This Is Not What I Expected at Machu Picchu

When hiking Machu Picchu, there are a lot of things people worry about.

Is the hike too intense? What are the accommodations like? Is there dangerous wildlife? How do you avoid altitude sickness? Will sunscreen even be enough for that UV?

I thought I had prepared for all of it.

Turns out I missed one thing. An allergic reaction.

At 23, I had exactly one allergy, jewelry. Easy to manage and never a real issue. My whole life, I just avoided certain metals and moved on.

No problems. Until I was hiking one of the wonders of the world.

After hours of climbing steep inclines, adjusting to the elevation, and finally reaching one of the most incredible views I’ve ever seen, I looked down and noticed my arms breaking out in hives.

I will spare the full details, but within minutes I was struggling to breathe. Instead of taking in the view, all I could think about was how fast I could get off that mountain and to a doctor.

Thankfully, I wasn’t alone. I was traveling with my parents and a guided group with experienced tour leaders. One of the hikers had Benadryl, so I took it and we immediately started heading back down.

Once we got to the bottom, my mom and I went straight to a local doctor. He gave me a steroid shot, not my favorite moment, and medication to control the reaction.

When I got back to the U.S., I followed up with an allergist and went through a full round of testing.

That is when I found out I had developed allergies to chicken and potatoes.

Which, if you know Peru... is not ideal.

Looking back, that moment could have completely ruined the experience. But it did not.

It reminded me that no matter how much you prepare, travel will always throw something unexpected your way. What matters is who you are with and how you handle it.

Now it is one of my favorite stories to tell, and one I can finally laugh about.