Altitude Sickness
I'm in Arizona with my mom right now, for a hiking vacation. It's been mostly good, except for the fact that I'm having sinus problems. My nose has been alternately and simultaneously runny, stuffed, or dripping into my throat. And I suspect it's altitude related (I'm at 4000ft above sea level) because the very first day, I got a dull, persistent headache. Which I've gotten at high altitudes before. But also, I've taken multiple kinds of allergy meds to no avail. I've avoided the pseudoephedrine, which I suspect would work (whether or not it ever makes me stop sneezing, it always dries out my sinuses completely and reduces that swollen/inflamed feeling), simply because the air is already so dry that I suspect the dryness would hurt. It doesn't help that it makes me feel lethargic.

On a side note, I'm relatively close to Flagstaff, which is where I bought the t-shirt that ultimately inspired the blogspot address and title. In 2004, I picked up a shirt that read "Dineh Brand Coffee," but I think I picked it up in an outdoor gear store, not a café. Anyway, it was around then that I realized I loved coffee, and the idea of jetsetting around the world, sampling coffees was pretty romantic. I've come to realize I'm not such a discerning drinker: I just know I like dark, strong coffee. It's better if it's not oily, but I'm not too picky beyond that point.

Anyway, I'll try to write up some stuff about this trip soon (and I should probably get around to describing Buenos Aires). We flew in to Phoenix on Sunday morning and hiked South Mountain. Monday, we did Camelback Mountain (via Echo Canyon), and then we drove up toward Sedona. We stopped along the way at Montezuma Castle National Monument. But we've in fact not done huge amounts of hiking--my mom doesn't have the same endurance she used to--but she's been a trouper.
- posted by roger @ 10:41 AM (0) comments