Some people have problems with altitude sickness when traveling at high altitude destinations in South America such as Cusco, Lake Titicaca, Uyuni Salt Flats and the altiplano areas in Chile and Argentina - and sometimes even when in Quito, which is at about 9,000 feet. Cusco is at about 11,000 feet and other areas mentioned can be up around 14,000. The best viewpoint at Rainbow Mountain, which is becoming more popular, is at about 17,000 feet. You can get up to 13,000 feet and higher on treks from Cusco.

I've never had a problem in Cusco, but my wife did. I did have a headache at Lake Titicaca though after too much walking on my arrival day. Luckily my guide gave me a pill that helped.

Rapid ascent to heights exceeding about 8,000 above sea level can cause oxygen saturation of hemoglobin in the body to decrease.  Breathing and heart rate increase immediately, and the heart beats faster. For most people, that's the worst of it since their bodies adapt and the concentration of red blood cells increase. For others, that feeling of breathlessness soon leads to a pounding headache, nausea and vertigo.

What can you do to try to prevent this, or at least make it more tolerable?

I had a meeting today with the sales rep for the Antarctic air-cruises and he asked me how he could help. I told him he could help by getting more space on their tours! As of October 31, of the 1,924 berths available for the 2018-2019 departures, 1,914 of them were already booked. For the 2019-2020 season the have a new ship coming on board and he told me it was already almost sold out for January 2020 departures!

​Why are they so popular?

Are you interested in traveling along the famous Carretera Austral in remote southern Chile? If so, here are a few tips from our local operator:

Many people seem to think that travel to South America is dangerous. The U.S. Department of State recently came out with a new system of grading the safety of countries and it shows some interesting things

Recently, Turismo Chile, the government organization responsible for promoting the country, invited some agents to visit the country and the agents came away very impressed.

Because of the altitude, aridity, and almost non-existent light pollution, some of the most technically advanced and scientifically renowned observatories in the world are located in the Atacama Desert.

People go to Patagonia for different reasons - some want to trek in Torres del Paine or Glaciares Park, some want to experience it's vast open vistas, others want to see wildlife. So, when is the best time to go?

Just as looking for jaguars in the Pantanal has gained in popularity during the past few years, looking for Pumas in Chile in the Torres del Paine area has also increased in popularity because it is the best place in all of South America to track, spot and photograph these beautiful big cats in the wild.

In a recent Portrait of American Travelers study, it was noted that 67% of American travelers now express an interest in experiencing foreign foods. That is up from 51% just 2 years ago. Millenials showed the most interest while mature travelers showed the least interest.  I wonder if that is partially due to tv celebrities like Andrew Zimmern and Anthony Bourdain who travel around the world eating local food? At any rate, it seems that will eventually hurt the malls I've seen in foreign countries that have nothing but American fast food restaurants in them.

South America is definitely an area where local chefs are developing cuisines that are evolving and enticing travelers.