The Altitude in La Paz, So Far
At 3,300 meters, La Paz is the highest capital in the world, safely keeping its South American counterparts in Ecuador (Quito) and Colombia (Bogota), at a distance.
Most people cope with the altitude just fine, thank you very much. In the course of their stay here, it is very likely that said people will be spending time at places much higher, e.g. El Alto, Lake Titicaca, or the Chilean-Bolivian border crossing, which measures in at a stunning 4,700 meters.
A German pilot I recently talked to told me about a practical joke he likes to play on his doctor whenever he goes back home to the old country. Since any blood test performed on a Pacena would confirm the abundance of white blood cells due to the lack of oxygen, it would stand to reason that this man, according to any professional medical opinion, would be very, very sick, if the doctor is unaware of the patient's origins. So the pilot tells his doctor that he feels sick, the doctor orders a blood test, the doctor freaks out when he sees the white blood cell count, and the pilot laughs himself silly when gauging the doctor's reaction and eventually lets the cat out of the bag.
I have now started exercising, and particularly running, regularly in La Paz, which means running up hills, hills, and more hills. Last May, this would come in very handy when I would run my first marathon at sea level in Pennsylvania. There can be no denying that running at this altitude is an enormous plus, and that people only running at or near sea level will be gassed more quickly. Advantage, La Paz.
So, all of this means I should be as healthy as a horse and that I have laid a foundation for a healthy life here in the mountains, right?
Not quite.
I have run miles and miles here with little problem, yet there have been times I have clutched my chest when ascending a flight of stairs.
I have always been a light sleeper – if I'm lucky I would get six hours of sleep a night at sea level. Here that number has been cut in half – and still I seem to function just fine with the little sleep I get.
I've lost weight – always a good thing, especially for a forty-something like me, and I need to watch my water intake (read: drink lots of it) in order to avoid the dryness that can make the skin on your face look like you've just spent the night in a sauna.
For the most part, the altitude will slow you down at first, yet the cases of people fainting, sucking from oxygen tanks, or evacuations due to altitude sickness are very rare. In general, you have to like your chances very much if you lead a healthy lifestyle. Obviously, an obese person moving gingerly at sea level will have a tough time here. Alcohol drinkers might want to lay off the booze when they get here. Smokers might want to cut down their consumption – the choice between nicotine and oxygen should be a fairly easy one.
Other than that, there are minor things people need to watch. Tires don't inflate as easily and need to be re-inflated from time to time, as do soccer balls. Tennis balls need to be altitude balls, meaning sea level balls will feel as heavy as bricks. When baking, people need to consider that the texture or the fluffiness of the cakes or cookies they're making will change, often to one's horror.
To cut to the chase: living here is absolutely wonderful, although ignoring the altitude will decrease your quality of life if you blissfully ignore it.
Most people cope with the altitude just fine, thank you very much. In the course of their stay here, it is very likely that said people will be spending time at places much higher, e.g. El Alto, Lake Titicaca, or the Chilean-Bolivian border crossing, which measures in at a stunning 4,700 meters.
A German pilot I recently talked to told me about a practical joke he likes to play on his doctor whenever he goes back home to the old country. Since any blood test performed on a Pacena would confirm the abundance of white blood cells due to the lack of oxygen, it would stand to reason that this man, according to any professional medical opinion, would be very, very sick, if the doctor is unaware of the patient's origins. So the pilot tells his doctor that he feels sick, the doctor orders a blood test, the doctor freaks out when he sees the white blood cell count, and the pilot laughs himself silly when gauging the doctor's reaction and eventually lets the cat out of the bag.
I have now started exercising, and particularly running, regularly in La Paz, which means running up hills, hills, and more hills. Last May, this would come in very handy when I would run my first marathon at sea level in Pennsylvania. There can be no denying that running at this altitude is an enormous plus, and that people only running at or near sea level will be gassed more quickly. Advantage, La Paz.
So, all of this means I should be as healthy as a horse and that I have laid a foundation for a healthy life here in the mountains, right?
Not quite.
I have run miles and miles here with little problem, yet there have been times I have clutched my chest when ascending a flight of stairs.
I have always been a light sleeper – if I'm lucky I would get six hours of sleep a night at sea level. Here that number has been cut in half – and still I seem to function just fine with the little sleep I get.
I've lost weight – always a good thing, especially for a forty-something like me, and I need to watch my water intake (read: drink lots of it) in order to avoid the dryness that can make the skin on your face look like you've just spent the night in a sauna.
For the most part, the altitude will slow you down at first, yet the cases of people fainting, sucking from oxygen tanks, or evacuations due to altitude sickness are very rare. In general, you have to like your chances very much if you lead a healthy lifestyle. Obviously, an obese person moving gingerly at sea level will have a tough time here. Alcohol drinkers might want to lay off the booze when they get here. Smokers might want to cut down their consumption – the choice between nicotine and oxygen should be a fairly easy one.
Other than that, there are minor things people need to watch. Tires don't inflate as easily and need to be re-inflated from time to time, as do soccer balls. Tennis balls need to be altitude balls, meaning sea level balls will feel as heavy as bricks. When baking, people need to consider that the texture or the fluffiness of the cakes or cookies they're making will change, often to one's horror.
To cut to the chase: living here is absolutely wonderful, although ignoring the altitude will decrease your quality of life if you blissfully ignore it.
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