Cold Town, Warm People

Dani wasn’t herself on the five-hour bus trip from Cusco to Puno.

In the fifteen years we’ve been married, she’s always been a hearty traveler.  But on this trip she was queasy from the moment we left Cusco, as we made our way across the high Andean plains towards Lake Titicaca.

We had ascended nearly 2,000 feet on the journey, and were adapting to the thin air at 13,000 feet.  We also had to contend with temperatures dipping into the thirties, by far the coldest we’d experienced since leaving home.

After checking in to our hotel we found Edgar Adventures and booked a day long tour of Lake Titicaca for the next day.  Then we had a quick dinner and returned to the Plaza Mayor to turn in early – we knew we had an early start the next day.

A few hours later, I heard an awful noise coming from the bathroom.  When I went to investigate, I found Dani in terrible shape, battling a horrific case of food poisoning.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so sick.

And of course, like a fool, I’d left the first aid kit with our antibiotics back in Cusco.

Dani suffered through the night.  Every time it seemed the stomach cramps had eased, they would return stronger than ever.  By the time the sun rose, it was obvious we weren’t going on a Lake Titicaca tour that day.

At 8 a.m. I went down to the hotel desk to ask for help.  As luck would have it, the hotel’s general manager was a doctor, and the desk clerk called him at home.

Fifteen minutes later there was a knock on our door.  The doctor and his assistant (carrying a complete medical kit) came in and started asking questions in Spanish.  Fortunately Caroline had a medical unit in her Spanish class and was able to translate.

The doctor gave Dani a shot of antibiotics, wrote prescriptions for three medications, sent his assistant to pick them up an deliver them to us, and told us that any follow-up care would be free of charge.

Total cost for the Sunday morning “house call,” three prescriptions and delivery service: US$70.

Within an hour Dani was clearly improving, but it would be 48 hours before she was really herself again.

With Dani on the mend, the next task was to talk to the folks at Edgar Adventures about rescheduling our lake tour.  I also hoped to find something to do with the kids that afternoon.

Truly, Edgar Adventures could not have been more understanding.  They immediately accommodated us on the next day’s Lake Titicaca tour – and suggested a half day tour of the Sullistani ruins that afternoon.

I paid for the afternoon tour for the kids and me; then headed back to the hotel to check on Dani.

I’d walked about two blocks when I felt a hand on my shoulder.  I whipped around.  It was the owner of Edgar Adventures.

“Sir,” he said.  “When you paid for your tour you gave me 50 soles too much.”  He handed me back the money.

“Sir, you must be more careful.”

Inca ruins at Sillustani, near Puno.