Fun Fact: Peru has been named the World’s Leading Culinary Destination 11 times total, including 8 consecutive years, topping global heavyweights like France, Italy, and Japan. If you don’t believe me, try the food yourself and let’s talk after.
What I Learned About Altitude & Digestion
- Eat small upon landing: Next time I fly into high elevation, I’m sticking to a small, light meal right away instead of waiting until I’m starving to order a feast.
- Embrace local remedies: Coca leaf tea, and even coca tea leaf candies, are sold on every corner for a reason. Beyond easing altitude sickness, locals swear by it for digestion too, and I found it really helped.
- Keep mint tea handy: Peppermint tea works wonders for quickly relieving bloat and relaxing the digestive tract.
Exploring Beyond the Gym Wall
We did make it to Machu Picchu and yes, it was breathtaking! but when planning this trip, we explicitly booked day tours because there is so much more to Peru than just checking off one famous landmark. We wanted to experience the culture through movement. We got driven around to each location and walked the sites, but since our hotel in Cusco didn’t have a gym, these historical landscapes naturally became our daily movement space.
Our very first stop was the village of Chinchero, where a young woman showed us how she naturally dyes alpaca wool using local plants, tree bark, purple corn, cochineal bugs from cactus pads, and mineral salts giving me a whole new layer of appreciation for my roots. 
From there, we kept exploring:
Moray: Walking around to view the deep, terraced agricultural microclimates. 
Maras: Taking in the breathtaking views of the sprawling salt pans carved into the mountain hillside. 
Ollantaytambo: Scaling those steep, ancient stone steps at over 9,000 feet, which turned into an absolute leg workout at high elevation.
Experiencing these places on foot was such a grounding way to feel connected to the land. And right at the end of our trip, getting to meet and hang out with the insanely cute alpacas was the perfect final highlight!
Rainbow Mountain Humbled Me
At 16,000+ feet, Rainbow Mountain is a completely different monster. Because I felt totally fine at Machu Picchu, my ego convinced me I didn’t need any altitude remedies. They offered horses and ATVs at the base, and our tour provides us with walking sticks. I turned down both rides thinking, “I walk everywhere and train constantly, I’ve got this.” NOPE, WRONG!
My dad took the ATV partway up because of his knee, but then he got lost and took the wrong route omg!! He switched to a horse, which also only goes up to a certain point, then walked the rest of the way to the summit himself. Meanwhile I spent the entire hike low-key trying not to heave while attempting to look unbothered next to the horse handlers offering rides. (Spoiler: I was, in fact, extremely bothered.) They know exactly what they’re doing. As you look progressively more defeated along the trail, the price to ride keeps dropping!
A guy named Christian who was in my group kept handing me water, encouraging me, and pushing me to finish on foot. We became great friends and still check in on each other whenever either of us travels.
I finally dragged myself to the top, only to look up and see my 70-year-old dad already on his way back down from the highest peak. Wasn’t this man just riding a horse for the hike, only to decide he could climb the summit on foot?! he saw me and had a smug smile and asked me, “What took you so long?” No walking stick, a bad knee, completely unfazed, while I was standing there terrified of heights. I was so proud of him. But honestly, what a view, and so rewarding making it to the top.
Pro Tip (Learn From My Mistake!): Altitude sickness doesn’t care about your fitness level. Pacing always beats pride. Take shorter steps, and focus on steady breathing on the steep inclines. Honestly, coca tea was the only altitude prep I really knew about going in, it’s what every local and every family member who’d been before told me to rely on, so that’s exactly what I did. Looking back, I wish I’d actually researched what else helps beyond the tea, hydration, electrolytes, pacing, before assuming one remedy would cover it.
I just focused on sipping water, using slow, conscious breathwork to get my breathing back under control, and letting myself sit in the discomfort until my body was calm enough to actually fall asleep.
The True Meaning of Real Capability
From the Health Hub
Planning a trip to high elevation? Check out my presentation Melatonin as a Sleep Aid for High-Altitude Travelers to see how elevation impacts circadian rhythms and rest, featuring Cusco and other high-altitude destinations.
