My travel companion and I enjoyed a lot of coca tea in Peru, especially during our first two days at altitude in Cusco. A fine tonic to ease the symptoms of altitude sickness, coca tea is simply dried coca leaves steeped in hot water. With a slightly bitter, grassy flavour, I would not recommend it as a replacement for coffee or regular tea at sea level. Coca is a stronger stimulant though, and more importantly it helps temporarily ease the queasy, head-achey, hangover feeling newcomers to altitude experience during their first couple of days.
We also chewed on the leaves when hot water wasn’t available, such as while walking around town, exploring a ruin, or riding a tour bus. Unless you are super fit, be sure to give yourself a couple of days to get used to altitude before you attempt anything strenuous.
The legendary capital city of the Incas and now a thriving and picturesque tourist town, Cusco is 3,400 m (11,200 feet) above sea level. We flew there direct from Lima, the coastal Peruvian capital.
