Paramedic for lunch of coca tea

Arrival in Cusco is without incident. Although all bags are placed in the hold before we take off. All in all it is an amazing city. We are staying at the JW Cusco which is in Old Colonial Cusco 2 blocks from the square. Get into the hotel check in unpack and off to explore.   Well maybe not explore so much first lunch.

Upon arrival at the hotel we are greeted with a cup of Coca tea. This is a stimulant that will convert to cocaine metabolites cause both night time wakefulness and a few other side effects.   The tea is made by filling a cup with dry leaves and adding hot water.  So we have 2 cups before lunch.  Dan and I have been taking the altitude medication for a couple of days so I feel we should do okay. Don and Patti don’t want to take it and Tim and Blanca have decided to take it. I brought some extra medications so are good to go

We decide to have lunch at the hotel especially since Dan and I have had nothing since breakfast and it is almost 3pm. Turns out beside oxygen in the rooms the hotel has a “doctor/paramedic “ available for guests if needed. Blanca decided we should check this out since Patti had a headache, Dan also had a headache and Blanca felt dizzy. So here we are in the restaurant at lunch with everyone getting there oxygen saturation checked by Sebastian. Everyone was okay running between 89 and 94. Normal is 97 to 99 except Blanca who gets to wear the oxygen mask for 5 minutes because she was at 84 percent.

The service is incredible. The paramedic went to the pharmacy for us   Everyone wanted something. We wrote out a list with milligrams and amounts and he brought back the medication. Then went over to the market to buy Diet Coke since the hotel only has Pepsi products.

Then onto lunch at the hotel.  The food is incredible everything we ordered was great. Spiced with traditional Peruvian spices giving great flavors to everything.  After lunch Dan and Don went to the rooms while Patti and I walked down to the square and did some window shopping.

The street sells are tenacious.  We are most impressed with the high end Alpaca stores.  Too bad Dan is allergic to wool. We were back in time for the hotel tour.  This is a JW Marriott property that was built on top of the ruins of a convent.  The building of the hotel had to account and preserve artifacts that were uncovered.  After the tour we went to the bar and learned about the local alcohol Pisco.  It is the basis for the Pisco Sour. A national drink in this part of Peru.  Pisco can only be produced in 5 departments or states in Peru. It is made from grapes but not fermented in wood.  If produced in other parts of Peru it must be called Peruvian Brandy. Similar to the name Champagne and France.

Well we spent several hours talking to Nichols the bartender and learned the secret is probably the key limes they use to make it and what are better brands to buy. All in all a great day for Day 1 in Cusco.