Maoxian (茂县) - Jiuzhaigou (九寨沟) - Dagu Glacier (达谷冰川)
Sichuan (四川), China (中国)
March-April 2013
Well, were these true?
According to the locals, altitude sickness can be alleviated by:
Well, yoga breathing did indeed help!
Merlion Wayfarer was pre-warned by her tour leader and her friends about the effect of altitude sickness. And she was certainly freaked out about it!
Friend K said when she was in Nepal, she could not eat anything during the entire trip and had to rely on just chocolate bars. (OK, so Merlion Wayfarer prepared herself and brought lots of Oreos and Cadburys!)
(Sources : Wikimedia & The Guardian)
Friend K also said that it was not possible to eat much meat on high altitudes as it may not be fresh due to the transportation required. And that be prepared to eat a purely vegetarian diet. (Oh no, jiak chao (吃草) like a goat?!)
(Source : Wordpress)
Tour Guide E said that one's stomach would shrink due to the altitude. This would result in digestive discomfort conditions, e.g. wind, loss of appetite...
He also proposed that tour members experiment by counting their heartbeats in Chengdu and at the higher altitude. An increase of at least 1.5 times was expected. (Oh my poor heart? No wonder Tibetans have a higher concentration of oxygenating red blood cells!)
Despite the cold weather, Tour Leader C reminded all to avoid alcohol and hot springs as these could increase one's blood pressure significantly...
Merlion Wayfarer panicked. She even went to see the doctor in search of a prescription or medication for altitude sickness.
When we reached the mountain lodgings, our bloated packets of food were showing the effects of high altitude - All bloated! Imagine the same thing happen to your stomach!
Merlion Wayfarer saw these conditions happen to her tour group:
- The tour guide had pinkish cheeks much like the Tibetans despite putting on sunblock. His face also showed signs of skin aging with visible spotting despite being only in his 30s.
- Group Member A suffered from excessive flatulence during the entire mountain trip and kept burping.
- Group Member B experienced non-stop diarrhoea for three consecutive days.
- Group Member C could not eat much during the entire trip.
- Group Member D could not hear anything well even when questions were asked several times.
- Group Member E had a very bad stabbing headache when descending from the high altitude too quickly.
- Group Member F could not breathe properly.
- Group Member G became absent-minded and careless.
- Group Member H could not see clearly due to the reflection off the snow.
- Group Member I developed more freckles after leaving the mountains.
- Several group members also showed signs of sunburn with watch/ring bands with lighter coloured tones and peeling skin.
According to the locals, altitude sickness can be alleviated by:
- Slowing down one's pace of walking
- Avoiding running and any fast-paced or strenuous activities
- Taking deep breaths
- Not losing one's temper unnecessarily
Well, yoga breathing did indeed help!
(Source : Wordpress)
