, at about 6,000ish) I began to feel sick and get crazy bubble gut. Then I spent the rest of the night between violently puking and trying not to puke. I will leave it at that and save you the gory details of what else happened. Needless to say, I got no sleep and arrived at Cusco...the place I have been looking forward to forever!!!... feeling like complete shit and looking like a zombie.
And so I have been bed ridden and felt like I was dying. And really, the bus ride, in tight confines with over 50 other people, being that sick, is about as close to hell as I have felt.
I finally started drinking some Coca tea, because the guy that checked us in at the hostel offered it to me, obviously realizing I needed it. and ate light, not on purpose but, because I couldn't keep anything down. and drank ALOT of water and slept. and today I finally was able to take a hike!! yeah!!
Moral of the story is: It is great to be an independent traveler and I highly encourage it. And I usually say to ignore the horror stories. but ALWAYS use your common sense and listen when enough people are telling you something! or it will be HELL.
Sorry for the really long, no picture rant. I will blog next, how to avoid getting sick on a bus trip from Lima to Cuzco/Cusco.
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