#1305 – The Expat Files: Health, Culture, and Life in the Altiplano

Automatically transcribed from the original recording; names and wording may contain errors.

[00:00] South of the border down Mexico way That's where I fell in love when the stars above came out to play and now as I wonder Hello there all you ex-pad wannabes. I'm Johnny Mueller and you're listening to the expat files living in Latin America The show that tells you just what it's like to live work play and or retire down here in Latin America It's a mix of the good the bad the ugly and the great and it's all right here. So let's get started Hey now here's a scientific study. You'll never see proclaimed in the first world media Because first of all, they're using the term altiplano and only maybe one out of a hundred people in the states or up in The first world know what the altiplano is. I take that back

[00:48] I'd say about one in a hundred Americans up north have heard the word altiplano, but they can't actually describe it But we sure can can't we? Anyway, very interesting study. It's in Spanish and I got it out of one of my favorite Latin American news sources el mercorio the mercury The title of the article actually the study is why people in the altiplano are healthier and live longer Than people who live their lives at lower altitudes First of all, did we even know this? Well, we do now Though in a way, it sounds counterintuitive right because in the altiplano regions that be 4,000 to maybe 6 or 7,000 feet above sea level the air is thinner. It means less oxygen pressure

[01:36] So we have to work harder to get oxygen Into the cells of your body, right? That means your body's always under a little more stress working all that much harder to keep your cells in equilibrium Homeostasis and well just happy so logically you'd think if you live in the altiplano It'd be just a little more susceptible to illness and disease Just like one gringo expat fitness trainer told me basically a glorified Jim rad He told me he believes if you're an American who used to live Let's say on the California coast and you move to the altiplano in Guatemala or wherever at five or six thousand feet above sea level It would be like carrying around an extra 10 or 20 pounds of weight But as it turns out that's not really the case at all people who live in the altiplano are healthier than people that live at sea level

[02:27] Anyway, let me kind of encapsulate this article for you It says according to the biological characteristics of people who live in the altiplano That is regions over 4,000 feet above sea level By the way, the Guadamalan altiplano ranges from about 5,000 to 6,000 feet above sea level The question is do gringos and expats who formerly lived on the coast or at low altitudes in the states Feel the difference once they come up to the altiplano Most people say there's no difference or not much difference at all though I've heard a couple of older people, you know, the over 60 or 70 crowd Some say they feel like they've got a little less energy a little less stamina Though if you ask them the same question a couple months or even a half year later They feel they're back to normal no energy difference or stamina difference at all, which begs the question

[03:17] What about so-called altitude sickness? Well, that can be a problem, but it doesn't happen until you're at maybe 9 10 or 11,000 feet above sea level just remember the normal altiplano regions we talk about here on this show are between 4,000 and about 7 or 8,000 feet above sea level in all the years have been down here in Latin America I've never met a single gringo or expat or anyone who's had altitude sickness in the altiplano regions down here in the very high mountain Regions. Yes, but in standard altiplano regions. No. All right back to this news article anyway, it says the biological characteristics of people who live their entire lives above 4,000 feet above sea level the altiplano are Marketly different from people who live at low elevations for starters. It says there are a few noticeable

[04:08] Modifications at the level of the blood plasma and people living at the altiplano Now we all have to have a certain level of oxygen to survive and at higher elevations. There's less air pressure That's less oxygen pressure So you think logically people living in the altiplano have a need to take more breaths per minute to compensate or they have a larger thorax a greater what they call respiratory tidal volume or Maybe some people just simply walk around with a deficiency of oxygen and thus consistently have less energy and stamina But surprisingly they don't according to recent studies Cells and people living in the altiplano are more acidic The pH is lower than people living their lives at sea level or at lower elevations

[04:56] That means the cell metabolism and people living in the altiplano has been reset modified allowing people living there to have an oxygenation level that's almost exactly the same as people living at sea level all that happens without people having a bigger thorax or taking Extra breaths or having produced more red blood cells to compensate on top of that There's plenty of evidence to suggest people living in the altiplano Exhibit less frequency and severity of diseases in general. How's that happen? What's that all about? Does less oxygen pressure relate to a healthier body? Well, according to this study the biggest benefit from living at higher elevations is the reduced exposure to disease carrying insects like mosquitoes because

