“The 3rd day of Spanish class we learned about medicinal plants that you can grow in the mountains. We prepared questions about a certain sickness and we went to the market in Paute to find answers. Maria, the friend of Ling Chei, grows medicinal herbs on her farm and sells them at the market. We asked her about yellow fever, depression, asthma, common colds, and altitude sickness. She knew all about what to use to cure these illnesses and how to prepare them. Nacho(Hans) and I were asking about altitude sickness, sorroche in Spanish. She gave us a couple of herbs to make tea out of that would help. She gave us violet(Violeta), lamb’s ear(oreja de burro), pata companga, and horitja. She was very specific in the way you should prepare the tea. For example if you are drinking it in the night you should put cocoa butter in the tea. If you are drinking it in the morning you should put aspirin in the warm water with the herbs. The medicinal remedies functioned for other sicknesses too like fever and the common cold. The herbs might be the same but the way that you prepare the tea varies.”
-Ezme Ela
