Took this photo outside the baggage claim at the Cusco airport in Peru (altitude 11,152 ft). Chewing coca leaves is legal in Peru and is widely encouraged for tourists to prevent altitude sickness.
I ended up chewing coca regularly while doing fieldwork up in the Andes. It's a mild stimulant that people offer as freely as tea or coffee when visiting somebody's home. Long-time use leaves a distinctive pattern of wear on people's teeth, which makes it very easy to trace in the archaeological record.
vanmicah on March 6th, 2019 at 13:32 UTC »
Now that's hospitality.
Leon_Depisa on March 6th, 2019 at 15:44 UTC »
Okay, I took one, but where are the other two buckets?
Poisson_oisseau on March 6th, 2019 at 17:18 UTC »
I ended up chewing coca regularly while doing fieldwork up in the Andes. It's a mild stimulant that people offer as freely as tea or coffee when visiting somebody's home. Long-time use leaves a distinctive pattern of wear on people's teeth, which makes it very easy to trace in the archaeological record.