Bienvenidos a La Paz! Pero bienvenidos a la altitud tambien!

Coming to La Paz has been quite the experience so far! After taking off a bit late from Miami, I had a restless sleep on the red eye to La Paz. Upon arrival in Bolivia, I immediately felt the effects of the altitude!! Most noticeably, my heart was beating a little faster and harder than usual and I had minimal traces of a headache.

After exiting the airplane, there was a long line for customs and tourist visas (tourists visiting Bolivia must “apply for,”aka purchase, a visa for $135 USD). About halfway through the snaking queue, I realized I was about to faint! – You know the feeling: hearing decreases, vision goes white, blood drains from your head, the cold sweat begins, and then stomach pains join the mix. So, I grabbed the arm of the man standing in front of me and said “I’m going to pass out!” Luckily he was a nice guy and kindly helped me over to a seat, where I sat, curled over, and dropped my head between my knees to encourage blood to flow back to my brain!

Soon a customs official came over and asked if I would like to see a “medico.” I shook my head yes, and he ushered me to the front of the visa line. Still not feeling strong enough to walk, I sat back down in a chair and assumed my curled over position. Finally, after all my paperwork was completed and I paid my $135, I was assisted to the area for “Oxygen Therapy.” I collapsed onto one of the stretchers and graciously accepted the oxygen mask. All the while, the doc was checking my pulses, my oxygen saturation, etc. I couldn’t help but think, “oh my gosh, I'm going to be sent home after a brief 20 minutes in Bolivia!"

Luckily, after a few minutes on oxygen, I felt good as new, relieved, and slightly embarrassed. After leaving the medic station, the long line of passengers had cleared out, and I set out to retrieve my bags and meet our local CFHI coordinator, Gonzalo.