Cusco Travel Forum

We will be traveling to Cuzco and Machu Picchu in mid-Feb. We arrive in Cuzco on Sun. at 11:25 (from Lima), and plan to tour a bit of the city that afternoon. We want to go to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, and are unsure if we can do MP on Mon., so we can go to the Pisac Market (open Tues/Thurs/Sun) and rest of Sacred Valley on Tues. Is that enough time to become altitude-acclimated? Or should we wait until Tues. to go to MP, and do what we can in the Sacred Valley on Mon.? Our group of 4 includes one 61 and 3 68 year olds, in fairly good health (2 with high blood pressure, medically controlled) and moderate fitness. thanks.

I agree, also with the itinerary, thatīs also more or less how we did it. About altitude: I am a smoker so prone to have problems faster but apart from feeling breathless in Cusco I didnīt have any real problems-neither in Bogota where I go to often, which is 2800 meters.

forgot to say, Iīm 58 years old.

I would not stay in Cuzco at first. Rather, I would head directly for the Sacred Valley, which is much lower. Stay at least one night in the valley before heading for Machu Picchu. As other VT posters have noted, Machu Picchu is much lower than Cuzco, so you want to go to Cuzco last, after you have had a chance to acclimate to the altitude.

I used Diamox when I went and I think it helped me acclimate faster--but everyone reacts differently to the altitude (and to Diamox) so just be prepared to take it easy.

There are some things you gotta keep in mind when visiting Cuzco: the best days to do anything in the Sacred Valley are Sundays, Thursdays and Tuesdays (I'd dare to say that in that order). So if you're arriving on Sun., I'd lose no time in Cuzco and go straight to Pisac or Ollantaytambo and try to spend most of the day there. Sleeping in the valley would be the best but if you can't then just go back to Cuzco to sleep.
You can visit MP and Cuzco anytime but it's different when it comes to the valley. For centuries people from all the little villages got together on Sundays in Pisac -and Ollanta- to exchange their goods and products. That is the real and traditional market day. Some years ago they decided to open the market also on Thu. and Tue. just to make things easier for tourists, so you can always go and get some handicrafts on those days but you'll miss all the local people wearing their colorful clothes and all the real thingie.
I'd suggest: Sun - Pisac or Ollanta, Mon - MP, - Tue - Sacred Valley, Wed - Cuzco.
Also keep in mind that it ussually rains a lot in Feb. It may bother on your visit to MP so check the weather report or ask when being there and also try to fix your schedule according to it. Nobody wants to go to Mapi when it's too cloudy!

If my two flights were typical it must be rare for people to get sick on the flight up to Cuzco in the pressurized cabins --no one got sick on either flight.

There are two issues related to becoming 'altitude acclimated': 1) the effects of altitude from low pressures and low oxygen to which your body may never fully adjust, and 2) altitude sickness. Shortness of breath upon exertion is often anexample of one of the first and does not represent illness unless it relates to pulmonary edema. Very mild symptoms of the second respond well to rest, light meals, minimal or no alcohol and lots of liquids. Chewing coca leaf is safe, but I suspect the coca tea is better because it combines rest, liquids and the mild stimulant. Aspirin or Tylenol etc. can also help.

The most effective treatment of both mild and severe cases is to descend from the high altitude.

Severe altitude sickness is life threatening. Because the illness can include cerebral edema a significant danger is that the victum will lose common sense judgement and deny that they are ill. If you notice any strange behavior from your traveling companions insist on going to the hospital. THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!

Prevention involves doing those things recommended for mild symptoms except for the symptom treating drugs. There is no evidence as far as I know that aspirin or Tylenol help prevent altitude sickness. Because I am a physician, I checked out the ingredients of the altitude lozanges claimed to prevent the sickness. They had aspirin, an aspirin conjugate and caffeine. Not exactly placebo as they could help with some symptoms, but it is doubtful that they would prevent a true (ie. serious) case of altitude sickness.
Another precaution I have read is to ascend to a certain altitude and then descend a ways for a place to spend the night. The idea of arriving in Cuzco, visiting awhile and then going to the Sacred Valley for your first night fits this advice.

Diamox is a diuretic that has been used both in prevention and treatment of altitude sickness. (Remember the most important treatment is the return to conditions of lower altitude.) Although Diamox has been proven to help as a preventative, it is not without risks of its own. The low risk of getting significant altitude sickness on a trip to Machu Pichu and the dangers of Diamox mean that you should consult with your doctors before using this medicaton.
Personally because I thought I had experienced some mild symptoms on trips into Mexico City (it could have been the smog)I took Diamox. I had no problems in Peru with the medication or the altitude. Of course, this does not prove anything. It is difficult to predict who might have trouble. The one case I saw was of a 14 year old girl on a bus to Colca Canyon who got ill at 4000 meters. She was back to normal at 3500 meters. Good luck. bob