[05:43] Mosquitoes that are dangerous to humans can't live about 1600 meters. That's around 5,000 feet above sea level Now that's not to say there aren't bugs and mosquitoes living at those altitudes But the dangerous ones the ones that cause all the plagues and problems like malaria dengue and Zika They just don't live above about 5,000 feet solid altiplano territory According to this article and hundreds of other studies many other pathogens that are dangerous to humans are restricted by altitude as well Which is the real reason why people living in the altiplano are healthier and live longer Studies show people living in the altiplano have fewer bacterial and viral infections as well Thus are far less likely to use antibiotics

[06:30] Even though as you've heard me mentioned many times you do not need a prescription to get antibiotics or practically anything in a pharmacy here That means if you think you have an infection or some kind of bug You can just go right into any old pharmacy and order up an antibiotic That's certainly what lots of gringos and expats do when they find out you don't need a prescription at first They can hardly believe it and when they walk into the drugstore and ask for penicillin, ampicillin, tetracycline, whatever They almost expect to get turned down even yelled at or scolded But they don't Which begs the question and I've asked many gringos and expats about this What if in the United States for example or Canada you didn't need a prescription to get drugs at the pharmacy any drug? Just like the pharmacies down here in Latin America. How would the American public respond to that?

[07:17] I think we know the answer the first sign of a sneeze or a cough We'd be popping antibiotics like PES or M&Ms We'd probably have bowls of the stuff sitting next to the pistachios in the living room. What do you think? I'm serious. Imagine if you went into the drugstore and could get anything without a prescription Hey, you know, I'm a libertarian about most things That means live and let live keep the government off your back completely do what you want As long as you don't hurt or harm others But also I realize you can't be an idiot and be a libertarian and unfortunately It seems most Americans have been dumbed down into idiots And you know as the saying goes every other person that walks by you is below average That means half of the US population acts pretty much on impulse

[08:02] They don't think two hours into the future So I'm thinking that half of Americans would not do well if pharmacies suddenly Started selling drugs all their drugs without prescriptions though It is a very interesting thought experiment and when you have a discussion Especially when you sit down with a bunch of gringos and expats and talk about the fact you can get anything at a pharmacy south of the border First off gringos and expats don't quite believe it They're totally surprised though when they walk into a pharmacy ask for something and they get it second of all, they're baffled why the population down here aren't addicted to painkillers or Just pop an antibiotics like candy. They're thinking that's what would happen up in the states All right, there'd probably be people passed out in every drugstore parking lot

[08:48] Anyway studies show Americans and first-world people use five times as many antibiotics as people in Latin America That really doesn't make sense when you think about the fact that you can get them down here without a prescription Plus down here Pharmacies got every generic known demand and generics are much much cheaper than proprietary brands So it's not the fact that antibiotics are expensive. They're damn cheap. If it isn't price holding people back What is it? What's stopping the public down here in Latin America from OD anon pain pills? Antibiotics even drugs like Viagra and Cialis which are over-the-counter here too and are quite cheap Well, it turns out it's about the mindset American mindset is you go to a doctor you get a pill either free samples

[09:34] Or a couple of prescriptions and if you don't yeah sort of feels short changed Whereas down here south of the border you go to a doctor. There's really no pill pushing at all And I think that's basically because most doctors know the average Latino is living hand-in-mouth You know the average household's making four or five hundred bucks a month That's down here in Latin America know if they give a poor Latina mother with a sick kid a prescription She probably won't fill it because she doesn't have 50 bucks Down here. There's no patient expectation of a prescription every time someone walks into the doctor's office Besides that most people don't go to the doctor unless it's something really serious There are lots and lots of home remedies to that moms and grandmas will try first

[10:20] They always have something on hand in fact. I've noticed that in every latina's kitchen There's a certain shell for cupboard if you open the door You'll see all kinds of little plastic bags full of herbs and powders and stuff You never saw before in your own mother's or grandmother's kitchen back and walk your Cleveland You know what that means don't you if you hook up with a Latina you're gonna end up downing a lot of that stuff yourself That's just a little heads up for you guys and gals coming down looking for love Yeah, get a Latina girlfriend or Latino boyfriend He or she will have a mother or a grandmother with one of those cupboards filled with all kinds of medicinal herbs and spices Oh and every medicine cabinet here in Latin America has a jar of Vicks Vapo rub They're really big on that stuff my advice when you do get sick. Yes, we all get sick sometime

