It seems I have been able to avoid altitude sickness so far! the numb tongue was worth! Cuzco is located at 11.000 feet over the sea level, and when people arrive from Lima, by plane (like I did) they are most likely to suffer from "Soroche", the local name for height sickness, a syndrome characterized by fatigue, shortness of breath upon very slight exertion (climbing a few stairs can do it), headaches, loss of appetite, nausea. Now if they evolve to a a harsh cough, then it has probably turned into a pulmonary edema, that needs immediate medical attention as it can be deadly.
I am staying at the traditional quarter named San Blas; the adress made me laugh: 7 little devils street, where it meets 7 little angels street!
The picture above shows the Bajada de San Blas (“Downhill San Blas”), my daily road (yes, spike streets indeed!). This is a traditional charming quarter up the hill north of Plaza de Armas. There are not outstanding museums or churches here, but the tiny alleys were my two colleagues and I wander around, either early in the morning or after 6 pm when we have finished our work. One tiny complain I have: besides the whole bunch of slopes and stairs all over town, we still have to climb up what seems an endless stone staircase to get to the lodge at the end of the day! So, on the second afternoon, and in order to take it easy, we had a “cultural shower” and visited three museums, most of them sporting pieces from The "Escuela Cuzqueña" or Cuzco School of art.
The Cuzco School was originated in the ancient Inca capital; it was a 17th-century movement which blended European and indigenous motifs to create a new world art form. Most paintings were devotional in nature (go figure, one whole afternoon admiring religious art) and richly decorated. One aspect I love about the Escuela Cuzquena is the fact that artists incorporated recognizable Andean elements into their oil paintings such as local flora and fauna, customs and traditions. I did enjoy the visit!
~November 29, 2006~
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