La Rinconada, is a city in the Southern Peruvian Andes where the Mountain Ranges provide the most spectacular views of the wider landscape of snow caped Mountains and glaciers that dominates the region as it has the largest concentration of them.
The city is located in the Puno Region, San Antonio de Putina Province, Ananea District. It lies at a height of 5,100 m/16,700 ft, above sea level. It is the highest elevation of human habitation in the world.
The Apolobamba mountain range traverses the Province. The highest Mountain of the range is the Chawpi Urqu (Quechua: "Central Mountain; Wisk'Achani, Aymara:"the one with a vizcacha.") with an elevation of 6,044 m/ 19,829 ft. It lies on the territorial border with Bolivia.
The city has an alpine climate (weather for regions above the tree line). The little amount of atmosphere exposes the alpine area to UV sunlight at a dangerous levels. Few animals, birds, and plants can survive because of the lack of oxygen.
At this high altitude, the population have adapted to the decreased levels of oxygen. For the 50,000 local population in La Riconada, the physiological adaptation have produced people from birth with larger lung, heart and blood capacity than low landers.
If you are a low lander and are planning to go to La Rinconada city, you need to be aware of the altitude sickness. At this elevation the pressure of the Oxygen diminishes so the quantity of the oxygen molecules per breath is lower than at sea level. As a consequence, the respiratory, circulatory, nervous and renal systems are affected by the inadequate amount of Oxygen. The level vary with every traveler.
You can help you body to adapt by consuming an extra amount of water and avoid coffee and alcoholic drinks. Eating in a very small quantities, preferably carbohydrates. Take it easy on the first day of arrival, rest is best. Do not take sleeping pills or tranquilizers.
The symptoms of the altitude sickness are: headache, nausea, difficulty in sleeping, dizziness, vertigo, difficulty breathing, extreme fatigue, and low volume of urine.
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