[11:06] Don't resist don't put up a fuss when they mix up some kind of concoction It's part of the culture along with TLC. You won't get anywhere else in this world So let them do their thing it might even work now as for me over the years I've tasted plenty of those concoctions You know have had a lot of colorful stuff rubbed on me too in the early days I wasn't all that willing but I went along with it because I figured well can't hurt But over the years I have gained a new Appreciation for those herbal remedies. Hey anything to avoid a doctor's visit, right? Don't make a face be open-minded about it So if you're a cleaning lady cooks up some kind of brew or herbal tea for you Yeah, that's right. You're cleaning lady. You'll know all the herbal remedy tricks to my advice Take a chance let her get on with it

[11:52] And if it doesn't work and all else fails head to the doctor bottom line. It's a different culture get used to it Oh, and it's always good to remind yourself that in most Latin American countries People live longer and with a better quality of life than stateside people even so gringles and expats don't want to believe those statistics After all you look at a Latin Americans medicine cabinet and all they've got in there is Alka Seltzer Pepto-Bismol Vicks Vapo rub aspirin band-aids and a bottle of Tylenol to an American that almost seems unnatural hmm All right before we get into today's real wild boots on the ground story an email from Lloyd LL o ID he says dear Johnny. I like how you mix things up and talk about things like Latino music

[12:39] I'm a 48 year old guy from the UK, but I've lived in New York City for 10 years my next stop Guatemala El Salvador in Panama. I'm getting out of dodge for the second time. It'll be my plan C He says when I was in the UK. I got on a dodge and moved to the US for me It certainly didn't live up to the hype so I'm out of there anyway He says I'd like to weigh in on that music subject It's always fascinated me. He says to witness how a country's character Reveals itself in a crowd response to musical events and concerts He says I've noticed audiences in America are boisterous and demonstrative They've come to party and celebrate and there's an electric excitement even before the house lights go down I've also noticed he says that Americans who and I at concerts in response to lightning and pyrotechnics

[13:30] They reliably cheer whenever they're blanketed in white bright light or lasers cut across the ceiling Especially when things explode and fly through the air Whereas in the UK and Europe if a band or a group is in concert and they play a signature riff or a solo There will be momentary applause and a cheer then the audience will retreat into expectant silence once more and listen That's when I realized there's a big difference between American crowds and UK and European crowds We actually listen and respond to different musical passages One of the things I learned from poser bands like kiss and those rapping hip-hop idiots whose talent is minimal But have great explosive stage acts. I learned if your talent is minimal, but you blow something up really good crowds will go yay

[14:23] That's America. Whereas Lloyd says in the UK they go yay Whenever the artist breaks into a solo or riff that they love what that means is in Europe and UK People actually listen to the music. I mean they're focused on the listening Wow, he says what a concept actually listening to the music at a concert So then Lloyd asks who has their priorities in the right place? Americans are Europeans So Johnny for me as a music lover moving to the US took some getting used to I'm still not on board with Rapper reggaeton as for Taylor Swift being the most popular music phenomena in history Breaking all records the Swifty phenomena is oddly strange in itself

[15:09] She's had more gross sales more sold out shows than the Beatles and the Rolling Stones combined on top of that It took just one long concert tour to become a billionaire But he says I have to admit like her or not at least she's literate and not a vulgar Tattooed pierced sex object twerking in her underwear for a bunch of dreadlocked gold-toothed moron wannabes Now there's a noble goal to be a moron wannabe Alright, then he says I've noticed that her crowd is not a rap hip-hop or reggaeton crowd at all And she actually writes sings and plays instruments. It gives me hope for music I admit Taylor Swift's not my cup of tea though I appreciate she's around offering an alternative to that other tripe rap reggaeton and hip-hop He signs it Lloyd a temporary, New Yorker

[15:58] PS he says trying to arrange my schedule to come to your seminar in March you do accept Brits, don't you? Alright Lloyd. Thanks for that. And yes, we will accept a small number of Brits at the seminar Since you brought it up might as well plug it, you know, I've got my March 2024 expat insider seminar coming up in about two and a half months now We'll be doing it in two different countries in the Altiplano of Guatemala and the coastal regions The beach areas in such a neighboring El Salvador For all the details and sign up info. Just go to expat plan B.com All right. Now, here's this story a great boots on the ground story first Let me start up by saying there's an amazing phenomena here in Latin America Most especially when you're living off the gringo tourist trail

