High in Cuzco

Cuzco is a city located 3,000 meters above sea level. The moment you land on Cuzco, you would not think this was the case. It's surrounded by mountains and looks like it sits in a valley on a lowland. But, that's where most people get deceived. For some travellers, they are prepared for the altitude and have taken precautionary measures to ensure they don't get altitude sickness by taking altitude sickness tablets. For others, they just storm in and wait and see..

But, before things turn for the worse for the unprepared in Cuzco, there is a great remedy that the indigenous locals use to combat altitude sickness, and it is called the Coca leaf. The Coca leaf is sold everywhere in Cuzco, and is turned into a tea called Mate de Coca. There is also a candy variety which has some caramel flavour to it. Coca leaves have been used by the Incas for centuries, and are known to help with digestion as well. One other use for the coca leaf, albeit notorious, is for the production of cocaine. This is one of the ingredients of the narcotic cocaine, however, a pure coca leaf does not contain any narcotic substances. It is not classified as a drug, and does not give you a high.Be aware that altitude sickness can be serious, as your brain would feel deprived of oxygen, so I advise you to look after yourself and be prepared for it.

Cuzco is an amazing city. It holds a great blend of the traditional Inca way of living, infused with the Spanish influence with its plaza and cathedral. The cathedral is a must-see in Cuzco! It doesn't look much from the outside, but from the inside, it's just amazingly beautiful! It's even grander than the Lima Cathedral! So much artwork and gold paintings and sculptures around! The city also has great markets to shop for traditional Inca crafts and artwork.

Just outside the city centre are some ruins for the Inca empire. The Sacsaywaman ruins are the most famous, and offers a great view of the city and the Andes. It's definitely worth a visit. There are also other ruins nearby and they can easily be visited if you catch a day tour of the city itself.

So, if you ever visit Peru just for the Machu Picchu, think again. Cuzco and its surrounding areas offer a lot of beautiful sites to see and check out.