Day 11: Tunari

-Woke up at 5:45 and ate some breakfast
-Met at the school at 6:30 to get on the bus
-The bus ride to Mount Tunari was 2 hours. I was really energetic and the bus ride was really fun! It didn’t seem like 2 hours at all. I was also drinking a lot of coca tea because it is supposed to help with altitude sickness.
-We finally arrived to the point where we were going to start hiking. On the way up I really thought there wasn´t going to be mountain left to hike but I was VERY wrong. We got there and our guide pointed to this little tip way in the distance and told us we were going to hike up there. I had NOOOOO idea what I was in for. I was all pumped and ready to go!
-The views were unbelievable. It was so pretty. I was very surprised at how hard it was to climb only a couple feet. The altitude really gets you—there is like no oxygen and you get so winded.
-The group kept trekking on, stopping every once and a while to catch our breath. We took a snack break right above this gorgeous lake. At this point, I was feeling pretty good; I only had a little headache. Crister played guitar and we just chilled for a while. The view was spectacular.
-We still had probably another hour and a half to hike up the mountain. As we went farther up I started to feel even worse. We got to one point where I REALLY didn´t feel well. I started to feel nauseas. I let the group go up ahead of me because I felt like I had to throw up…seconds later I did. I really didn´t know how I was going to make it up the rest of the mountain. My legs felt weak, my head was pounding and my stomach was churning. I told myself I had to make it; I didn´t want to let myself or the group down. I took a big gulp of air and slowly started to follow in Crister´s footsteps with Andrew following behind me. We took a quick break when Maro came down and told us that we were only 2 minutes away from the top. I couldn’t believe it! Only a little more and I could rest for a little. I slowly moved my feet inch by inch up the mountain and FINALLY made it to the top. With absolutely no more energy I collapsed on the rocks. I opened my eyes to find a spectacular view of Cochabamba below. I somewhat successfully made it to the tallest peak in Cochabamba.
-I napped at the top while others ate lunch and sang songs. I was feeling so sick and tired. I have never pushed my body to such an extreme.
-It was time to go back down. I slowly stood up and quickly realized I had to throw up again. The group headed down while Crister, Chris, and John waited for me to finish throwing up. I had 2 hours of mountain to climb down and honestly I had NO idea how I was going to do it. I had nothing in me. All my food and liquid was gone. All that coca tea for nothing…when I think about it now it makes me SO nauseas.
-Little by little I went down the mountain. I looked back surprised I even made it up. Every once and a while I had to stop to catch my breath, throw up, or hold my head while it throbbed like no other. Crister and the rest kept telling me I could make it. I knew I had to go down because I hurt whether I was sitting or walking.
-After 2 TRECHEROUS hours of making my way down to the mountain, I made it to the bus. I thought it was over but I was terribly wrong.
-I got on the bus feeling so sick. I had 2 hours and 30min of rocky, windy road ahead of me. Right as the bus started down the mountain I threw up the little I had left in me. My head was in extreme pain. Helen sat next to me scratching my back telling me it was going to be ok. Honestly, I didn´t think it was going to be. On the mountain I thought I was going to have to be carried or lifted off the mountain. Now on the bus the only thing running threw my head was: “Oh my god, oh my god.” I wasn´t even crying because I was in so much pain.
-I threw up one more time on the bus and then just passed out with my head in my hands. I anxiously awaited our arrival back at home.
-We made it home, finally, and I could barely get off my seat. Helen and Becky walked me home to explain to my mom I wasn’t feeling well. I went straight to the bathroom to puke one more time. Right as I got out, Charo gave me a big hug. It was so nice to have a comforting hug. She told me everything was going to be ok and helped me get into my bed. She made me feel so much better! Thank god for moms!! Nelson, my dad, came into my room also to see how I was feeling. I unfortunately had to say bye to him that night as well.
-Once in my warm, comfortable bed, I quickly fell asleep. I really couldn´t believe I made it into my bed after all that misery. After a day of a hell, my bed was truly heaven.
-End of day 11