One of the challenges the team faces in Ecuador is higher altitudes. We leave Friday from Richmond at an altitude of 157 feet (48 meters) and arrive later that evening in Quito at an altitude of 9350 feet or about 1.8 miles (2850 meters).
Abrupt changes in elevation sometimes have ill effects on travelers, known as altitude sickness. Symptoms include insomnia, headache, tiredness, nausea, dizziness, and shortness of breath. In most cases, this can be remedied by drinking lots of water, getting lots of rest, and taking aspirin. For severe cases, there is a drug called Diamox that increases oxygen profusion. Diamox (or its equivalent) is available in Quito pharmacies.
Here are the various elevations during our trip:
- Richmond = 157 ft (48 m)
- Quito = 9350 ft (2850 m)
- Cotacachi = 7824 ft (2384 m)
- Ibarra = 9990 ft (3044 m)
- Lita = 1975 ft (601 m)
Luckily, we will have a day or two to adjust to the higher elevations before the work starts.
