Posada Nueva Espana

Diamox, My Saviour

by neurochic

Okay first and foremost, no drug is benign and you should always consult your doctor to see whether you can take a med or not, but for me Diamox helped me tremendously on my trip in Peru. Diamox (aka acetazolamide) is a drug that physicians use mainly for patients with increased pressure in their brains or as a diuretic. In terms of altitude, it works to help your body acclimatize to the altitude quicker than normal. Often times people who come from an area at or below sea level who visit Peru suffer from headaches because of the change in altitude. You can even possibly get altitude sickness.
The dose that I used and what is recommended by the International Society for Mountain Medicine is 250mg every 12 hours starting 24 hours before an ascent and you stop it by the 2nd or 3rd day at your highest ascent. Diamox does not prevent altitude sickness! If you have any of the symptoms of altitude sickness like extreme headache not relieved with tylenol or motrin, nausea, vomiting, lightheadedness, difficulty breathing, or a change in your mental status, then definitely get some oxygen and descend as quickly as possible.

Furthermore, Diamox did have some unpleasant side effects. Because it is a diuretic, you urinate often and with my already small bladder, this completely sucked. Also if you are allergic to sulfa meds you can't take it. Also, you can get a pins and needles feeling in your feet and your fingers which was so annoying for my husband that he had to stop taking it. All of these side effects go away once you stop the med. There were reports of some having a change in their vision while taking the med. If this happens to you, stop the med immediately!

The International Society of Mountain Medicine has an awesome website with info about Diamox and altitude sickness. Here is a link Altitude Sickness

Chachani

by christian99

This volcano that looks down upon Arequipa is no longer active, but it offers the great interest of being one of the more-than-6000 m (20,000 ft) peaks easiest to climb in the world. For a relatively low price, a guide can take you to the top in 2 days. The car drives you to an altitude of nearly 5000 m (16,500 ft). There is no ice nor any technical difficulty. Only altitude can be a problem. It is recommended to be somewhat acclimatized before trying this ascent .

Monasterio Santa Catalina

by devillush

This convent was founded in 1579 but has only been open to the public since 1970. Even for those who aren't particularly interested in religion this is an interesting site to visit for the architecture. It is built out of the white volcanic rock Arequipa is famous for and has been beautifully restored after damage from earthquakes. Definately a relaxing way to spend a sunny afternoon.

San Francisco Iglesia and Convent

by kiwigal_1

While walking around central Arequipa we visited another church called the San Francisco Iglesia and Convent which is situated on Zela Street.

It is a complex that contains the San Francisco Church, the convent and also another smaller church known as La Tercera Orden.

You can visit the church Monday to Saturday 7- 9 am and 5 - 8 pm or Sundays 7am - 12 pm and 5 - 8 pm.

THIS is a city ! Ca, c'est de la ville !

by Maillekeul

"We arrived early... Nous sommes arrives tot"

... in Arequipa, second city of the country... 2300 meters over the sea level ... But what a city ! Completely different from Lima, looking smaller but definitely not... A great discovery...

... a Arequipa, deuxieme ville du pays... a 2300 metres d'altitude... Mais quelle ville ! Rien a voir avec Lima, paraissant plus petite mais definitivement geante... Une decouverte ...