• home
  • about me
  • latest
  • brooke beyond

  • destinations
    • WORLD MAP
    • Africa
      • Botswana
      • Morocco
      • Namibia
      • South Africa
      • Zambia
      • Zimbabwe
    • Asia
      • Cambodia
      • China
      • Indonesia
      • Laos
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Aus + NZ
      • Adelaide & South Australia
      • Brisbane & Queensland
      • Hobart & Tasmania
      • Melbourne & Victoria
      • Perth & Western Australia
      • Sydney & New South Wales
      • New Zealand
    • Europe
      • Austria
      • Czech Republic
      • France
      • Germany
      • Hungary
      • Iceland
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Netherlands
      • Poland
      • Slovenia
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • UK
    • Latin America
      • Mexico
        • all Mexico
        • Baja Peninsula
      • Argentina
      • Bolivia
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Panama
      • Peru
    • USA
      • Arizona
      • California
      • Colorado
      • Hawaii
      • Idaho
      • Montana
      • Nevada
      • New Mexico
      • Oregon
      • Utah
      • Washington
      • Wyoming
  • hiking guides

brooke beyond

Latin America / Peru

Coca, the South American wonder leaf

December 19, 2014

When we were in Cusco, first experiencing altitude-related headaches, the coca leaf was my saviour. I drank several cups of tea a day and it balanced out my headache so well, better than any medicine. Just the smell of the leaves felt soothing. This was completely ruined by a certain bus ride through the jungle.

We had been warned that many of the people on the bus would be carrying illegal amounts of coca and the bus would likely be drug searched. (The coca leaf is legal to chew and drink, but is still a controlled substance because of its potential to be made into very not-legal cocaine.) This did not prepare us for the sheer volume of leaves we would encounter.

We step onto the bus and it is the strongest, foulest smell I have ever experienced: 50kg of raw coca leaves. Every man, woman, and child is weighed down with multiple garbage sacks of leaves. As soon as we sit, women are trying to pawn off sacks to us, so they can smuggle more than their allotment through the checkpoint. The woman next to me is in a fit, shoving leaves down her shirt and up her skirt, hollering and frantically looking out the window to check for officers.

Eventually, we are stopped and much of the coca is seized off the smugglers, though I am astounded by how cavalier the officers are being about the whole thing. The woman next to me tug-of-wars her bag from the officer, begging to keep more, and all he does is laugh to himself. It is obvious why so many people try to smuggle, when the officers seem not to care much at all.

The smuggling is alarming, but the smell is what really sticks with me and I am having trouble even walking around the streets because the smell is haunting my dreams and threatening to bring my breakfast up.

This doesn’t actually last too long, though, because I’m back into the coca leaves by the time we get to La Paz, dizzy from the elevation once again. All the locals are chewing on the leaves, and I know from Cusco that they definitely help with altitude sickness, so I buy myself a bag from a lady on the street and start nibbling away. No one tells me that I’m not supposed to eat them. In the end, I’m 10x sicker than I began and I’m vomiting green for a week. My fault.

TAGS:culture shock
0 Comments
Share
brooke brisbine

I've spent the last decade exploring the world— everything from solo trekking in the Andes to overlanding in Zambia, all while completing a PhD in Biomechanics, teaching at a university & securing permanent residency in Australia. In 2020, I finally fulfilled my dream of becoming a full-time nomad! Whether it’s vanlife in Mexico, scuba diving in the Galápagos, ticking off incredible US National Parks, or climbing in the Dolomites, I hope this blog will inspire your future adventures & help you find wonder in every corner of the globe. xx bb

Leave a Comment Cancel Comment

You May Also Like

January 30, 2015

San Telmo: Paris on Steroids

February 26, 2022

Sierra Chincua Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary: how to see millions of migrating butterflies in Mexico

December 9, 2019

12 best day hikes and multi-day treks in Peru

hi, I’m brooke!

I've spent the last decade exploring the world— everything from solo trekking in the Andes to overlanding in Zambia, all while completing a PhD in Biomechanics. In 2020, I finally fulfilled my dream of becoming a full-time nomad! Whether it’s vanlife in Mexico, scuba diving in the Galápagos, ticking off incredible US National Parks, or climbing in the Dolomites, I hope this blog will inspire your future adventures & help you find wonder in every corner of the globe. xx bb

read my story
currently exploring

currently exploring

mexico

img

travel resources

flights ✈️ Skyscanner

hotels 🏨 booking.com

adventure gear 🥾 REI

travel essentials 📸 Amazon

travel guides

hiking guides

vanlife resources

moving to australia

trip itineraries

recent posts

  • Alta Via 4 Italian Dolomites hiking via ferrata guide

    Alta Via 4 (days 5 & 6): Rifugio San Marco to Rifugio Antelao to Pieve di Cadore

    June 5, 2023
  • Alta Via 4 Italian Dolomites hiking via ferrata guide

    Alta Via 4 (day 4): Rifugio Vandelli to Rifugio San Marco + Via Ferrata Giro de Sorapis

    June 5, 2023
  • Alta Via 4 Italian Dolomites hiking via ferrata guide

    Alta Via 4 (day 3): Rifugio Fonda Savio to Rifugio Vandelli

    June 5, 2023
  • Alta Via 4 Italian Dolomites hiking via ferrata guide

    Alta Via 4 (day 2): Rifugio Locatelli Tre Cime to Rifugio Fonda Savio + Via Ferrata Merlone

    June 5, 2023
  • Alta Via 4 Italian Dolomites hiking via ferrata guide

    Alta Via 4 (day 1): Rifugio Tre Scarperi to Locatelli Tre Cime + Via Ferrata Torre di Toblin & Innerkofler

    June 5, 2023

…

travel beyond the ordinary

Explore my travel guides, custom itineraries & blog posts with an interactive world map ✨

all destinations

…

  • home
  • about me
  • latest
  • destinations
  • hiking guides
  • moving to Australia
  • vanlife resources
  • contact

COPYRIGHT © 2022 BROOKE BEYOND. TRAVEL BEYOND THE ORDINARY. Site Powered by Pix & Hue.