Day 248 - High Altitude

(Ursula) Our health condition has improved enough to continue driving.

It is a beautiful, clear day. The dirt road climbed to 15,800 feet, leading over two mountain passes. Soon our faces and limbs began to tingle again, and I felt pressure on my chest and stomach. I also developed a headache and felt a ringing in my ears. We had to rest a few more times along the way to acclimatize.

And we were not the only ones that felt the high altitude. The engine didn't do so well either. We noticed its power was diminishing. I guess it had trouble breathing. Haha! Heinz studied the VW operating manual and increased the carburetor air intake. That did the trick. We had full engine power again.

The landscape and rock formations in this mountain region were amazing. Sometimes gray, then red, changing to orange or black and white. Some areas resembled the surface of the moon. It was spooky - are we still on Earth? The altitude constantly changed, and after a long time, the road gradually descended to lower elevations. The more altitude we lost, the better we felt physically.

The Altiplano was, just as the word implies, a high plateau. Sheep, Lamas, and Alpacas grazed on meager patches of grass, which could be seen on the planes where there were small depressions, allowing rainwater to accumulate.

From time to time, we passed a cluster of farm buildings constructed of mud-brick. The people (Indios) seemed shy but waved to us good-naturedly when they saw us waving at them. The children looked pretty, typically wearing a felt hat, with brown weathered faces and black eyes.

The landscape looked barren. We seemed to be the only vehicle on the road. Only now and then did we cross with another vehicle. The road surface often became a washboard, and Heinz had to slow down. But at least it was drivable, and we had no rain.

As night approached, we found a place to camp beside the road in the middle of nowhere. Then I heard a "hissing" sound. OH no! One of the tires was punctured and losing air.

When Heinz was finished changing the wheel, I had a lentil soup ready for dinner.

We were eating when we saw a group of men on horseback passing by in the twilight. The scene reminded us of a negative encounter in Nicaragua. Thus we decided not to stay there and find a safer location.

We packed up and drove to the town of Ilave, where we stayed next to a gas station. Ilave is on the shore of Lake Titicaca at an elevation of 12,500 feet.

We are now on the Altiplano. It's a different world up here.

Stats: Miles 102, Expenses $0.00Les mer