[16:46] Turns out Latinos and latinas of all stripes when they see a gringo and there are not many of us Which is the beauty of living off the gringo tourist trail your gringo advantage is very strong Anyway, when they see a gringo, they do not believe you know any Spanish at all. They think we're Spanish dances You know, we all come down as Spanish dances. I certainly did Well, let me put it this way about one in a hundred gringos speaks fluent Spanish I know that sounds like a pretty rough estimate, but no matter if you're on or off the gringo tourist trail That's about what it works out to I'm talking about fluent Spanish where you can listen to a couple of Spanish speakers talking and get most every word Now there are lots of Americans expats and gringos who can speak Spanish

[17:34] Just to get their point across with their cleaning lady or at the marketplace But they still will admit they just don't get it when two Latinos are talking Okay, starting with that premise again. I'm saying off the gringo tourist trail Practically every Latino has the impression when they see a gringo that he just does not speak Spanish So that's why they've got no hesitation at all to speak Spanish with their friends and relatives and neighbors Right in front of you as if you weren't there as if you were invisible They'll often carry out a nice loud very personal Conversation with each other they'll never do that in front of Latinos They don't know but they'll do it in front of a gringo because they think we're not getting it and most times we don't No matter what the personal details of that conversation

[18:20] They have no fear or embarrassment if there's a gringo standing right next to them because their belief is that We're just not getting it. I've been that gringo many times But I'm the odd case cuz I understand what they're saying Like I said, my own estimate is that only one out of a hundred gringos or expats speaks fluids enough Spanish to understand Do Spanish people getting into it in Spanish? Now as mentioned that's much different from gringos and expats who may have taken a couple courses in Spanish or even done the online Spanish tutoring thing I repeat you take a few classes or do online tutoring whatever You will be able to get your point across with your cleaning lady and at the market But that's not nearly enough to pick out everyday Spanish conversations It took me at least five years to get even near to being able to do that

[19:06] So I'd say about one in ten gringos and expats down here in Latin America can get their point across in Spanish Which still ain't very good, is it? That's why so many gringos and expats clump with other gringos in gringo Saturated neighborhoods tourist towns even tourist countries like Costa Rica, etc So anyway, just keep that in mind when listening to this next boots on the ground story that particular phenomena Of Latinos thinking gringos don't know Spanish at all Not enough to pick up on the details Anyway, that particular assumption is why I'm able to relate the following very interesting boots on the ground story now as you long time Listeners know I spend maybe 95% of my time here in Latin America. Well off the gringo tourist trail

[19:52] It's where my gringo advantage is the strongest. So why not? Anyway, just the other day I was invited to a corporate Christmas party, you know Here in Latin America all corporations big and small have Christmas parties just like they do up in the States They're big events to where the company pays for everything the booze the entertainment the food Anyway, a Latino buddy of mine who works for that company clado, you know Fatboy sims big internet company if you're down here in Latin America chances are your cell phone will have a cloud old chip in it Anyway, I have a Latino buddy who is an executive administrator type at clado Last week he invited me to their giant Christmas party. There must have been two three hundred people there Just a huge fiesta actually a themed fiesta you're supposed to wear white

[20:40] So all the ladies were decked out in white dresses white pants or white shoes and the guys white pants or a white sport coat whatever now my buddy neglected to tell me that so I was one of the three or four people out of two or three hundred that just Didn't fit in I had you know a Shortage of white except for my skin color. My buddy said no problem that counts So anyway, my buddy did his mingling and I was left a lot on my own and I sat down at quite a few tables Just watching and listening sometimes adding a little bit to the conversation. Anyway Somehow I ended up at a roundtable with four absolutely stunningly beautiful 20 and 30 something girls and only one guy and obviously gay fellow There were two empty chairs and I sat down. How did that happen?

