Adventures with Altitude.

"At 3249 m, the standard barometric pressure is 69 kPa (521 mmHg). This means that there is 69% of the oxygen available at sea level." -http://www.altitude.org/air_pressure.php

Which means....

Eek! Is it going to pop?

Check out this little bag of wipes. Everything we've unpacked is swollen because of the pressure changes. You open your water bottle and it fizzes like its carbonated. Doesn't matter what it is; if it is closed, it will swell. This leads to some interesting effects. 

Anything that can swell can pop. That happened to a bottle of muscle rub I had in my outer most pocket. Luckily, I was able to clean everything up with my wash rag and forgot about it. 

All was well. 

Or was it?

For the rest of our first day we ran errands, got to know the city, and fought sleep deprivation. There was water to buy, groceries to get, a hospital to find. The city was beautiful. We were pretty pooped by the end of the day. But there was one integral task left before we would retire to sweet slumber land. However, like any good med students, we were determined to shower. 

I offered to go last. Uploading photos takes a long time and I was happily playing around with my camera. So I waved my roommates on. 

That's when the screams started. 

Oh no. I HATE cold showers. One by one my braver roommates faced the icy beast. And I...sorta stayed on the couch, biding my time, rationalizing that if I waited long enough the limited hot water would come back. I could make the shower reallly really quick. I could shower like a cheetah. That's not going to happen. I'm going to have to take this like a woman. 

I gathered my clothes, took a deep breath of 69% oxygen and went in. To my left, the ice beast. To my right, the window. Marilyn had stuffed towels around the seams, but it was only enough to do the top. I stuffed an extra one around bottom for good measure. This room is frigid. 

Ok. I am going to this. I am going to conquer this through mind and breath control. I will take off each jacket one at a time and acclimate. This will be done. 

I checked to make sure everything was in place for maximum efficiency. Then I adjusted myself to hide behind the door before turning on the water. I am the unsure child at the pool, dipping in a toe at a time. Time to turn on the water. OH GOD IT IS COLD. Time to turn off the water. 

Collect yourself. Breathe your 69% and step in. Be zen. Turn on the water. Gkk! Turn it off. Forget mind over matter. Go cheetah go!

I turned on the water. For one hopeful moment, the water temperature started to climb. But hope was fleeting. Water was freezing. Forget the hair, you washed it 48 hrs ago. It'll be fine. GO GO GO. The pressurized soap shot out of the bottle and started pouring all over itself. I fumble it shut and wipe the rest up with the wash cloth. It is time to scrub vigorously. I cover my entire body in seconds flat.

And just when you think you're out of the woods, just when you're ready to rinse your final, frigid rinse, your body makes it well known that you have just covered her head to toe in Walmart KnockOFF BENGAY. 

Oh yes. It is just as potent as the original.

Moral of the story: Wrap your products before you pack. And if something strange happens, the only cure is to stand in a freezing cold shower and laugh so hard at yourself that you cry.