Before heading to La Paz, we were told about many things to look for here by colleagues and friends, the altitude being chiefly among them. I looked up altitude sickness to learn exactly how this would affect us and was a little spooked at some of the symptoms listed. Headache, accelerated heart rate, difficulty breathing, etc. Deaths have been known to occur in the extreme cases, evacuation to lower elevations didn’t seem uncommon, either.
A week into the La Paz experience, we are all still standing, alive and well, with no ill effects. This doesn’t mean we got away completely unharmed.
I have already described our arrival at the airport, although on our ride to our new house my popping ears indicated that things would improve vastly once we descended from the airport, the peak of the city at 14,000 feet. The first few days we brace for the worst, yet the headaches never happen, nor are we nauseous or feel overly alarmed. That said, climbing up the stairs proves to be a task. Whereas Kathmandu, less than a mile in altitude, was no challenge whatsoever, here we will have to pace ourselves. Even Axl learns this the hard way, and I would regularly find him breathing heavily after seeing him do what three year olds do. Even now, although I am convinced the worst is behind us, do I realize I find myself staring into space, as if I wasn’t quite sure where I was. Altitude will do that to you.
It is obvious there are certain things humans weren’t meant to do. They weren’t meant to run down animals and shred them with their bare hands and teeth. They were not meant to live in the water or outer space. The same appears to apply to high altitudes, although the history of La Paz seems to suggest otherwise. Here I can take a walk around the neighborhood and I will still see kids playing in parks, grown men kicking a soccer ball around, workers doing heavy lifting without breaking a sweat. It’s obvious we haven’t reached that stage yet.
The visitor here will do well to be aware of the altitude. This isn’t a vacation resort where you step out, go for a jog or a nice power walk and then move on with your life. Any guest here will do good to reserve a few days for adjusting.
A few weeks ago, an American NGO staged a benefit women's soccer match between an American team and a local team. The score was respectable at halftime, with the locals clinging to a slim 1-0 lead. When the final whistle sounded, though, the scoreboard read 7-0, locals. Superior soccer skills? Certainly, but you could chalk up most of those goals to the altitude and the fact that the American ladies, completely gassed, felt they were playing the second half in astronaut gear.
Not surprisingly, foreign national soccer teams hate coming to La Paz. To most, it must appear like they’ve been asked to chase dolphins underwater. I’m surprised the home team here ever loses, yet somehow they do. Also, it must be disheartening to the Bolivian national team that they have to play half of their games at sea level.
Foreigners here are strongly advised not to get pregnant, the obvious reason being that a fetus here will have less oxygen to work with. Miscarriages here are well above the average, and Americans are encouraged, check that, in some cases ordered to have their babies back home, provided the pregnancies survive until the latter stages. People are also strongly advised to abstain from alcohol when they first get here, since a hangover can last up to two weeks. This might become the right place for becoming a teetotaler.
On the plus side, it has been well established what high altitude cardio can do for you. I have an itching to run again, but will heed my doctor’s advice on this one, that is to wait a few weeks before even contemplating jogging. I can already walk at a brisk pace, so that’s a start.
Walk before you run. And don’t forget the breathing part before that.
A week into the La Paz experience, we are all still standing, alive and well, with no ill effects. This doesn’t mean we got away completely unharmed.
I have already described our arrival at the airport, although on our ride to our new house my popping ears indicated that things would improve vastly once we descended from the airport, the peak of the city at 14,000 feet. The first few days we brace for the worst, yet the headaches never happen, nor are we nauseous or feel overly alarmed. That said, climbing up the stairs proves to be a task. Whereas Kathmandu, less than a mile in altitude, was no challenge whatsoever, here we will have to pace ourselves. Even Axl learns this the hard way, and I would regularly find him breathing heavily after seeing him do what three year olds do. Even now, although I am convinced the worst is behind us, do I realize I find myself staring into space, as if I wasn’t quite sure where I was. Altitude will do that to you.
It is obvious there are certain things humans weren’t meant to do. They weren’t meant to run down animals and shred them with their bare hands and teeth. They were not meant to live in the water or outer space. The same appears to apply to high altitudes, although the history of La Paz seems to suggest otherwise. Here I can take a walk around the neighborhood and I will still see kids playing in parks, grown men kicking a soccer ball around, workers doing heavy lifting without breaking a sweat. It’s obvious we haven’t reached that stage yet.
The visitor here will do well to be aware of the altitude. This isn’t a vacation resort where you step out, go for a jog or a nice power walk and then move on with your life. Any guest here will do good to reserve a few days for adjusting.
A few weeks ago, an American NGO staged a benefit women's soccer match between an American team and a local team. The score was respectable at halftime, with the locals clinging to a slim 1-0 lead. When the final whistle sounded, though, the scoreboard read 7-0, locals. Superior soccer skills? Certainly, but you could chalk up most of those goals to the altitude and the fact that the American ladies, completely gassed, felt they were playing the second half in astronaut gear.
Not surprisingly, foreign national soccer teams hate coming to La Paz. To most, it must appear like they’ve been asked to chase dolphins underwater. I’m surprised the home team here ever loses, yet somehow they do. Also, it must be disheartening to the Bolivian national team that they have to play half of their games at sea level.
Foreigners here are strongly advised not to get pregnant, the obvious reason being that a fetus here will have less oxygen to work with. Miscarriages here are well above the average, and Americans are encouraged, check that, in some cases ordered to have their babies back home, provided the pregnancies survive until the latter stages. People are also strongly advised to abstain from alcohol when they first get here, since a hangover can last up to two weeks. This might become the right place for becoming a teetotaler.
On the plus side, it has been well established what high altitude cardio can do for you. I have an itching to run again, but will heed my doctor’s advice on this one, that is to wait a few weeks before even contemplating jogging. I can already walk at a brisk pace, so that’s a start.
Walk before you run. And don’t forget the breathing part before that.
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