[21:30] now when I sat down the five of them were in deep conversation and I could make out every word and What they were talking about kind of blew my mind and I knew in an instant They did not think or believe I could speak or understand any span Now, of course when I sat down, they all gave me a little nod and kept on with their conversation By the way, it was the kind of party you just sit down wherever you want any time you want There was no assigned seats or anything. Anyway, I heard the gay guys say to one of the ladies How did your meeting go with the boss today? What I picked up was the girl he was speaking to Was in line for a promotion and it was that very day earlier in the morning She had an interview with her boss talking about that new position So the gay guy said how'd it go? She raised her voice sounded quite outraged

[22:16] Called her boss a few nasty swear words called him a mujer Diego turns out She said during the interview her boss put his hand on her leg and started working his way up He told her how beautiful she was and what a crush he had on her made it very clear that if she was willing to have occasional sex with him, she'd get the promotion And the gay guy who didn't seem all that surprised said yeah, that's his style. He's noted for that Then one of the other three girls chimed in and said, you know He's married and a couple of kids and you know, he pulled that same thing with Katrina in the accounting department I wouldn't trust that guy for anything Then one of the other girls chimed in and said Did I ever tell you the story about what happened to me when I was going to university? Then the gay guy and one of the other girls said no tell us

[23:04] She said she was just starting her third year at the university and business administration Her economics professor the guy who wrote the book a serious and elegant guy who she had For econ one in her freshman year econ two in her sophomore year and now she was taking the third year econ course Now she'd never had any real conversations with the guy at all He was just the professor who wrote the book they had to study from One day after class, he said i'd like to talk to you for a minute come to my office She sat down in the office. He shut the door and said from the first day. I had you in class freshman year I've been madly in love with you And he said i've got a proposition And the girl said I was dumbstruck. I didn't know what to say. I just said yeah

[23:50] And the professor laid out his proposition. He said, you know, i'm married and I have a couple kids But my wife and I have grown apart We're not compatible anymore What i'm offering is for you to be my permanent amanti. That's lover. My proposition is this He said i'll buy you a nice two-bedroom apartment put it in your name Buy you a car too. You can continue to go to school live your regular life But no one can know the other part of the deal. He says you can never call me I'll call you We'll meet up at your apartment every tuesday and thursday evening. We'll have two nights a week I'll give you a nice allowance. He said so you can go to nice restaurants and go shopping etc And of course, you'll get outstanding grades in my class, but I don't have to help you with that

[24:39] You're intelligent. You've always done fine Then he stopped and said, what do you think? She was just shocked but didn't say so instead she said this is a big surprise. Let me think about it So she said that night she went home. She was an anguish Sure, she said he was a well-respected cultured even pretty good looking guy But she wanted no part of that proposition or scheme. She thought how do I get out of it? Because she knew if she turned him down. He had the potential to ruin her career, too She'd heard stories like that not about him But from other girls who told similar stories about other professors that made similar propositions to them turns out that's a typical story in latin universities By the way, the girl telling that story was a knockout, but she had a strong personality

[25:25] You could tell she wasn't a pushover. I was thinking in that moment when I was hearing all that She didn't have to take any favors from anyone Anyway, then the gay guy said go on. What did you do then? She said she went home and called her uncle who was a very good advice giver Her dad had passed away and her mom lived on a farm a couple hours from the big city where she was living and her mom was Typical laid-back farm lady not one for advice. She said in those matters. Anyway, she talked to her uncle Next day she said in economics class when it was over. She said can we talk in your office again? So they went back to the professor's office She said look I was kind of dazzled by your proposition. She said let's clarify this a bit

[26:11] You're gonna buy me apartment and put it in my name. He said yep She said and what about that allowance and the tuesday and thursday thing and he explained it once again Finally he said so we're in agreement then She stood up opened her purse and showed that she had her cell phone in the audio recording mode She walked towards the door quickly opened it up a bit for a possible fast escape She said my answer to your proposition is definitely no, but if anything ever happens to me in the future Regarding my test scores or any problems in this school I'm giving this recording to my uncle and he'll post it on the internet And send it to one of his friends who works at one of the big national newspapers She said that's my proposition. Do you accept it or not?

[27:00] Well, it turns out she shocked the hell out of that guy And graduated with honors from her school the next year. In fact, she even had two more classes with the guy And the gay guy said really how did you go to class every day and stay calm seeing his face? She said he was absolutely professional, but almost never looked her straight in the eye All right, we're getting close to the end of the show here, but let me tell you there's more to that story I'll get into it right away on the next show You won't want to miss it You've been listening to the expat files living in latin america If you need some help with your own plan b we can schedule a one-on-one phone or skype consult Just send me an email the expat files at gmail.com

[27:46] And if you want to get on the waiting list for my next week long expat insider seminar in central america Where you're guaranteed to get a two to five year head start on your plan b Send me an email the expat files at gmail.com