Altitude sickness

I feel like I am in an eternal state of fatigue. By midday I need a nap, and I am winded after walking only a couple of blocks. Yesterday we climbed the high hill that overlooks the city. The first half of the walk was up a windy road and I did okay. The secone half, on the other hand, almost killed me. There were huge rock steps that went straight up the mountain for several hundred feet. It seemed to be roughly the equivalent of setting the Empire State Builiding on top of Mt. Ranier, then taking the steps two at a time without a hand rail. I had to stop frequently with heaving breaths, my lungs confused as to where all the oxygen went! The view from the top was worth it, however. There is a tall wooden cross up there that you can see throughout the valley. The surrounding mountains rise tall, and to the north smoke from the slashing-and-burning of the tropical forest below rises over the ridge and creates a haze in the sky. After a long, meditative rest at the top, we started down again, the huge steps this time taking a toll on my knees rather than my lungs. Kat says that in a few months I'll be able to climb it in 20 minutes, but right now my lungs are doubtful. And it is not just physical activity. The first few nights I had real trouble sleeping. I would wake up feeling like I couldn´t breathe. They say that is because when you are sleeping your breathing slows down so much that at these low oxygen levels it is not enough (until your body adjusts, of course). Altitude. Just one of the many things that I am adjusting to in this new reality in which I'm living.