Nothing can stop us except for intestinal bacteria

Next Stop Puno

After a long bus ride, we finally arrived in Puno. Exhausted from trekking in the canyon, we were overjoyed to have a shower, a beautiful little hotel room, and some peace and quiet. We spontaneously decided to go out for spaghetti dinner and then fell asleep tired and satisfied. The next morning, we were treated to an amazing breakfast with pancakes and cake. We were in heaven. We started walking around the city and exploring the area. Unfortunately, around noon, we had to cut our outing short because I started experiencing severe stomach pains. Once we got back to the hotel, I was in agony and my stomach continued to swell. At 4 PM, we had to call a doctor. With wide eyes, he asked me if I was pregnant. When I said no, he put his hands on his head in dismay (very reassuring). I could hardly move. I received infusions and electrolytes, but it didn't improve. In the evening, we had no choice but to go to the local hospital. There, I received a huge cocktail of medications and had to stay overnight. The next morning, the nurses woke me up at 6:30 AM. I was served a HUGE bowl of porridge, which had to be eaten down to the last spoonful. I was spoon-fed and not allowed to eat by myself. They even stuffed me with rolls afterwards. In Peru, you finish your food 😄. I wasn't allowed to wash my own face, they even brushed my teeth for me. You wouldn't believe how kind these people were. They took care of me so lovingly, as if we had known each other forever. They even braided my hair and stroked my head. At this point, I didn't want to resist anymore and enjoyed this warmth. In the afternoon, my mom picked me up and we went out for pizza. My stomach had calmed down a bit and I felt a bit better. When we showed the treatment prescription from the first doctor to our travel agency manager, he immediately said that he wasn't a real legal doctor and that he had pocketed our $300. We couldn't get the money back from any travel insurance because the prescription was fake. Desperation! So we went to the local police. There, we told them about the dubious doctor and the police dialed the number on the card he had given us. They told him to come to the hotel immediately and return our money. Of course, we didn't believe it. However, after half an hour, one of his accomplices actually showed up at the hotel and we got back every single dollar of the $300. Karma! We never expected that.

This was definitely an experience I won't forget anytime soon.